Dear Cobweb

I did not answer you at once because the Glowworm sent me a set of questions by the same post, and I had to refer to the Secretary to know which was to have the first turn. She decides that, as by some blunder the Glow Worm stepped into Fru Astrida’s place, and that her questions had therefore better have the first turn. I believe this is rather a good thing for your first ... continue reading

Most submissive Cobweb,

The only change that I would suggest this time would be that for the word Evangelists you should substitute Gospels – as the Forms to which you refer rather symbolize the characteristics of the Gospels themselves than of their writers The answers will carry you all very deep and high.

The Humble Bee will be delighted with Kepler as the stars are her peculiar line. We shall have such beautiful stories of Handel that ... continue reading

My dear Irene

No wonder the poet was puzzled! It is a very comical adventure in the annals of Goosedom! I agree with Mrs Martyn in thinking your first question excellent, and your second is very good, but No. 3 seemed to me too big a question. Only think how much there is to say about a county, even if you gave but one line to each event that happened! I was asked to write a ... continue reading

My dear Irene

I like this form of the question much, and think it suggestive. The County History would do for a historical question but would make too much history coupled with another. I am not sure however whether you have not too many pairs of qualities, and if it might not be better to leave out contemn & despise, and perhaps hope & anticipate, the distinction in the first place being too small, in the ... continue reading

My dear Cobweb,

Many thanks for your share of the photograph book, which is a very pleasant possession though my view of your self was so fleeting that I am no judge of the likeness- I was in hopes of being able to send a photograph of myself to all my faithful brood, but the man at Plymouth after keeping us waiting for two months for some copies, announced that the negative was broken. There had ... continue reading

My dear Cobweb,

I am glad to tell you that no one has passed you, though Firefly is your equal, in the number of votes, and I therefore should like to know which of Mother Goose’s works you would like best to have- only do not expect it immediately as I should like to have it bound for you.

Thank you for letting me see the photograph I am glad you have got it as it is ... continue reading

My dear Cobweb

Your book is come, and as it will not travel by the post well, I am going to send it to London by Mr and Mrs Pode - Will you let me know whether they shall leave it anywhere for you or send it on to Chelsea by parcels delivery

I have not been able to settle the prize questions yet as all the answers have not come in.

Owl sent me a very ... continue reading

My dear Glow worm,

Let us have the Redan then though I am a little puzzled about the greater proportion of Goslings having brothers in the army – if you counted Humble Bee as one[,] your Army List misled you for the Alfred Moberly there is only a cousin. I spent Saturday evening with her, and told her all your questions, and she shuddered at the notion of the Redan. However that is no reason against ... continue reading

My dear Irene,

Many thanks for this order. You had better send the stamps to me, and they will go into the great Bell hoard.

Glow Worm’s Lorenzo is by far the most entertaining of the lot that came yesterday, but unluckily she made one sad mistake, for Catherine was the daughter of Alessandro, some generations further on, Lorenzo’s grandson, I think, and the monument was a grandson’s too commonly called Lorenzino. I am very sorry for ... continue reading

My dear Irene,

Many thanks for the photograph which I am glad to have as a much pleasanter likeness of you. It seems odd that it should have met Pena’s and as Humble Bee is staying here, we set her to guess by the old ones which of her fellow Goslings it was. The Exhibition has grievously affected the Goslings this time and few have sent in answers. Humming Bird alone has answered all. I think ... continue reading

My dear Irene,

Do you know your stamps never came out of your letter. I waited a day or two in case you had forgotten them and would find them out, but they are not forthcoming yet. I do not think I could have lost them in opening the letter. Many thanks for them all the same.

Chelsea Delf and you are the winners this time You for the compass

your affectionate

Mother Goose

Jany 2nd This letter got into ... continue reading

My dear Henrietta

You have indeed had much sorrow during these two years, and you must be feeling it deeply, a kind aunt is such a treasure in ones life. It has been a strange year of death – the same post brought me tidings of the death of a little godson of mine who had long been hovering between life and death from the remains of scarlet fever, - his little sister two years ... continue reading

My dear Henrietta

You have a very nice set of questions this time and I think the best to choose among them will be the distinguished Christian characters of Milan, and the monuments, but I think you should call them sepulchral monuments, as I suppose you mean only those that mark the actual place of the remains - as I imagine you don’t wish to include the Monument par excellence. I think you may allot four ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I hope you have the Barnacle by this time. It was to set off on the 2nd having been detained to have sufficient time for pressing. Thanks for your answers which are the first to come for that set of questions, and so serve as the next egg. I think you must be very sorry to leave St Marks and its beautiful services. I am afraid you cannot hope to equal them any ... continue reading

My dear Kittiwake I am glad you are meditating a flight to us, but will you let it be on Monday the 14th this day week. I want the skies to clear up a little, as I hope you will allow time enough for a walk to see our daffodil copse of which we are rather proud, and which will gain by the week’s delay.

