Dear Mr Macmillan, Otterbourn was turned upside down yesterday by a grand wedding, so that I could accomplish nothing but sending off the book without writing.

I am much obliged by your proposal about the Clever Woman, and shall be well satisfied with the terms you propose, - and very glad not to have the stereotyping taken out of the £200. It strikes me that there ought to be another sheet in the first volume; as there ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge Your note will do very well in the mean time. If I can remember, tomorrow, I will get you and send you a small formal receipt book which you will be able to sign with little trouble.

I have only got the first chapter in type, the one I sent and you returned. I read it through once to myself and then aloud yesterday. The impression I had at first was somewhat confirmed ... 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

My dear Mr Macmillan I am sorry that Dr Vaughan cannot undertake to give us his name. I wish indeed that the Archbishop of Dublin could, but if it is in vain to fly so high, what do you think of Dean Alford? I do not know him personally, nor would his name give the same complete confidence to the High Church as those before mentioned, but it might be the best attainable.

I had only thought ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan Our start from home is fixed for the 30th of this month. I suppose there is no chance of my getting any copies of the Dove before I start. I was obliged to delay further by having a revise of the preface where the printers had contrived to make a good many gratuitous mistakes. I never knew Messrs Clay so long printing anything. If there is no chance of your sending me a ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan We are rather disturbed at the delay in printing the Historical Selections as Miss Sewell cannot do any corrections after the end of June, and as she has all the books and has looked out all the selections I could not supply her place.

I suppose the printers are postponing it to something more interesting, but if they cannot go on at once and finish at the end of June it would be convenient ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan, Miss Sewell is in want of a volume of Milmans Latin Christianity which the London Library does not send. She will write to you which it is and perhaps you could kindly cause it to be sent to her. I cant think what Clay meant by our delaying the proofs for we had never done so.

I have never had any of Heartsease to put the headings to the pages.

Yours sincerely C M ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge, I send you the first copy of the Cameos which has been bound. It has been delayed about that title page, in which I wanted to produce a cameo effect, [illegible] that may be. The book I am sure is a charming book and we tried to give it an adequate dress.

I think Clay is making better progress with the Selections. Miss Sewell seems satisfied. I have never I think spoken of ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan, The mistakes about Walsingham & Sidney had perhaps better be mentioned in the preface to disarm the critics, and that unlucky Amen must be made an erratum it is so ridiculous in its present position.

Would you notify this to Clay, as I do not know the page.

What do you say to the story of Indian Life I sent you? If you cannot do any thing with it, please write to me before ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Clay has sent me proofs of the French history, but would it not be better to wait to print till I have finished, as the limits are fixed?

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Augusta

I don’t know how it is but there never seems to be room in the Packet. I cannot get in my own Cameos, nor finish up the Three Brides as I meant to have done by two chapters at a time. When I began the York & L Rose I thought both it and Dt Cecil would end at Midsummer, and now I find that they will last on into next ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Thanks for the estimate of the copyrights, which is a good deal what I expected, as I thought they must be more valuable to me than to anyone else.

I cannot think what Clay is about. A month ago he wrote to me in a great hurry for more copy of the Cameos saying you wanted the third volume finished, I sent him up at once all but the last two or three chapters ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Many thanks for this payment, which considering that I had £400 before ought indeed to satisfy me.

I wonder when Clay means to go on with the Scripture readings

Yours truly C M Yonge

Dear Mr Craik

I think a letter of mine which I wrote last week to the ‘house’ must have been overlooked at least in part. I asked for a copy of the Heir of Redclyffe to be sent to myself, and a set of all my books to the Sisterhood at Wantage who want to have them to lend from their branch at Bombay

The one I asked for has never come and I have not heard ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

I am exceedingly puzzled. I am sure I wrote on to the end of the history of France, and that Mr Greene had it and wrote to me that it only came to 86 pp, and that I must make it longer. What can have become of the latter part? What did he go upon if he had it not in type to the end? Besides, I believe I had it in ... continue reading

Dear Madam

I desired the proof of the first chapter of the Summer on the Apennines to be sent at once to you - If you are moving about perhaps the best way would be for you to send a card with your address early every months to the printers

Messrs Clay Bread Street Hill London EC

Will you have the payment every month or at the end of the half year, and how shall it be made

Yours truly C ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Will you let Miss Carter Smith as before order some of the Scripture Readings at the price to the trade.

I wish Clay would finish off that last volume. He always sends me a proof when I am busy. I send more copy. Then he stops for another 3 months. I have now finished within about 12 chapters, but I shall be in Devonshire after Tuesday for 6 weeks, however a letter here will ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan

I am today sending Clay the last copy for the Scripture Readings, I suppose we may consider now whether the five volumes can be made more compact and profitable, and I hope Clay will finish off the present one quickly.

Thanks for sending all these notices of the Primer. It is odd I thought I had written up to MacMahon’s election, but perhaps Mr Green thought the siege made a better conclusion - and ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan

I am sorry for the mistake, it was not wilful for I looked at the stamp, and found it so pale that I saw nothing but the Cl which I took for Clay.

Will ‘By-words in action’ do for the name of this collection of stories, as all illustrate some saying or other. I have recovered one from America, and will send it in a day or two, but I think it will ... continue reading

Dear Madam

Would you be so kind, in returning the proofs of ‘the angel of Viareggio’ as to address them direct to the printer

Messrs Clay & Taylor Bread Street Hill London EC

If they are addressed to the Editor, they remain at the office till a parcel is sent to me, and so we get them too late to profit by your corrections

Yours truly C M Yonge

Dear Mr Craik

I think the printing may be begun at once of Stray Pearls, and the proofs had better come to me as inconsistencies arise when tales run on long. And besides I always find that the printers make their worst blunders when their copy is in print. I suppose they set on their worst hands. Clay is sure to have the copy. It may very well come out in April - it will only ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Many thanks for the payment. The knowledge that the amount for Unknown to History is coming is quite sufficient for me at present. I have been kept waiting about the Christian Names by Mr H Jenner of the British Museum who promised to set me right about the Keltic mythology but I suspect has forgotten all about it. I am desiring him to let me have it again, and let me do ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

This is all the writing paper I have, being ‘en clôture’, with a pupil teacher, a candidate- and three senior scholars – whom I have to superintend, as Mr Brock is called off to preach at Andover. It must be rather a relief, for his son and heir squalls incessantly day and night, and Gabrielle resents being a dowager at less than 13 months. Well- I was not sure about ... continue reading

Dear Miss Gordon Cumming

I had an intimation from the publisher that he is going to change printers, and so that I must finish up all there is in type before August. This is keeping you, as well as many other papers back, but I hope to be able to get them in then.

Something unexpected always happens when one hopes one has comfortable space Miss Sewell’s letters went on two numbers more than I ... continue reading