'_March_ 3_rd_, 1848.

'MY DEAR SIR,--I have received the _Christian Remembrancer_, and read
the review. It is written with some ability; but to do justice was
evidently not the critic's main object, therefore he excuses himself
from performing that duty.

'I daresay the reviewer imagines that Currer Bell ought to be
extremely afflicted, very much cut up, by some smart things he
says--this however is not the case. C. Bell is on the whole rather
encouraged than dispirited by the review: the hard-wrung praise
extorted reluctantly from a foe is the most precious praise of
all--you are sure that this, at least, has no admixture of flattery.
I fear he has too high an opinion of my abilities and of what I can
do; but that is his own fault. In other respects, he aims his shafts
in the dark, and the success, or, rather, ill-success of his hits
makes me laugh rather than cry. His shafts of sarcasm are nicely
polished, keenly pointed; he should not have wasted them in shooting
at a mark he cannot see.

'I hope such reviews will not make much difference with me, and that
if the spirit moves me in future to say anything about priests, etc.,
I shall say it with the same freedom as heretofore. I hope also that
their anger will not make _me_ angry. As a body, I had no ill-will
against them to begin with, and I feel it would be an error to let
opposition engender such ill-will. A few individuals may possibly be
called upon to sit for their portraits some time; if their brethren
in general dislike the resemblance and abuse the artist--_tant
pis_!--Believe me, my dear sir, yours sincerely,

'C. BELL.'

It seems that Mr. Williams had hinted that Charlotte might like to
emulate Thackeray by illustrating her own books.

TO W. S. WILLIAMS

'_March_ 11_th_, 1848.

'DEAR SIR,--I have just received the copy of the second edition, and
will look over it, and send the corrections as soon as possible; I
will also, since you think it advisable, avail myself of the
opportunity of a third edition to correct the mistake respecting the
authorship of _Wuthering Heights_ and _Agnes Grey_.

'As to your second suggestion, i