The San Francisco call., 1897-10-31
A BR0NTE LETTER TO THACKERAY.


| In buying an old book, even a modern sec
! ond-hand one. it is well TO give good look
| at the title page and the hy-leaves, because
/ there may be an autograph there which may
/ very much enhance the value of the book
/ Many presentation copy finds its way to i'm
/ possible places. Two years ago, in Ann street,
| New York, for so cents an old novel was
bought on which was written on a hyleaf.
With the respects OF James Fenimore Cooper,
! 1S42' This book was in wretched condition,
otherwise dear for 90 cents, but quite valu-
able Tor the autograph.
About five years ago a gentleman with the
keenest appreciation of books picked up at
8 bookstand in a small New Jersey town an
old Virgil, and paid for it 81, about what it
was worth 10 the dealer. But on the inside
leaves before the title-page were numerous
inscriptions, all written by boyish hands,
showing the varied ownership of the book
during some seventy-five years of the last
century, and among these names were the
early signatures of two lads who at their
maturity became the most famous men in the
Revolutionary period. The Virgil, strange to
say, was IN good order, though rather pencil.
marked under certain passages and with
curious interlinear translatious. The present
owner OF the book has been careful not to dis
turb them. Ernest d. North, in "The Book
man." tells OF Il nice find made by lady on a
London beokstand:
Rummag ing among the shelves her eyes
lighted upon duodecimo volume in brown
calf with no title on the back . . The
first thing that attracted her eyes was the
stamped coat OF arms on the side. Upon OPEN
ing the volume she saw it was a book on 'The
Policy OF the Clergy of France 10 De strOy the
Protestants OF that Kingdom. London, 1851" I"
Noticing that there was fine handwriting in
side of the front cover, what was my friends
delight to Iind that ii was letter from Char
lotte Bronte to Thackeray, and it was as fol-
lows:
HAwoRTH Sept g.
Dear ThdckerGy: herewith return your little
work have found it very entertaining from be-
ginning to end. There is doubt that the policy
of the French clergy at the time specified was to
destroy ProLestaDs and Professionalism as far as il
was In their power 80 TO do-history proves it in
deed
When come TO LONDON I trust I may have the
pleasure of seeing for few days and until
then early in the new year, believe me your
sincere admlrer, CHARLOTTE BRoNTE.
p. S.-Mr Nichols is very well, and sends his
compliments. He hopes accompany me 10
London cary next year
Charlotte Blonte wrote a minute handwrit-
ing, suggestive OF the chirography of a canary
bird. The lady was conscious of the prize
she had stumbled across. 1t was "a book
loaned by Thackeray to Charlotte Bronte and
returned to him enriched with her own COM
ment-surey this is beyond the means of the
| idIer." The price was hesitatingly asked, and
| the bookseller said. "Oh, 3 shillings, num-"
Some cynical Frenchman has written that
"women are generally honest, save when in
! business" Would any of the masculine sex
have said what that lady did? "Do you know
what is in this book?' Certainly the book
seller pretended that he did. He knew all
about it. More than the woman did. There
was fac-simile letter of somebody's. Three
shiliings was the price. He might have added,
Take it or leave it." Well, the lady did take
it and at his price, and went on her way with
the precious volume tucked under her arm
and so virtue meets its own reward. 1t is not
always necessary to drive sense into the
seller, for generally, as the Roman phrase
goes, "caveat emp:or" The Bookman repro
duces the title page of the Thackeray book
| and facsimile OF the Bronte letter.