The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-12-03
MONDAY MORNING, DEC. 8.

that it was my earnest wish that these stories
should not be republished, and that hoped
they would abandon the project They an
s~ered that certain "dime novel" publication
house in New York, was on the eve of issuing
them, and that it would be better to have them
put out in respectable edition and secure
copyright than to have them published as
dime novels and receive nothing, and have
them pass entirely beyond my control. Con-
siderable correspondence ensued in regard to
the matter and finally, seeing that they were
likely to print under any circumstances,
agreed, with the greatest reluctance, and in
order to retain as much control as possible over
these earlier productions, to let them issue one
on the following conditions:
1st. That the words Reprinted from Peter
sons Magaz ne," be printed on the title.page of
the story, with the date of its appearance
therein.
volume If 1 should SO desire.
On the appearance of the volume "Theo,"
found, TO my chagrin, that il contained not a
word to show that it was not a new book.
did not see the proof-sheets, and the volume
contains errors of every description.
Immediately after the publication of tTheo"
the Messrs. Peterson wrote to me saying: 1--WE
intend to publish three others)
but do not wish to do so without paying you
something for them, though we could issue
tuCm WisuoUe NotuS duu Ou6rlDR TfUU IOr
sanction to issue these three and 'Theo. I"
Afterwards they included another story and
made it $500 To all these propositions l an
swered that could not possibly give my sane
ton to the publication of my eaflier works, by
whomsoever issued: that they had broken their
promise to me; that desired only what con-
sidered my best works to come before the pub
lie in book form now; and that made no in.
vidous distinction against these particular
stories for there were many of my stories pub
hod in mo- i,ae+t -
LEGATION of which would protest as sire nuous-
ly as against the republication of these, and
above ALL that did not wish the public to
think that was endeavoring to sell off my
earlier woodwork done often under the most
disadvantageous circumstances-on a reputa-
ton acquired through the work of more ma
ture years.
Even after these most earnest protests against
the issuing of the stories. the Messrs Peterson
sent me the proof sheets of story entitled
"katt leen, written when was bat sixteen
years old. They were returned with the de-
claratiou again repeated that would not:undel
any circumstances, consent that these early
stories should go before the worl1 as new
books.
1t is but justice to Mr. Charles j. Peterson
of the "Ladies Magazine" to state that he has
no connection with the house of I. B. Peterson
& Bros, and is in no way responsible for tht
republication of these stories. He was my
earliest and best friend, and to his thoughtful
generosity owe more than | can ever repay
In regard to the story Dolly" latsly pub
lshed by Porter & Coates, would say tina
these gentlemen purchased the story from Mr.
Henry Peterson, one of the proprietors of thu
Ladies' Friend, for which it was written il
1872 ln making the settlement with Messrs
Deacon g. Peterson for the story when it wa
near completion in the magazine, L found il
necessary to secure the services of lawyer
who, 10 giving the receipt, signed away fo
me-though without any authority from me
all rights To the story IL then irnnnp
dstey copyrighted in the name of Deacon s
Peterson, and thus passed from under my CON
troll.
In conclusion, 1 would say that the book
issued for me by my regular publishers, Messrs
ScrIbner, Armstrong & Co., ara the only one
which have my sanction.
FRANCES HoDGsoN BURNETT.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 1, 1877.