My dear C C We cannot find your porcupine, I think he must be shut up in a MS. Susan, the cook informed me yesterday that she is going to marry in July, rather frantic for she can only get through easy work here with Bessie’s help however I am glad to be spared the break down that there will be- and Bessie has a sister who will probably come so all will most ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Sumner I hope you had the bundle of materials for the April Mothers in Council that I sent to Claremont, Rudleston, Manchester on the 31st January, for it is time Wells Gardiner had them. If there is nothing to alter, perhaps you would leave them at his office, writing Mothers in Council on them. I only want to add a most excellent book of The Sunday School Institute ‘Christ in the Catechism’ but that ... continue reading

My dear C C If I were to be dissected while I am alive, I think you would do it tenderly, but indeed I have always shrunk from seeing the lives of living people and my whole old fashioned nature revolts at the idea partly personally, and partly because I know how those who are gone would feel about it, so indeed I do not think it is possible to my feelings and I hope ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik I much fear that you may be, like all the world, taking holiday for there is a scheme on which I much wish to consult you and Mr Macmillan, and which needs to be matured before the Church Congress in October.

I must explain that a good while ago, a society [was started] for raising the tone, religious and moral of the cottage women in a Hampshire town-village. This has spread till now ... continue reading

Dear Mr Archdeacon I am venturing to ask a favour of you.

I do not know whether you have heard of the Mother’s Union, started by Mrs G Sumner (the wife of the Bishop of Guildford) at first for poor women, to rouse them to some heed to the training of their children but it gradually spread to ladies &c. and indeed quite as much counsel seems to be needed by them as by cottage women.

The need ... continue reading

My dear Lady Frederick I am afraid I cannot give you more than a week, and that the 6th must be the last possible day. I believe I am going to look over the MSS. with Mrs. Sumner and send them off on the 1st, but we can add your report at the end. I hope you are really recovered from the influenza. People are having it at Winchester, but rather slightly.

I always ... continue reading

My dear Canon Warburton Would it be asking too much of your kindness to ask you to glance over this paper and see whether it is an advisable one to have in Mothers in Council. I do not know whether you have heard of the Mother's Union, started by Mrs G Sumner (the wife of the Bishop of Guildford) at first for poor women, to rouse them to some heed to the training of ... continue reading

My dear C C I have got a letter for M in C from Canon Lias about Red Pottage, highly contrary to yours, and which the Sumners approve He goes on the unfitness of such subjects for women’s writing or reading, and certainly I should have thought ‘incline mine heart to keep this law’ went against either inventing or making people read them and so do you- At least I recognize you as ... continue reading

My dear Miss Merriman I am sorry to hear Mrs Sumner is laid up but I am sure it is a good thing that she should be obliged to take a little entire rest. The MSS went last week. I thought they would be easier to look over as proofs, and I wanted to have Christabel Coleridge while she is here. Mrs Matthew has asked me the last moment available for the report of the ... continue reading

Dear Madam Q Q belonged to some relations of mine, and was much liked, and I think borrowed by my Mother. I well remember the story of the child who dealt in imperfections and was taught to persevere by having a perfect article given her whenever she completed anything. I do not think it disquieted me but was rather a stimulus but then I was not a modern child. I believe I rather confuse Q ... continue reading

My dear Lizzie

. . . I see in the paper the death of a third Sumner within a few months; I hope our Archdeacon won't be the next. His wife was a Heywood, and is very valuable. They have given up Alresford and come for good to the Close, and are very useful. Christabel Coleridge has been here. The Princesses give great satisfaction at Torquay, where they walk about ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Sumner

I shall be very happy to come to luncheon on Thursday Please do not wait for me if I am a few minutes late for I shall not be able to set off till 12.30, and the roads may be as bad as they are today!

yours sincerely C M Yonge

Dear Mrs Drew,

I was out all yesterday and could not answer your kind letter, nor thank you for the excellent paper, which I have ventured to take to Mrs Sumner, who is really the parent of the Mother’s Union. I could not use it for the Monthly Packet as I am obliged scrupulously to keep that for young girls’ reading; but there is a yet undeveloped notion of starting some kind of paper, leaflet ... continue reading

Dear Sir The number of Mothers in Council must, I think have been sent by Mrs Sumner to whom I will send on one of your papers, but I think she is absent from Winchester just now, as the illness of the Bishop of Winchester throws much work on her husband. There is nothing that she and I are more anxious about than Christian education and we much desire to do all in our power to ... continue reading