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Add to My Citations To Louisa P. MacDonald
29 September 1873 • (2nd of 2) • London, England
(MS: CtY-BR, UCCL 00773)
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The Langham Hotel
em spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceem spaceMonday P.M.1

Dear Mrs MacDonald,

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].) With our affectionate regards—

The Clemenses.

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.2 It was a great disappointment, but it was our own fault: we ought to have known we could go there.3

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

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1 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).

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2 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).

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3 That is, they ought to have accepted the MacDonalds’ invitation to the Retreat.



glyphglyphSource text(s):glyph
MS, George MacDonald Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University (CtY-BR).

glyphglyphPrevious publication:glyph L5, 445–446; Raeper, 333, excerpt.

glyphglyphProvenance:glyphThe George MacDonald Collection was purchased by CtY in 1976.

glyphglyphEmendations and textual notes:glyph


24 25 • 245 [‘4’ partly formed]