oundly, speak to the last person visible, and give yourself time.

Loves from all.

Ever affectionately.

[Sidenote: Mr. W. C. Macready.]

_Wednesday, March 2nd, 1870._

MY DEAREST MACREADY,

This is to wish you and yours all happiness and prosperity at the
well-remembered anniversary to-morrow. You may be sure that loves and
happy returns will not be forgotten at _our_ table.

I have been getting on very well with my book, and we are having immense
audiences at St. James's Hall. Mary has been celebrating the first
glimpses of spring by having the measles. She got over the disorder very
easily, but a weakness remains behind. Katie is blooming. Georgina is in
perfect order, and all send you their very best loves. It gave me true
pleasure to have your sympathy with me in the second little speech at
Birmingham. I was determined that my Radicalism should not be called in
question. The electric wires are not very exact in their reporting, but
at all events the sense was there. Ryland, as usual, made all sorts of
enquiries about you.

With love to dear Mrs. Macready and the noble boy my particular friend,
and a hearty embrace to you,

I am ever, my dearest Macready,
Your most affectionate.

[Sidenote: Mr. ----.]

OFFICE OF "ALL THE YEAR ROUND,"
_Wednesday, March 9th, 1870._

MY DEAR ----,

You make me very uneasy on the subject of your new long story here, by
sowing your name broadcast in so many fields at once, and undertaking
such an impossible amount of fiction at one time. Just as you are coming
on with us, you have another story in progress in "The Gentleman's
Magazine," and another announced in "Once a Week." And so far as I know
the art we both profess, it cannot be reasonably pursued in this way. I
think the short story you are now finishing in these pages obviously
marked by traces of great haste and small consideration; and a long
story similarly blemished would really do the publication irreparable
harm.

These considerations are so much upon my mind that I cannot forbear
representing them to you, in the hope that they may induce you to take a
little more into account the necessity of care and preparation, and some
self-denial in the quantity done. I am quite