Box 3

Unclear who "G.S." is. Handwriting does not match known samples of either G.B. Stern or George Bernard Shaw.

"Dear Poet: I am dead. But by Friday - perhaps - I can take notice - tea even..."

"Dear Mrs. Bland, E. Nesbit's books are my favorite. Her books gave me a dream and a happy time. I hope your Christmas will be happy!..."

"Dear Madam I have just been reading your life of "E. Nesbit" and felt I must write to tell you how interesting it was and how much I had enjoyed it. I was at school with Rosamund at the Blackheath High School; she was one of my best friends at school and after had the pleasure of visiting Well Hall. How I enjoyed those visits; they were all so kind to me, altho' I was a most ordinary uninteresting girl..."

"Dear Mrs Langley Moore, - The position as regards Richard Middleton is obscure. I more or less acted as executor at one time, arranging things, but have lost touch with the family for many years. Latterly, I have referred inquiries to Fisher Unwin - now incorporated with Benn. It seems to me that little or no harm could be done by your publishing the letter, and if a sort of moral claim to give permission is valid, you have mine..."

"Dear Madam, I have been so keenly interested and so deeply touched by reading your very sympathetic study of E. Nesbit's life and character that I can't refrain from writing to tell you so: the more so since I too have just written a biography without personal knowledge of my subject, and know its difficulties and its joys. Yet no reader of your book could close it without feeling as if he knew E. Nesbit personally. I had that privilege, but feel that I know her much better now..."

First letter was a note attached to a longer letter to Hubert Bland. The second was a postcard.

Both letters are transcribed copies of the originals.

"Dear Ms Briggs Thank you for your letter of 5 April; it seems odd that I should come from Oxford to Birmingham to receive it. I enclose a photocopy of the relevant page from the King Edward's School Staff Register for the early part of this century..."

"Dear Madam, In reply to your enquiry, we much regret that at the moment we are unable to send you any information which will be of assistance to you, as the Manager of the Toy Department at the time you mention (1910/13) is no longer in this House..."

"My dear Edith, It is so long since I saw you that I almost began by saying 'dear Mrs Bland'! But I can't do that when you have been so sweet as to tell your publisher to send me a copy of your book. I was thinking about it only a few days ago and wondering when you meant it to come out..."