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95. To Jemima Blackburn 2

94. To Elizabeth Roberts

MS Huntington Library: Yonge Letters
Otterbourn

Febry 13th [1854]

Dear Miss Roberts,

I enclose a paper sent by my archaeological acquaintance with all the information he could gather respecting the Ragged Staff, I hope it is what you wanted.

I am sorry for your want of success with the Garland. My father is going to London for a day or two early next week, and will see Parker, He says if you would trust us with a specimen of the illustrations and explain your plans as to size of the book &c, it is possible he might be able to gain some information, that might be useful. If you like him to see about it, you had better send it at once as he is soon going, but at the same time he may be too much hurried to be able to think about it as my brother’s regiment is among those under orders for Constantinople, and there are matters of outfit that may take up time. But if he has time, he will be very glad to try to forward the appearance of the book, and I think he is likely to find from Parker whose line it is likely to be.
I should not think there was the least cause for uneasiness as to your manner of addressing Mr Neale, if it was wrong, I did the very same thing, so that it is my interest to believe it right. I think the probable explanation is that he had not been able to find matter enough in his authorities to make it worth while to write, and has perhaps forgotten the subject, as much engaged clergymen are very apt to do. I still hope to see the Garland triumph happily over all the contre temps, for it would be a great pity that the world should not have it in its collected state. I was from home all last week, and only found your letter on my return or I would have lost no time in writing. I dare say you have not too much time, but I hope it is a happy nursing, all recovery.^¹ I always think Aunts are particularly happy and important at such times. I am sorry for your friend who stuck fast at Guy’s death, I think he would have been comforted if he had gone on -- indeed one of my friends went to the length of deluding a tender hearted person by telling her it was not a melancholy book, because she thought the end consoling.
Yours sincerely

C M Yonge

95. To Jemima Blackburn^²

MS University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign: Letter 1
Otterbourn

Febry 18th [1854]

My dear Mrs Blackburn

This is to acknowledge the Thumbery and thank you. I will not say anything about him because I have time neither to read nor to think about him this morning, but I am very glad you hold to the spider, it seems to me immoral to alter the end of a recognised story.^¹ What do you think of burying him under an Eyebright, and rose-cutting bees might make his shroud, if that would not be too scientific. The Chace delights my fancy exceedingly, but I think we had better not attempt to bring in too much of Arthur’s court, but leave it what it is a nursery story and tell it in the simple straightforward way. I am afraid of attempting too much, but I will try to get in nothing inconsistent, and to tell it as prettily as I can, but I must wait for the spirit of it to take possession of me. I think I can borrow a Grimm in the original. I am amused at your nationality in choosing the thistle. I am glad the cow need not quite swallow him, for certainly the less of that the better. I hope you will have the head and tail pieces, they give so much scope for decoration. But I will say no more till I am a little more up in his adventures. Your two classes of ignorance amused me much, but I know of other classes - a great classical scholar for instance who did not know what Waltham Cross^² was, though it was in his native place, and who thought little ducks under a hen were chickens, and that ants were young bees! All these things I heard myself from a 1st class man! Also I heard a retired governess enunciate that it was a new discovery that the cock dove laid eggs! I suppose your test is meant to apply to things one is not taught, but learnt by the light of nature and civilization, for I fancy there are various well informed people who do not know the Round Towers.^³ What do you think of its being suggested that it is very dull of the Russians not to go up the Danube and cross at its source!

My line of ignorance is of common life things - I don’t mean out of door life, but mechanical artizan kind of things, in which I am generally convicted of great stupidity.
I think the Round Tower ignorance much less pitiable than the pigeon, but most likely they would go together, both belonging to the class of no eyes. In the list of books, I think it should be specified how large they are, as in a real choice so much would depend upon that. Here are two lists and you shall guess mine.
Michaud’s Crusades Universal History

Thomas a Kempis Jeremy Taylor

Christian Year. Bp Heber Christian Year. G. Herbert

Guy Mannering Madeleine

Fairy Queen Lay of the Last Minstrel

Lockhart’s Scott Lockhart’s Scott

Franklin’s Journey Forbe’s Oriental Memoirs

Reynold’s Lectures on Art Lindsay’s Christian Art

M’Cullock’s Natural Philosophy M’Cullock

Southey’s Pilgrim’s Progress Baptistery

Sintram Schlegel’s Philosophy of History

Mde de Sevigné Sanvestre

Promessis Sposi Promessis Sposi

Don Quixote Don Quixote^¹

It should be explained that the picture books are chosen not as the best in the world, but the best companion. If you asked what prints to buy to hang on the wall I should say something different. I wonder, since you allow translations that you do not say what classical books you would allow. The Christian Year is so much a matter of course here that we added something besides. The two you rejected as matters of course seem to be just the camp library that my brother was enquiring for in his packing up, he will be at home to take leave on Monday evening.
I suppose you have Joseph’s being sold for Camels^² - or Rebekah’s drawing water for them? I think the entrance into Jerusalem seems such a grand subject that the ass is too subordinate, and I believe I had rather see the flight into Egypt. Can you get in the bear with David, that would be pleasanter than Elisha’s two she bears, Good Sunday evening pictures are such a prize to every family that these would, I should think, be a great boon. How we used to pore over an old Dutch scripture history, full of pictures, which my brother used to cite as authorities. It is almost a pity not to do Job’s battle steed. What have you for the cow and the goat? If it was possible to draw the scapegoat,^³ I believe it would help children’s minds, but the high priest would be a difficult figure, needing much grandeur, and then the man waiting to lead him into the wilderness. I hope you will have some nice pastoral scenes, Could you not make a charming picture of David, standing by his well of Bethlehem, looking as if he was singing the 23d psalm, and the lion and bear lying dead, and his sheep and goats clustering round him, & perhaps a message coming in the distance to call him to be anointed. I wonder no one has made a picture of that, and for its converse, there might be the same Bethlehem scenery & the shepherds watching their flocks by night. But I must not go on, only pray get a charming kid, I like their droll faces so much.
Do you know Blake’s Job, and his great solemn statue like sheep.
What nice work you will find it to choose texts as mottoes for your illustrations. By the bye, I forgot to say that Sir Percival is such a friend of mine that my present hero is named after him, but I am writing when I ought to be taking a constitutional. Your letters are so like talking one wants to answer them at once.
Yours sincerely