Do not be deceived into turning into the wrong house for ... continue reading

My dear Mr Moor Time vanished away suddenly from me yesterday, or I should not have missed thanking you for the division of the Income, which will be an excellent standard for the unpractical young ladies, some of whom I fear have been answering the question but I shall get theirs on the 25th

Mamma has been comparing your scale with our own, and finding we exactly agree in coals & wages and not at all in ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Johns,

We are much obliged for your kindness, and if things - weather included turn out well - I hope to bring the Cricket and her sister in time for a four o’clock tea with you on Monday. I am afraid we cannot do more, as after that it gets so late and cold for an open carriage. Our basket only holds three so that my mother - though thanking you for your ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Johns, Thank you so much for letting me [see] Mr Ruskin’s very characteristic opinion of the beautiful Griselda work. I have thought and talked it over with my mother, and certainly it is a complication, but would not the most satisfactory course be to ask some opinion of a person such as Richmond a thorough artist, and also a religious man, a gentleman, and father of daughters whether it would be his judgment ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge I am writing to Mrs Vaughan & will tell her with how much pleasure I consent to her using the story from Golden Deeds. I will remind you when we reprint, that you may give us the additional story.

I don’t think I ever congratulated you on the marvellous good scotch you give us in the Clever Woman. I, a western man, from the Land of Burns, claim a classical purity in my ... continue reading

My dear Cobweb, I should not have bothered you about your questions this month but that Chelsea China told me that your Mother was so much better that she thought you would be able to do them or rather ask them- and as it is so we shall get the order of things right again.

I think the two questions that will make the most variety would be the history of the Knights’ [sic] Templars and the ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Johns,

I have been waiting to write till I could see whether we could manage bringing Alice Coleridge up to Winton House, as we quite hoped to do at the beginning of her visit, but our having other friends with us all last week made it impossible to be contrived, and now she is going away on Thursday and I do not see my way for either tomorrow or next day, so I ... continue reading

My dear Cobweb, I am staying here with the Secretary and we both give our parting greetings to one of our oldest original members. I wonder if you will ever have time to continue the Composer series in the Barnacle- I remember when Christabel told me how many lives you proposed, I was rather alarmed for the chance of the Barnacle living long enough to contain them all.

If you wish still to see the said ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Photography must certainly turn you into a most pensive mood. You are a great contrast to the solid jolly damsel in the old Gosling book. Your Ridge is very good. I will send it round with the answers, but as yet I have had no answers but Cricket and Lady bird, and the Turks cap has been so ill used that she has had neither questions answers nor Barnacle, this time – so ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Johns, I suppose you are enjoying a Christmas rest, indeed I almost expect to hear that Mr Johns is spending his holiday on a visit to Katie. The business of my note is however to tell Katie or ask you to be so kind as to tell her, that we are having a great revolution in the state of goosedom. Some goslings having grown lazy and some outgrown it, there is to be ... continue reading

My dear Frances, Is this a very outrageous thing I am going to propose. You must know Goosedom has had a shock and a revolution, chiefly induced by Mildred Coleridge having no time for it and her aunt therefore losing her interest in it. So after having very nearly broken up, we are beginning again in a more brilliant manner, and the thing is would you condescend to be a Gosling. All you would have to ... continue reading

My dear Christabel, I should have said that I think you must specify your stones, there are such a frightful number- Pray have opal and turquoise- One for its weird history, the other for its nature- but exclude all the stupid ones, like garnets &c or we shall be swamped - I shall send the parcel on Monday - Meantime I send you the grand Goslings acceptance - I think Fernseed must be her name - ... continue reading

My dear Cobweb, You have been very ill used, but first Fanny Patteson was here, and I was idle, and since that I have not been well and have been more idle. The Acrostic is capital – I always like those that are all quotation- and I am very glad to see the composers going on, this last is a very entertaining piece

Pray excuse my great stupidity your affectionate Mother Goose

My dear Edith,

For I cannot induce myself to write Miss C and you know we are cousins- so that your beginning did not seem natural. We are delighted with your drawing, it has just given the look of reverent awe and foreboding that was wanted, and we are very much obliged to you for it - it just takes the place wanted in our book. I was at Winton House yesterday and found the party ... continue reading

