Letter from Dinah Craik

Pages

1 2 3

Page 1

line 1: Oct 19th
line 2: The Corner House
line 3: Shortlands
line 4: Bromley Kent
line 5: Dear Sirs
line 6: I am in treaty with Messrs
line 7: Harper for a book which if published
line 8: just as that writer, would, I think
line 9: do exceedingly well both in England
line 10: & America. It is the companion to
line 11: "A French Country Family" (which
line 12: they also had) – only for more
line 13: advanced readers. I enclose the
line 14: title page & table of contents. It is
line 15: a most vivid picture of that duplicate
line 16: French life – half ?? half
line 17: correct – half good half bad – which
line 18: the history of the last three months
line 19: has so strangely illustrated.

Page 2

line 1: I think, if it comes out at once (&
line 2: if you will give me a fair sum
line 3: for the British copyright & send over
line 4: early sheets to Messrs Harper – it
line 5: might go to press at once – it
line 6: would likely be a great success.
line 7: I see you are publishing Mr
line 8: Guizot's book: his daughter's there-
line 9: fore naturally follows – Madame
line 10: Guizot de Witt is well-known
line 11: in France and a charming writer
line 12: for the young – then leave her
line 13: business matters in my hands –
line 14: & if you pay me I will pay
line 15: her her proportion as author -
line 16: for the first one A French Country Family I received
line 17: from Mr Strahan Alexander Strahan (1833-1918) - publisher of monthly periodical "Good Words" est. 1860. Alexander Strahan & Co was based at Ludgate Hill £100 – this
line 18: is a longer & older book. Still

Page 3

line 1: if you give £100 – Messrs Harper
line 2: having offered me the same terms
line 3: as before £50 – I shall be
line 4: content. Only I should like
line 5: its published without delay –
line 6: & paid for on the day of
line 7: publication.
line 8: Very truly yours
line 9: D M Craik