MITCHELL
(Margaret Munnerlyn, 1900-1949, American Novelist and Journalist, Author of ‘Gone with the Wind’)
Extraordinarily long Autograph Letter Signed ‘Margaret’ to Edwin GRANBERRY
(1897-1988, American Writer, Novelist and Translator) on a variety of subjects starting by telling him that her husband had “gone North for an advertising convention and I decided to come home because we never like to have both of us out of town at the same time when Father’s health is so precarious... Time and again I sat down to write to you but I have been so rushed and weary of spirit that I did not wish to inflict a dull letter upon you. When one member of a famiyl is seriously ill over a long period the world contracts for the rest... so my life during the last year has been spent between hospital, Red Cross and home... I went to Smith for my college reunion and for visits with friends in Boston and New York. It did me a world of good, only it ‘onsettled me in my mind’ and made me yearn to go on visiting and traveling... But I just can’t get away... Father seems so much weaker... When we have company, we put them up at the Biltmore, which is the closest hotel to us... I wish you would think over this invitation and understand that when you stay at the Biltmore you are our guests... I wondered how you were doing... I wanted to know about the play. I never did know whether you finished it... and try it out on the Lunts. On of their good friends, a well known author, told me recently that the Lunts had a never-ending problem of finding the right kind of play. I have always felt that your play would be marvelous for them... the tone of the play was so right, as it dealt with the completely normal emotions of adults. In these days, there are not too many books or plays about middle aged men and women with almost grown children. The few I know about deal somewhat unhealthily with rather devious minds, whereas you are able to portray mature emotions, frankly passionate, if one must come out flatfootedly and frankly clean... I never like to put my oar in on someone else’s business, so, if the following suggestion does not appeal to you, just say no and no harm will be done. I do not claim to know the Lunts intimately. I have seen them perhaps four times and they have had dinner with us... if you’d like me to write them about the play and ask them if they’d like to see it, I’d be happy indeed to do this... I wish it were possible for you to have a year off in which to work at the job you are really fitted for. When I was in New York, I saw my friend Lois Cole, at the Macmillan Company. She had the only news of Herschel any of us have had since he went to Columbia, South America. Several months ago she had a letter... asking her to send him a number of books which were collections of American short stories. He wishes to select from all the volumes enough short stories to make one volume and translate them into Spanish - perhaps like the O’Brien or O’Henry collections... I had dinner with the Dowdeys in New York and they asked if I had seen you and lamented that Clifford was having such a time with his eyes... Clifford is desperately trying to get into the army, bad eyes or no, but he is half through a novel and feels that he should finish it before enlisting. He told me that Kenneth Littauer had been in the air force for a number of months and was now at some field in Mississippi. He is, of course, over age for flying, so I suppose he is doing ground service... Marjorie Rawlings and Norton Baskin were here a month or so ago. Marjorie was speaking as one of a series of lectures, for the benefit of the Red Cross. Vincent Sheean was another speaker. We had the Baskins and Sheean for a quite supper in between a cocktail party and Mr Sheean’s lecture. The brief meeting showed him an attractive and interesting person. He’s now in the army... you’d find him entertaining. People in New York and Boston have at last gotten the idea that we are in a war. Both cities are dim and are crowded with uniforms of every service. It’s queer to see Australian airmen on the streets and soldiers in Dutch and Norwegian uniforms, and I saw uniforms belonging to God know what country. I am sure entire crews of German submarines could parade on Fifth Avenue and no one would pay them any mind, and they would doubtless think them part of the Coast Guard... In connection with Civilian Defense, let me present to you Mr and Mrs John R. Marsh, respectively Sector Warden and Deputy Sector Warden. John has five blocks under his care, and it would be just my luck to have an air raid tonight when he is out of town and I am in charge. It is incredible how much time and paper work is involved in Civilian Defence, and how much confusion and worry... Just about the time you get a warden broken in, the army snatches him off..I think we will end up by having Civilian Defence completely operated by women...” and ends by repeating her invitation for them to visit, 3 sides 4to., Margaret Mitchell headed paper, Atlanta, Georgia, 24th June
Item Date:
1942
Stock No:
42459
£1750
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MITCHISON
(Naomi, b.1897, Novelist)
Fine Typed Letter Signed to Mr Harding Edgar,
