My dear Charlotte, I have sent the MRS. off to repose, and here are two lines in her name and mine to say that though the new ending has its amusement and interest, we much prefer the old one, which to me seems remarkably felicitious. The new one is liable, I think, to one or two criticisms. There is rather an excess of poetical justice, almost as in a child’s book; and the episode ... continue reading

Sir I think the books I most enjoyed in early childhood were Miss Edgeworth’s series of Early Lessons, Frank, Rosamond and Harry and Lucy.

Mrs Whately’s Fairfax family Anna Ross - Miss Strickland’s Rival Crusoes

Also very early Scott’s Poems Tales of A Grandfather The Talisman Ivanhoe Robinson Crusoe Lamb’s Mrs Leicesters School Tales from Shakespeare

This is all I can recollect of really standard books, which I read when very young

Yours truly C M Yonge

Dear Mr Craik I return the receipt with many thanks.

I quite agree to your decision about the Rubies of St Lo not being attached to Grisly Grisell as the only connection between them is that Henry VI is mentioned in each.

I could add a chapter at the end to Grisly Grisell, as I was afraid to wind up all the characters lest it should be too long, but it may perhaps be better to finish where ... continue reading