I am so glad we understand each other now and that you will carry out your plan quietly.
I think you should correct the present little book by my revise, and print enough for whatever private circulation the members of the meeting wish, but that it should not be made public till well after the large book is out. For which I shall look with deepest interest.
26.
November 19th, 1879.
My dear Malleson,—I have not been able to answer a word lately, being quite unusually busy in France—and you never remember that it takes me as long to write a chapter as you to write a book, and tries me more to do it—so that I am sick of the feel of a pen this many a day. I'm delighted to hear of your popularity,[32] being sure that all you advise people to do will be kind and right. I am not surprised at the popularity, but I wonder that you have not had some nasty envious reviews.[33]
I like the impudence of these Scotch brats.[34] Do they suppose it would have been either pleasure or honour to me to come and lecture there? It is perhaps as much their luck as mine that they changed their minds about it. I shall be down at Brantwood soon (D.V.). Poor Mr. Sly's[35] death is a much more troublous thing to me than Glasgow Elections.
[32] Meaning in the press notices of the Editor's "Life of Christ."—Ed.
[33] Seventeen very good, five good, five fair, six bad, two nasty, envious!—Ed.
[34] Glasgow University.
[35] Of the Waterhead, Coniston.