My dear Christabel, I should not have been so ungrateful if I had not been laid up, first by being deluded into eating some Scallop fish that everybody else flourished upon, and then by a wicked chair, which cast its hind leg as I was sitting down on it, and strained my back - Not till lately have I had the energy to pack up the Answers and write to you. I shall be very thankful ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I send you the Barnacle. I had thought of keeping it for May, but as she does not come till the 6th, it would be too long. After all the sheets of the Caged Lion have got bound up wrong by my fault, for I forgot to number the pages. I have now numbered them and put a notice that the reader must manage accordingly The difficulty in keeping always the same order ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I think they were rather dull questions this time and they have not produced brilliant answers but your tradition is by far the best. Poor Florence strained her back, and cannot do anything for either answers or Barnacle though she is getting better- and some of the Goslings are abroad and some visiting.

I hope your Changeling is coming, as the Barnacle will be very thin. I am keeping it to be bound ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I hope you did get my letter of thanks to Goosedom after all, though I was so stupid as not to direct it to you at your friend’s, it was a stupid letter in itself, but I was very much hurried at the time, and could not even write to you with it and since that I have been quite laid up, though I am promised that the result is to be getting ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Here is the September Barnacle – the binder has really made it so, though it ought to be the Midsummer one. I suppose that great MS ought to go round with it as I suppose no one would have patience to copy it out in the right size It was very stupid and this thin Barnacle would be much the better for it. Will you put in a note to that effect when ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I am sorry not to have written to you before, but I could not get time before. It does seem to me good time for a story again, but do you not think the Proverb foundation has been rather much worked and could not the subject be proposed in some other way. For instance suppose they were set to Write a story shewing the difference between Romance and Sentiment Only that cuts up ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Here are the answers but I really have no time to do their Cackle. The two months holidays come now, and would you kindly tell the brood that I think they had better not send me any questions after the holidays till I tell them. I hope by no means to give up Goosedom in the end, but Mamma is so sadly failing that I must for the present drop all unnecessary claims ... continue reading

My dear Mr. Butler Thanks. I wish I felt more worthy of being an Exterior Sister, but I am thankful to be joined to what is good, though I do not think you would care to have me if you knew how I ‘shrink when hard service must be done,’ and what a spoilt child I have been ever since I grew up, very nearly useless in anything practical. But I will constantly use the prayer, ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Thank you much for Giftie. She looks very pretty and I like her picture. Yes, we will, if we can, have a Christmas Barnacle. I have one capitally illustrated paper for it already from Sparrow Hawk.

Shall we send out the Questions for December, or January, I mean shall they go New Years day, or the month before?

I think we are to have a new Gosling -

Emma Butler Wantage Vicarage Berks.

Would you send her the rules, ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Here is another Gosling for us, and I should think a good one. She is a granddaughter of Dr Arnold her father being Mr T Arnold, and Frances Peard knows her well, which is almost equivalent to an introduction to a [sic turn of page] I send you her letter that you may see the nature of the bird and also consider of the Guernsey goose. I think we had better have her ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Thank you and Edith for taking the Bandits’ Bride, I hope your collections will prosper. We have £163, and want £700 if we build a masters house, £400 if we content ourselves with a school

Have you written to Miss Arnold, or shall I accepting Miss Clarke I find Grace Latham has not time, so perhaps we had better accept Miss Budd and Miss Llewellyn. Scotland has sunk away from us, so I suppose ... continue reading

My dear Mary Thank you so much for your long letter and history of all your doings. I am sure if usefulness makes a happy life this ought to be one, and you must have much of kindness and of the sense of a living Church round you to fill you with energy. I do not know whether you have ever felt a sort of sense of the absence of the whole salt of life in ... continue reading

My dear Henrietta I believe Goosedom is to be revived in the new members, not that new ones are ever so good as old. The two first proposed are accepted, and I hope your Lilian will be, but you will hear from the Secretary. I am afraid I did not find her out at the Patteson’s party. We shall have to make a new arrangement as to circulation which you shall hear in the next Cackle ... continue reading

My dear Christabel You and Mary Arnold are very decidedly the best this time, so I don’t send any others.

You will have to reform the scheme of travelling as Mignonette and Sparrow Hawk both resign in much haste

yr affect Mother Goose

Cackle Mother Goose having gone out on her broomstick she has had to delay the answers. They are not many in number this time, for Chelsea China’s popularity and Windermere’s Wars of the Roses are decidedly the superior articles. Cricket is the next to ask the questions.

