My dear Dr. Moberly, Of all days in the year this is one that I should specially have chosen for receiving the note Mamma sent on this morning. Indeed I do thank you and Mrs. Moberly very much for giving me a Pearl to think of every day. How I shall look forward to the christening day and to having a possession of my own in your house! I wonder what you will ... continue reading

My dear Madam,

I have been waiting to thank you for your last additions to the August Garland till I could send you the proof. I was provoked last month to find that the ‘Penny Post’ had forestalled us with the Angel of death and Sleep in prose, not half so pretty as yours, but I suppose we ought to wait a little, as the two magazines have a good deal the same kind of circulation. ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Blackburn I have bought myself a Grimm, and studied all the Thumbs that have come in my way, and have come to the conclusion that the way to make him pretty will be after all as you suggested, to begin with King Arthur. The unmitigated nursery legend with all the swallowing and the tricks is not poetical, and must have been vulgarized. So I will take what of Round table stories will suit, ... continue reading

My dear Alice, I wrote instantly to thank Dr. Moberly for his good news, but the cart was missed on Sunday morning. Tell us if Margaret has seen the brother, and what she said of him, and tell us who the boy is like and whether he is large or small, dark or fair. Three days of well-doing make us think you will soon be ready for ‘Heartsease’; there will be plenty for ... continue reading

My dear Marianne . . . But all this time you have not heard how I had three walks between College and St. John's house arm-in-arm with the Bishop! Don't you call that preferment?

We went to the Cathedral with the troop of Moberlys, and I am glad my first sight of him was in his lawn sleeves. I never saw a face of which one would so much say it was inspired. ... continue reading

My dear Anne I must write a word or two before Church. I do not think I dared to expect better than this, and I do hope that at least the suffering is not what it was the day before. It is the Cross at least, and she has been bearing it so in patience and meekness all her days that one thinks of her as one made meet. I am glad that ... continue reading

My dear little Maggie This is to wish you a very happy Christmas I think it must be happier than all the three Christmases before it, because you are old enough to know Who was born a little Baby and what the Angels came to sing while the Shepherds were watching by night. Thank you for your pretty little note to me; and thank Mamma and Alice too for theirs. I hope I shall ... continue reading

My dear Maggie I hope you will have a happy Christmas I daresay you have been singing already at Mamma’s doors with all the rest and I think you can begin to keep it as a very happy day.

I send you a green book with some very pretty pictures of Tom Thumb. I think you will like to see him driving his six little white mice and by and by you will be able ... continue reading

My dear Maggie I wish you many happy returns of the day, and I wish I was sending you a Daisy Chain with it, but I did not write a letter in time to get it from London, so I am afraid you must wait for it till the next day, but it will be something to look forward to then, and I will write your name in it, if you like on Friday evening

your affectionate ... continue reading

My dear Maggie This ought to have been your birthday but printers are slow folk, and I am a hurried one at this moment, so no more can you have now but good wishes from

your affectionate godmother

My dear Maggie

What a great day to have your birthday upon. You cannot look to many returns of Holy Thursday upon it, so this will be all the more to remember, but I wish you many, many more happy returns. Thank you and Mamma for your curl. I shall have quite enough now I send you one of the brooches made to a pattern of Mary Queen of Scots which I saw at Edinburgh ... continue reading

My dear Alice, I was thinking of sending ‘The Mice at Play’ to Maggie, but somehow I felt that the note must be to one who could remember the old days, when the three bright faces it brings to mind were with us. If you had been people who shrank from such recollections instead of cherishing them, I would of course never have disinterred this old affair, but I know you will like the recurrence to ... continue reading

My dear Maggie

I am extremely disappointed not to be able to come in today, when I had so fully reckoned on doing so, even for months past. All the more because I believe that Edith and I are your only remaining sponsors. But no doubt there are more prevailing prayers offered by those out of our sight. I have still the Daisy Cross that was a memorial of your Baptism, and called forth (I believe) ... continue reading

My dear Maggie, Your book marker [is] a great beauty, and I thank you very much for it, particularly admiring the beautiful little shy bee. Mamma thanks Alice for her [note] and good news of you all. I hope we shall see you before long I am much better, and feel quite proud that I am sitting up to my work this morning while Miss Wilford is lying on her back. It is ten weeks since ... continue reading

My dear Augusta

Certainly one is grateful to Miss Goodrich for being the cause of a letter. I have had a very long cold, chiefly irritation of the windpipe, which drove me away at last to Salisbury and Rownhams to get rid of it, and now it is nearly gone though I am still obliged to take more care than is convenient in the beginning of Lent. I had some very pleasant days last week ... continue reading