My dear Sir,

I am obliged for your letter received this morning, and will decide on bringing out Hopes and Fears as soon as possible. I will send the chapters from the Constitutional Press to be reprinted as soon as I have looked over them. I think that the first edition should certainly be in two volumes uniform with the others, but after the experience of Dynevor Terrace, I am not inclined to make the number ... continue reading

My dear Sir,

Let the 5000 copies be put in hand, as you think it more advisable- Perhaps it was a mistake of mine to take fright, but after the first lessening of popularity, there is always a fear that the next attempt may fall still shorter - and one of my earlier books would not have left the 290 in hand.

I suppose the printing will hardly be finished long before October, if it were I ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, Will you kindly give me your advice on this letter? It is written to friend of mine at Philadelphia who seeing my 'Clever Woman of the Family' was about to appear in parts in 'the Living Age' wrote to enquire about it. This is Mr Littell’s answer.

I should tell you that Appleton gave me £25 for each of my larger books till the war, when he said he did not get profit enough ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge I will confess to being about as much in doubt of what can be, or ought to be done with the Americans as it is possible for a man to be. I have got for Mr Kingsley £50 to £75, but since the war we have not got a penny for anything.

If the Living Age will give you anything for advanced sheets I certainly would be inclined to take it. Appletons ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan I can quite enter into what you say of that first chapter’s meagreness. There were things I wanted to keep in reserve, and I do not think one’s mind gets so worked up to the point /at first as after having gone through all the preliminaries and preparation. I wanted to keep Bethlehem by daylight /on the Gleaning of Right for the Anointing of David, and therefore made less of the scenery ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge, It is most kind of you to take my crude criticism in so good part. I did think of the parts, and your possible motive in dwelling on the opening chapter in the slight way you have done. Still with an eye to what is coming I cannot but think that the opening should be fuller, more sonorous and in a higher key. But I have asked Mr Clay to let ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik I am very happy to agree to this arrangement and thank you for providing the early sheets. Is it not however Holland that is concerned and not Denmark?

I am in a difficulty of my own making. I signed an agreement in the spring with one Mr Hugo Borges that he should have the early sheets of the Chaplet of Pearls to translate for a Roman Cronik as he calls it, which he and ... continue reading