his second son, Walter Landor, went to India as a cadet in the
"Company's service," from which he was afterwards transferred to the
42nd Royal Highlanders. His father and his elder brother went to see him
off, to Southampton. From this place Charles Dickens writes to Mr.
Edmund Yates, a young man in whom he had been interested from his
boyhood, both for the sake of his parents and for his own sake, and for
whom he had always an affectionate regard.

In September he made a short tour in the North of England, with Mr.
Wilkie Collins, out of which arose the "Lazy Tour of Two Idle
Apprentices," written by them jointly, and published in "Household
Words." Some letters to his sister-in-law during this expedition are
given here, parts of which (as is the case with many letters to his
eldest daughter and his sister-in-law) have been published in Mr.
Forster's book.

The letters which follow are almost all on the various subjects
mentioned in our notes, and need little explanation.

His letter to Mr. Procter makes allusion to a legacy lately left to that
friend.

The letters to Mr. Dilke, the original and much-respected editor of "The
Athenaeum," and to Mr. Forster, on the subject of the "Literary Fund,"
refer, as the letters indicate, to a battle which they were carrying on
together with that institution.

A letter to Mr. Frank Stone is an instance of his kind, patient, and
judicious criticism of a young writer, and the letter which follows it
shows how thoroughly it was understood and how perfectly appreciated by
the authoress of the "Notes" referred to. Another instance of the same
kind criticism is given in a second letter this year to Mr. Edmund
Yates.

[Sidenote: Mr. B. W. Procter.]

TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _January 2nd, 1857._

MY DEAR PROCTER,

I have to thank you for a delightful book, which has given me unusual
pleasure. My delight in it has been a little dashed by certain farewell
verses, but I have made up my mind (and you have no idea of the
obstinacy of my character) not to believe them.

Perhaps it is not taking a liberty--perhaps it is--to congratulate you
on Kenyon's remembrance. Either way I can't help doing it with all my
heart, for I know no man in the world (myself excepted) to whom I would
rather the money went.

Affectionately yours ever.

[Sidenote: Sir James Emerson Tennent.]

TAVI