My dear Miss Smith, I have been a long time in answering you and thanking you for your story, but I wanted to finish reading it that I might tell you at once all I thought about it. And now I have 1st to enclose you a cheque for the amount due to you for ‘Who will come & do likewise,’ the praises of which I hear on every side; and next to congratulate you on ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith,

I am delighted to hear that the rest of the Websters is en route. I find that I never get a book parcel given out on a Monday morning, so I am not at all uneasy at not having received it at the same time as the letter, though I feel rather baulked of my afternoon’s pleasure. My mother and I have most thoroughly enjoyed these first seven chapters, which she thinks ... continue reading

Madam, I delayed to thank you for your M S, till I had had time to read it. It is a very well told story, and I shall have great pleasure in inserting it in an early number of the ensuing volume, either in July or August. The only criticism I should make, is that the boys are rather too old, even at that date, for a schoolroom tea, especially Johnnie, if he had ... continue reading

Dear Madam, I cannot deny myself the pleasure of writing to tell you how much your Thorns and Roses have already elicited of admiration. One of my best contributors (the School Sketches) has written this morning ‘you must let me say how much charmed I & all here are with the beautiful tale, Thorns &c Is it a secret absolutely whose authorship it is, or is it permissible to ask whether ... continue reading

My dear Madam When I wrote my first letter, I must have been under some hallucination that 52 shillings was £2 2. instead of £2.12. but I am glad the mistake was there instead of in the cheque. Your pretty Household Record came safely this morning, and I have read nearly to the end with much pleasure. I think I like it better than Wishop though not quite so well as the [[otherbook:253]Thorns and ... continue reading

My dear Madam Many thanks for Wishop, which looks much improved by the omissions.

The M P was Sir William Heathcote MP for Oxford, perhaps you will even better like to hear that Mr Keble could not help listening to the Thorns and Roses with great interest in the middle of his work. I have put out the beginning of Wishop for March, but I cannot make sure of it, as there is a short story ... continue reading