as come under my own
perusal within these last three or four days. I recognise in it such
great merit and unusual promise, and I think it displays so much power
and knowledge of the human heart, that I feel a strong interest in you
as its writer.

I have begged the gentleman, who is in my confidence as to the
transaction of the business of "Household Words," to return the MS. to
you by the post, which (as I hope) will convey this note to you. My
object is this: I particularly entreat you to consider the catastrophe.
You write to be read, of course. The close of the story is unnecessarily
painful--will throw off numbers of persons who would otherwise read it,
and who (as it stands) will be deterred by hearsay from so doing, and is
so tremendous a piece of severity, that it will defeat your purpose. All
my knowledge and experience, such as they are, lead me straight to the
recommendation that you will do well to spare the life of the husband,
and of one of the children. Let her suppose the former dead, from seeing
him brought in wounded and insensible--lose nothing of the progress of
her mental suffering afterwards when that doctor is in attendance upon
her--but bring her round at last to the blessed surprise that her
husband is still living, and that a repentance which can be worked out,
_in the way of atonement for the misery she has occasioned to the man
whom she so ill repaid for his love, and made so miserable_, lies before
her. So will you soften the reader whom you now as it were harden, and
so you will bring tears from many eyes, which can only have their spring
in affectionately and gently touched hearts. I am perfectly certain that
with this change, all the previous part of your tale will tell for
twenty times as much as it can in its present condition. And it is
because I believe you have a great fame before you if you do justice to
the remarkable ability you possess, that I venture to offer you this
advice in what I suppose to be the beginning of your career.

I observe some parts of the story which would be strengthened, even in
their psychological interest, by condensation here and there. If you
will leave that to me, I will perform the task as conscientiously and
carefully as if it were my own. But the suggestion I offer for your
acceptance, no one but yourself can act upon.

Let me conclude this hasty note with the plain assurance that I have
never been so much surprised and struck by any manuscript I ha