29 September 1873 • (2nd of 2) • London, England (MS: CtY-BR, UCCL 00773)
Monday P.M.1explanatory note
Indeed we would be glad enough to s tarry a day or two with you in Hastings on our way back, but unfortunately we shall not be able to do it, for the reason that partly by gentle persuasion & partly by brute force I have prevailed upon Mrs. Clemens to leave the baby in London with Miss Spaulding & the nursemaid; while we are away; & I know she will be frantic to see the child even before we are done with Paris. She says that if she thought she would not have another opportunity of seeing you, she believes she would return by Hastings; but I know her better than she knows herself, & so I know she had will find the separation s that is already provided for her all that she can endure. But I do hope we shall see you all again before we sail (Oct. 24 25Ⓐemendation.) With our affectionate regards—
P. S. We sent the nursemaid off on a holiday to-day, & then we concluded to drive the baby out for an airing—& the drive ended at the Retreat, Hammersmith, & we just barely missed you both, & were so disappointed! And out of eleven children we couldn’t scare up even one.2explanatory note It was a great disappointment, but it was our own fault: we ought to have known we could go there.3explanatory note
Since mail was delivered in London several times a day, Clemens was able to respond to MacDonald’s invitation on the same day she wrote it (see the previous letter, n. 1).
The MacDonalds had five girls and six boys, born between 1852 and 1867 (MacDonald, 159, 187, 215–16, 255, 281, 296, 313, 345, 353, 379).
That is, they ought to have accepted the MacDonalds’ invitation to the Retreat.
MS, George MacDonald Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University (CtY-BR).
L5 , 445–446; Raeper, 333, excerpt.
The George MacDonald Collection was purchased by CtY in 1976.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.