Dear Madam,

I have got all your books now from Messrs Longmans & have been distributing the enclosed circular through the booksellers all over the country, so there ought now to be no uncertainty or difficulty on the part of any bookseller getting your books. But it may be a little time before all chance of misunderstanding ceases. We are advertising your books together as widely & well as we can.

I think it would be as ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge I will see whether we can find some one who would do a few vigorous outlines for the little Duke. Something like those to Kingsleys Heroes. Reproductions of foreign books are not generally successful.

We send the Daisy Chain to press today

I am very glad indeed that you take to our idea. It would do admirable [sic] for a Christmas book. I think you have quite caught the idea I had & I think ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan

Herewith I send enough of the Trial for the printer to proceed with at once. I have erased all the redundancies I could find, and I hope it may thus become less cumbrous - Unless there is some difficulty I suppose there is no need of sending me proofs. Mr Parker wrote to me himself to recommend Phelps who printed the History of Christian Names and as there were a good many letters ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge I suppose you would like to have the 'Trial' stereotyped. This can be done now at nearly the same cost as the Composition would be hereafter. For readjusting the page and having stereotype plate cast the expense would be £68. I do not know how you have arranged the matter on former occasions. But I suppose that you would probably prefer to purchase the plates and have them as your own property.

The ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan, I suppose the Trial ought to be stereotyped that it may stand on the same footing with the other books. In all the former cases I have been at the whole expense of printing, paper, binding &c, and have thus had all the profits, except the commission on the sales - I think the arrangement with regard to the Trial was that I was to receive £200 for 2,000 copies; I conclude ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge We have at length got the Trial ready. I am afraid you will think we have been somewhat dilatory, which indeed has been the case. Our printer has been busy, and it was somewhat hard to keep him moving with due speed. You will I hope be satisfied with the result as regards the look [illegible] and I think it comes out at a favourable time. We sold about 1200 to start with. ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge I enclose a list of the presentation copies we have sent out. Including those to the Press. I dont know whether there are any other papers that you have been in the habit of having your books sent to. I will send any you suggest gladly.

I am sorry that your parcel went by a route that is inconvenient to you. We will remember again when we have any thing to send.

We will advertise ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan,

There is one more copy of the Trial that I should like to have sent to the Press - i.e., to Events of the Month, Mozley’s, 6 Paternoster Row - it is a sort of school room Athenaeum which I wish to help forward

Thanks for your note. I hope nothing will prevent my meeting Mrs D Macmillan and I shall be glad to talk over your scheme, and see if it comes within ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, We are still constantly reminded by our own condition of the nursery tale of the old woman whose rope -rope would not hang butcher - butcher would not kill ox, &c &c, only unluckily the last link in the chain does not stop at 'I shall not get home tonight', but as long as plasterer will not plaster stairs and stairs can’t be gone up &c, &c, I cannot finish Golden Deeds!

I can ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan Many thanks for your note, and its enclosure.

A French translation of Karamsin would suit me quite as well as an English one. I could make out a German one, but I am a poor German scholar, and take much longer to work at anything in that tongue. However if French cannot be had, I should of course be much obliged for a German version.

Thanks also about Lotty’s adventure. I am nearly sure ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge That extremely excellent and instructive person 'The Clever Woman of the Family' will be duly introduced to all your friends as per list. I trust we shall have her 'out' in a very few days, when your wishes will be attended to in this and also in regard to the other books you give me a list of instructions about. I am in occasional correspondence with Mr Henry Wilberforce, at least he ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge

Mr Sutcliffe is a very old friend of ours. I must write him on the subject of plain hand. He[,] the head of an Educational department[,] ought to know better.

I have sent you four copies of Golden Deeds through Nutt & Wells. I suppose you can get them thence.

My sister threatens you with a letter. But we wanted to see the first chapter in type first. The printer is doing this.

Yours ever truly A. ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge It is most kind of you to take all my suggestions as you do. Indeed I do not want any one else to do the work unless you really find it distasteful to you - which I hope is not the case.

I am quite willing to wait your perfect convenience. I daresay ideas such as the ones I was fancying for the book, are not to be commanded, and it may ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge Any idea of a book that commended itself to you and Miss Sewell as adapted to girls reading must be a good idea. Also my sister-in-law to whom I have mentioned the idea & also shown your letter seems greatly pleased with it. To myself I am afraid that besides the obvious difficulty which Miss Sewell perceives of getting it in due company, there is another which has put itself before me ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge The MS. reached us safely. I will [illegible] distribution in the months

We shall be very glad to see you when you come to town. It is just possible that I may be gone to America, but my wife & sister are at home; and we recently made a valuable addition to our neighbourhood , 'the author of John Halifax',whose husband Mr Craik, has become my partner, has taken a house quite near ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan I have written a new preface and sent it to Spottiswood. If I did not send the former one to you I wonder what I did with it, I suppose it will come out of some strange corner.

I am glad you and Mrs Daniel think well of the Chaplet. I only wish I could give my French ladies more French grace. I have about four chapters more written but not re written, and ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I see Old Sir Douglas is living and thriving once more, so I write to ask whether you wish for the first instalment of the Chaplet of Pearls for October, or whether you wish to wait till the end of one of the present stories. I have written almost to the end, but it wants plenty of re-touching. I have had so much interruption that I /often could not go into work that ... continue reading

My dear Madam, I have been having some talk and consultation about the Godmother’s Readings with people who have so much to do with schools as to be really an influence

First, I am advised strongly to do - what I proposed at first - to have the Scripture part, without the comment, printed separately, as cheap as may be, for the children to use, while the teacher has the one with the comment. I do believe ... continue reading