n a single cast, though ready enough "to stand the hazard of
the die" after my washerwoman was satisfied, I kept on writing for the
magazines and quarterlies, and always about America, and by special
desire too, until my papers were to be found, not only in Blackwood
every month, but in the "New Monthly," the "Old Monthly," the "London,"
the "European," the "Oriental Herald," the "Westminster," and others.

On the 8th of the following November, Mr. Blackwood, having worried
through the manuscript of "Brother Jonathan," wrote me a letter of six
enormous pages, from which I give the following extracts, to show the
temper of the man, his downright honesty and heartiness, and great good
sense.

"My dear Sir," he says, "you will be blaming me for not writing you
sooner; and when I tell you that the delay was caused by my
unwillingness to write you"--(here I began to foresee what was
coming)--"so very differently from what I had so fondly and anxiously
expected, I fear you will blame me, not for the delay, but for my want
of taste and judgment in not properly appreciating the merits of
'Brother Jonathan.'"

Here he wronged me; for I was quite prepared to agree with him, having
spoiled the original draft by working it up too much, and overdoing and
exaggerating all that I was best pleased with.

"Never," he continues,--"never did I take up any manuscript with more
sincere wishes for its being everything that could be desired.
Unfortunately, my expectations have been disappointed." (Comfortable,
hey?) "While I admire the originality and talent and power which the
work displays,"--(I began to breathe more freely,)--"I must frankly tell
you, that, in my humble opinion, there are defects in your plan, and
there are incidents, as well as reflections, which, in this country,
would certainly injure any work, however great its talent.

"I wish I had the pleasure of seeing you for half an hour, as I could
explain by word of mouth so much better than I can by scribbling what my
ideas are, and such as they are. Distrusting my own judgment, after I
had carefully perused the manuscript, I gave it, in the strictest
confidence, to a friend whose opinion I value much, and begged of him,
without saying one word of my opinion, to give me his frankly and
without reserve. My mind was so far satisfied, when I received his
remarks, as I found, that, in general, he had taken the same view of the
work as I had done. I inclose his remarks, as the