Mignonette and Sparrow Hawk retire

My dear Irene You introduced the Young Gosling to me in her eggshell long ago, and I am sure the brood with [sic for will] be very happy to have her. I send [passage missing where signature cut out] is our senior member and chief manager. The first questions will come on the first of October, it is of no use to try to get them done in September. Even Mother Goose herself is going to ... continue reading

My dear Christabel What that Ivy did about her questions I cannot conceive, for both Frog and Cricket say they have had none, and yet there are some answers come in from Double Daisy and from nobody else

I have got Frances’s lame sister with me, and she is always pleased to help me by copying, so she has written out the questions for me Will you ask the next? After these that I ... continue reading

Gosling questions for February

Write the history of Henry VIII's expedition to France.

What parallel stories does folklore in different countries present to the adventures of Ulysses in the Odyssey?

Mother Goose

My dear Christabel Yes, the Coral islands and King René will do very well, but really the Goslings are so long that I do not think they are worth keeping up. Cricket and Double daisy are the only ones who have sent answers and that only to Henry VIII , I thought Ulysses might have been so entertaining but I believe nobody that does not live with a public library ever has books enough. ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I have my doubts whether you are not in the right and Goosedom has had its day. I do not think that now I have no one to read and discuss the answers with I do my part with the same spirit and effectiveness, and there are not enough Goslings acquainted with each other to keep the thing up with animation. Gaggles used [to] do something, but there has been no ... continue reading

My dear Christabel The Goslings will not die. I find we had better kill the useless members, and get some quite young ones in keeping the questions easier- We have now left only Cricket, Frog, Double Daisy and Pixie to whom is to be added

The Honble Alethea Colborne, Beechwood Plympton

I am not sure what she is to be called - Can you still be Secretary even if you have no time for the Questions? ... continue reading

My dear Pixie I don't know if you have heard how nearly Goosedom perished from exhaustion and how it has revived again, after throwing off a few idle members. I did not throw you out because I thought we had had some very impossible questions lately, and we are going to keep them shorter and easier.

Will you send the answers when you get them to Bluebell ie

the Honble Alethea Colborne Beechwood Plympton

There are two more new members ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

I think you should poke up Strahan, though I fancy he is very tiresome about MSS. I hope you have a copy – Goosedom is very poor this time, all the best being busy or going travelling Frog is gone to Ammergau

your affectionate Mother Goose

My dear Pixie

Goosedom will be very glad of Miss Agnes Acland. I believe I first missed seeing her at Oxford but I have often heard of her. I enclose a sheet of rules, and will tell Double Daisy to send her the questions.

your faithful Mother Goose

Tell Miss Acland to choose her Gosling name

My dear Christabel Good luck to you in your new work! I had various things to write to you about Will you send a list of the Goslings to

Miss Margaret Macmillan The Elms Streatham Tooting

I think I told you I have promised to make her a Gosling though she is rather too young. Who is the next to ask questions - will you send her a reminder to send them to me to choose from, and ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Goslings do multiply overmuch, but I cannot refuse to make a two headed one, like Double daisy out of these two damsels of Miss Keary’s about whom I send her letter. Will you send them the Gosling list, and standing orders I am sending them the rules. Who asks questions next – none have come to me to choose from for December- and it is January that is the holiday.

I ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I see no reason against a Barnacle if you have time to edit it. I am afraid I have not, but I think it would be a very pleasant renewal and very good for Goosedom. I shall be very glad of your last century story, with the proviso

Patience cousin and shuffle the cards. which would not be a bad proverb to write on.

Mrs Johns is well again I was at Winton ... continue reading

My dear Miss Cassell I find it will be convenient to Goosedom generally and it certainly will be so to its Mother if the answers wait to the end of January, so I have desired Chelsea China to send home a note to that effect. The last answers were unluckily lost in the frost when I sent them off to her, and as she had gone to Hanwell we did not at once discover the loss. ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I did not mean to admit another Gosling but an old promise has come up to Beatrice Morshead, Bog Oak’s sister, who like her abides at Wiverton Plympton. She is a very nice girl but I don’t think will prove as brilliant as Bog Oak was. Will you tell Cherry to send her questions – if it be Cherry’s turn. I have had none from her yet, and I can ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Here are the answers please to set on the next questioner. Is it Polypodium whom I think a very good one with plenty of stuff in her. I am sorry you have not caught any pupils I thought you would have had Mr Johns’s rejected addresses.

