My dear Sir, I have authorized M. Tauchnitz to republish “The Little Duke,” and Mr Sydney Williams tells me that he is about to apply to you for a cast of the frontispiece - I am afraid however that the lithographs can be no longer renewed, and I must reply to him that only the vignette of the little page is still to be had. I believe Mrs Blackburn had the stones broken up after the ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I enclose the list of the other copies of the Dove to be sent out besides my own dozen. Our day of departure is still fixed for Monday, but it is very likely to be put off till Friday. I suppose you naturally send copies of my books to the Guardian but it is odd how it has ceased to notice them.

If Miss Keary’s new book is finished at the same time, I ... continue reading

My dear Miss Warren, Did you see in the Guardian the death of ‘Elizabeth Jane wife of the Revd Thomas Keble’?- my own dear Mrs Keble’s sister. She had but two days illness, and her husband is left feeble and broken. Nobody expected him to live through the winter but she was strong healthy person and it seemed as if her life was absolutely necessary to him - I have however written to the son, who ... continue reading

Dear Mr Freeman Having recently had a fresh look at Fridiswid’s window, I wish to explain that I find the green headed duck is not engaged in a miracle, but is merely an adjunct when she was hiding in the farm yard, and as the stately drake led forth his fleet upon the lake on Loch Lomond, he may be thus employed at home. There is so much worse a window near it that it brings ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Curteis

First I must tell you of what perhaps you have seen in the Guardian, my dear Miss Dyson’s death. She had been growing feebler and feebler for the last two years and had for months been wholly confined to bed, and unable to read even a letter, though she was constantly read to for the last fortnight she was almost unconscious, and slept herself away. She leaves a great blank behind her!

I ... continue reading

My dear John

Thank you for your curious extract about names. I have one this morning from an Italian newspaper sent by Mrs Church, which beats everything. I translate it for your behalf- ‘The celebrated English Authoress of the Era di Ratcliffe is dead. Her name was Jong but in recognition of her talents, the Queen Victoria made her a Viscountess. She married the English ambassador at Constantinople but has continued ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

I should think on the whole that it was intended to decline the book except at your expense. I do think the resemblance to Don John is a disadvantage though you have treated it in such a different way. And had not Low something to do with Don John, either through Good Words or Miss Ingelow. I am on the whole afraid that as I see in the Guardian that ... continue reading

My dear Anne It is enough to frighten one to see all one’s words taken so seriously, not that I did not really mean them, but perhaps I spoke more freely from not thinking you would attach so much weight to what so young and so flyaway a person might say. However it is quite right to feel that words have weight. I think I must begin from henceforth to assure you that you ... continue reading

Dear Mrs Packe I hope the weather will remain fine to the end of this sad day. I shall think of you in the lower end of the Church yard beside the grave of that life long friend. The loss to you must be unspeakable. You and your Sister were with with [sic] her as very little girls, younger than your children are now the first time I ever was at Testwood. ... continue reading

My dear Mary I was obliged to let the Guardian go that week before I had really read it, but it must be a mistake for our dear Charles cannot be referred to in Bp Wordsworths Christian Boyhood, as it was published before his death. I know he had a copy full of marks of his own. There is a note in the book about the poet Bowles and the habits at Winchester, and ... continue reading

My dear Mary This is Mr. C.'s paper; please return it as I want to keep the Hursley papers. I did not see the original articles, nor have I read the horrid book, but the day that the Church Times had its article came one of A.'s letters admiring it. I wrote strongly to her on the danger of being fascinated with such books, and the horrid irreverence, and I also wrote to the ... continue reading

Dear Sir- I must write and thank you, and ask you to thank the writer of the very kind and appreciative notice of my books.

The balance, of praise and detection of weakness (though most kindly letting the former preponderate) is just what I have wished to see. I think that what pleases me best is the full recognition that the religious and conscientious men of the stories had their actual counterparts, and though no doubt needing ... continue reading

Dear Miss Christie- If I could I would help you to an autograph, but I have long ago given away such of Mr. Keble's as were not too personal and precious, and I do not think I have any left except some scraps of correction on the proofs of hymns in the Child's Christian Year, such as you would hardly care for.

I well know the pressure of Guardian books, but as I am as devoted to ... continue reading

. . .Whether I shall accomplish wishing you and Lady Margaret Hall a good New Year to-day must depend on the need of refreshing the church decorations, which always comes severely on the permanent workers, when the enthusiasm of the festival is over, with their occasional helpers . . . . I sometimes think I could make a dissertation on staying at home in the holidays and getting every one's work to ... continue reading

My dear C C Do you want Campbell’s Highland tales? I dont think there is anything bearing on Arthur in them he was quite Cymric not Gaelic. I sent the two Mags for young yesterday. Shall I write notices of SPCK’s books? They are not a good lot thus far as I have read, and there are two by Miss E Finnimore, the Postwoman and Uncle Isaac’s will that I am ... continue reading

Dear Sir I have been so much interested by the book you have kindly sent me, in common with rest of the Author’s Society and, having had a little correspondence with you many years ago, when you were editing the English Plutarch, I venture to write, thinking you may care to hear some experiences of a long life of writing, not from necessity but because I had something to say.

The passion for telling a story developed ... continue reading

My dear C C Thank you for Crispin I was glad of him for we are feeding Alethea with light literature, she having broken down, with nothing the matter but a course of overwork after the influenza- first the children’s measles, then going to Holmwood to lodgings with the children, no nursery maid, and the lady nurse not looking after her, or doing nursery maid’s work and then a good deal to do at ... continue reading