Item Info

Accession Number: 87-1691
Physical Description: [1] page + envelope.
Material: Paper
Transcription:

             Monday Twenty Seventh December
                                                           1869

Welcome home, my dear Kent! I am touched by your so swift rememberance of me on your return, and send you my affectionate and hearty wishes of the season for you and yours. The postman is waiting at the gate to tramp through the snow of Rochester, and is (unlawfully) drinking a glass of gin while I write this; consequently "this" is brief. All here unite in my message. And the green leaves are in progress. 

                                                  Ever Affectionately
                                                                                 CD.
Didn’t I tell you Mackay’s express object was, to publish those letters?

MssDate: Monday Twenty Seventh December 1869
Media Type: Letters
Source: Rare Book Department
Notes:

Kent had been traveling to Italy. The green leaves refer to Edwin Drood and Our Mutual monthly parts, which were restored to green wrappers after the blue wrappers of Bleak House, Little Dorrit and a Tale of Two Cities.  
Mackay was about to publish Medorah Leigh , a defense  of Byron; the numerous letters it contained included several by Byron's niece, Medora Leigh, Augusta Leigh's daughter. 

Recipient: Kent, Charles, 1823-1902
Provenance: Hamill & Barker 5/1955, Matlack(album of 30 letters).

Bibliography:

Volume 12, p. 456, The Letters of Charles Dickens, edited by Madeline House & Graham Storey; associate editors, W.J. Carlton…[et al.]

Country: Creation Place Note:Gad's Hill Place
Country:England
City/Town/Township:Higham by Rochester, Kent

Call Number: DL K419 1869-12-27
Creator Name: Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 - Author