STICKNEY

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The female recipient is unidentified, but would appear to be the editor of a magazine, enquiring after the progress of a 'paper' Ellis has agreed to write on 'Java Sparrows'. Ellis explains that she has 'begun a better story in the Child's department which it is consequently necessary to finish first', to appear 'in the number for June', but that 'your paper shall certainly come next'. The handwriting is not altogether straightforward, but Ellis appears to say here that 'stories will not always [write?] up when [necessary?]'.

12mo, 2 pp. 23 lines. Text clear and complete. On first leaf of a bifolium, with the second leaf laid down on rectangle of paper cut from album. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. Drawing her attentiont to 'the important, but as yet little attended to, subject of the compulsory drinking usages', a 'topic [...] of increasing moment'. His 'largest work' on the subject is 'at present out of print, & the reserved copies all exhausted', so he is sending 'a small tract extracted from it', together with 'another Vol.