I am having new school experiences, having taken half an hour twice a week of our boys’ school, which somehow had got a good deal ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Your Face seems to me very effective, I long to hear more of it. I suppose it will not be like the Face story I heard of, which has a terrible ending. I hope you will go on and get me out of the eerieness it gives me. Thanks for the promise of Handley Mills [sic], I shall be so glad of it, for poor Gertrude’s reading, she is so ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Here are the Answers All to one question! I have read Hanbury Mills once to myself and am now reading it to poor Gertrude who enjoys it exceedingly – I like it very much indeed – there is so much character in the three degrees of refusement, and all the people seem to me very successful- Wilfred and Frank especially & Mrs Bridgewater and Joe. By the by in 108 & ... continue reading

My dear Christabel York and Lancaster Rose has gone- one half to school- and the other has grown too busy, so it resigns, and I have accepted a

Miss Alice Poole Uffington Farrington

She is sister to a governess I like very much –

Hanbury Mills was an immense pleasure to Gertrude. She and Frances have both bought one. I think Linda is true, but as you say, it was not possible to bring her out more. ... continue reading

My dear Christabel It is a fine story and I like it. I dare say you never read Rosanne, a very old book of the beginning of the century, where there is the same idea, a girl brought up by an infidel father with her mind a blank, and then struggling towards the light, and assimilating every shred. Her first prayer is very beautiful but I think your unprayed prayer is more ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Some of the answers are at home, and some have followed me about and I must wait to act Mother Goose till I have got them all together as I hope to do when I get to Tyntesfield the end of next week. I have made acquaintance with Gridiron, whom I found staying at Wantage. She is not so lame as Gertrude but I should think in a far more precarious ... continue reading

My dear Emma

I know nothing about Miss Butt, I suppose she has not vanished from the face of Creation as she sent me a rather foolish little book the other day called Lads and Lasses, but without any letter or clue to her whereabouts, so I think she had better be simply disregarded till we hear of her again. I cannot recollect what was the Concatenation that introduced her. I am very angry ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

The 1st of July is the right day, but it is convenient to be beforehand with it, as things get much better read than in the great mass of strangers. Miss Bramston has sent a splendid one called the Isle of Progress, - all about 500 years hence. Fanny Awdry has done rather a nice one of the boy type, and I have a few more but dying is so much ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

Here are a not very brilliant set of answers I rather doubt whether the question about the fall of Constantinople was understood I expect there will be a rush at Gridiron’s ghost question.

I shall be very glad if Fernando ends by coming to me. Miss Webers At Sixes and Sevens, a conclusion to I wonder why is very disappointing Grace is so stupidly in love ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

Here are only two Goslings and those very poor ones. Mayfly says she has had no questions since April. Moreover Frog is going to be married in September so do not you really think it would be better to give a coup de grace to the Goslings and let them turn into Spiders. Somehow I think we might let each spider in rotation send me up a few questions to ... continue reading

Mother Goose & the last Gosling of the original brood, faithful where few were faithful found having eaten goose together on Michaelmas day solemnly dissolve the ancient Brood. Having begun with 12 intimate friends & cousins who actually did 4 questions once a month it has come to only two once in two months & of those generally only one answered by a few - while there is little acquaintance between many[.] It ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan

Thank you very much for sending me this very severe review in the Academy. I feel annihilated, and if my old name does carry off this edition, I will gladly rewrite what calls for it. I really did not know that German criticism had overthrown so much of the old Spanish standard histories to which I trusted, especially for a mere epitome of the old Gothic kingdom, and as I did not want ... continue reading

My dear Miss Macmillan

If you will send me a short account of the Working Women’s College I will gladly put it in. Perhaps it will be best to do so when everything is settled. I wonder how much the women read the papers, I suppose they may be more alive to public matters than their sisters in the country, but even the men at our village reading room care much less for papers than for ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

Thank you for your proverbs, which are very curious. There are some odd Eastern ones in todays Saturday, one of which takes my fancy, though not for a Christmas number ‘If a Jackal howls shall my old buffalo die’. I am afraid people would not understand it. I mean to have

Crow not, Croak not

as the next year’s proverb. I think most peoples’ stories are variations of a certain ... continue reading

My dear Florence I am very glad to hear of you again, and I hope the touch of frost will not be felt at Bournemouth; it has spared all our flowers as yet. I waited to write because Christabel was coming to make up our plans for the new volume. We will try to put in 'Purification' poem for February, but I am afraid poems do not get much payment. I wish ... continue reading

The first instalment of Barnacle is come

Yours affectionately C M Yonge