apologizing for not answering, "but owing to no cook and no secretary have had my hands full", she goes on to say that she hasn't had the "time to look for letters and I think I'd have to consult Mrs Lewis, but what I have now got is a notebook with the complete first draft of a book from beginning to end. It is a frightful nuisance working like this, and I can't think how any serious writer does!", 1 side 8vo, 2 Harcourt Buildings, 29th, n.y.,
Item Date:
0
Stock No:
29387
£75
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MITFORD
(Mary Russell, 1787-1855, Novelist)
Autograph Letter Signed to B. B. Thatcher
saying that she has "read the greater part of Mrs Hale's Volumes & find them as you represented full of good feelings & good sense. Except a touch of protestant bigotry in the Catholic convert & a little too much operation of American Freedom, which is so admitted a matter that it does not require constant talking about. There is nothing which any one can find fault with. I only hope you may find the London Publisher's approbation as ready as mine. Forgive all my ... in yesterday's packet. I keep, as an authoress, clear of Politics & of all disputable points ...", 1 side 4to., no place, no date
Item Date:
0
Stock No:
41205
£175
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MITFORD
(Mary Russell, 1787-1855, Novelist)
Autograph Letter Signed to Mr Bennett
saying that she "had feared dear Mr Bennett that the advancing beacon's shortening days would prevent your excursion by the side of the Thames. I should have regretted it more had not my health continued so bad as to diminish my pleasure in seeing more friends whose society used to give me the most gratification. Last week during four successive days four sets of persons came to see me - such persons as the great Painter John Lucas, William Wood the Member for Oxford, the most distinguished of the new members in the house & the most charming person in conversation that I have ever known - & two other sets less publicly known but equally distinguished for talent - & great as the pleasure was it has so entirely exhausted & prostrated me that my eminent medical attendant has told my maid to let nobody in - & although that will of course not be acted upon to the letter the direction yet shows sufficiently what he thinks of the state of my health & my inability to receive any visits. The Talfourd family are coming to stay with a friend of mine 4 miles off next week. I suppose that I shall hardly be able to see them although invited for every day. I send you your share of a packet from American which I received the other day. Send me back Mr Field's letter please - He is very kind to us both - & you could not have a better introduction to the American Public. I think I told you how superb a man he was - certainly the handsomest I ever beheld. They praise the beauty of the American Women - but I have never seen one who would not look withered & faded by the side of a a pretty young English woman - of Mrs Bennett - for example - Make my best regards to her ...", 2 sides sm. 8vo., no place, no date, together with a copy (probably by Bennett) of the letter from James T. FIELDS to Mitfordthat is referred to saying "for the poems of Mr Bennett enclosed in your letter pray accept my thanks. I think I am doing something occasionally to make him acquaintances this side the water - I have already published the sonnet to Keats in one of our Magazines from which it has travelled the country through. Bryant copied it not long ago into his Journal the Evening Post & Willis likewise endorsed its beauty by a similar compliment ...", 1 side 8vo., Boston, 26th July
Item Date:
1848
Stock No:
41206
£275
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MITFORD
(Mary Russell, 1787-1855, Novelist)
Autograph Letter Signed to Mrs BROWNING,
(Elizabeth Barrett, 1806-1861, Poet and wife of Robert) saying that she "does indeed rejoice, my very dear friend at the exceedingly pleasant manner in which the book ... is being noticed in the papers - It may do good - you must not think me unkind if it be some time before I can convey the copies in my hands & those coming to me to their destined owners. Unluckily every one lives beyond a walk & I have no means of getting them to the different persons except by taking them myself - since you left me I have had a severe attack of neuralgia pain in the face - which is almost always brought on by driving in the winter in an open carriage - so that I have been obliged to give up going anywhere beyond a walk for the present - indeed in the winter I never do get into the pony chaise without suffering severely - However I will continue to take them as soon as I can - & real difference there is none between an immediate delivery & a delay which I should of course explain as being caused by myself & not by you - That first volume of Mrs Browning must be as heavy as lead - & I should fear would go far to weigh down the ... portions of her poems - odd sort of criticisms the Leader has - I see Mr Home's Duchess of Malfi has stopped - but hard as the construction of Webster is his own is a million times worse - with Webster's five bits. I see that the Smuggler by James is published in the Parlor Library - let me have that please dear friend. Tom Cringle's Log if I have not got it which your bookseller will know & any ore of James's as they come out - love to the Mrs Bennetts ...", 4 sides sm. 8vo., no place, no date, together with an engraving of Mitford from the drawing by F. R. Say, 9½" x 7"
Item Date:
0
Stock No:
41207
£675
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