I did not care to answer your last letter until I had an instalment of "Amphibia" ready. Said instalment was sent off to you, care of Messrs. Black, yesterday, and now I feel like Dick Swiveller, when happy circumstances having enabled him to pay off an old score he was able to begin running up another.
June 8.
I have had sundry proofs and returned them. My writing is lamentable when I am in a hurry, but I never provoked a strike before! I declare I think I write as well as the editor, on ordinary occasions.
[He was pleased to find someone who wrote as badly as, or worse than, himself, and several times rallies Baynes on that score. Thus, when Mrs. Baynes had acted as her husband's amanuensis, he writes (February 11, 1878):—]
My respectful compliments to the "mere machine," whose beautiful calligraphy (if that isn't a tautology) leaves no doubt in my mind that whether the writing of your letters by that agency is good for you or not it is admirable for your correspondents.
Why people can't write a plain legible hand I can't imagine.
[(NB.—This sentence is written purposely in a most illegible hand.)
And on another occasion he adds a postcript to say,] "You write worse than ever. So do I."
[However, the article got finished in course of time:—]
August 5.
I have seen and done with all "Amphibia" but the last sheet, and that only waits revise. Considering it was to be done in May, I think I am pretty punctual.