‘The wild librarian sends me an extremely bad account of herself to-day. I have sent her a beautifully impressive and didactic answer, which she ought to show you.—Ever faithfully yours, J. RUSKIN. ‘I have sent your organist a Magister for himself. I am so glad he likes it. I couldn’t make out his initials, or would have put his name in it; people ought always to sign in print. A.B.C. So and So.’ * * * * * ‘BRANTWOOD, CONISTON, LANCASHIRE, _March 12, 1887_. ‘DEAR MISS BEALE,—I send you two books to-day with real pleasure. The old book of towns containing images of the things that once were, in spite of their stiffness, liker the realities now lost than any wooden efforts at restoration, while the Arabian book is a type of all the subtle and faithful skill of France can do at its present best. ‘I call it the _faithful_ skill of France. There is no nation has ever produced such honest work in love of its subjects, not in vanity, as the _Desc. de l’Egypte_ and the illustrated beautiful books of modern times. The great Cuvier series is degraded by its filthy anatomies, but in mere engraving and colours stands alone. But I am going to send you some birds, also matchless, as I can’t send you the Cuvier for its horror. ‘The English book on the Dee, with its rotten paper and vulgar woodcuts, illustrates our English meanness in comparison, but has its poor use too....’ * * * * * ‘BRANTWOOD, CONISTON, LANCASHIRE, _March 14, 1887_. ‘DEAR MISS BEALE,—There is not the least need of this flame of gratitude. I am only too glad to find a place where I can send books likely to be permanently useful to English girls. I am sending three more to-day, which I think likely to be far more serviceable than those finer ones, containing as they do, quantities of sound historical information given in a simple and graceful way on subjects which every Christian girl should have knowledge of, while I suppose not one in fifty ever hears any truth about them. They are nice collegiate books too, to look at. ‘I am mightily pleased too at your having a girl-organist, and hope to work out some old plans with her.—Ever most truly yours, J. RUSKIN.’ * * * * * ‘BRANTWOOD, CONISTON, LANCASHIRE, _March 24_. ‘DEAR MISS BEALE,—These candlesticks are lovely, but a little too loose and catchy to be quite good design. The fillets of the bases should be bars, and branch into the foliage, not be entangled in it. But I am heartily glad to see such work.