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Charles Dickens

Madeline House and Graham Storey (eds), The British Academy/The Pilgrim Edition of the Letters of Charles Dickens, Vol. 1: 1820–1839

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To JOHN FORSTER, [?14 FEBRUARY 1839]

MS Victoria & Albert Museum (FC). Date: early 1839 on handwriting; plainly Feb ("this short month"); probably the Thursday between the 9th, when he was "thinking about Nickleby" (see Diary, p. 640) and ?21 Feb when he was finishing it. Address: John Forster Esquire.

Doughty Street. | Thursday Morning

My Dear Forster

Don't come in to-night, for I want to get on: having moved slowly this short month. I have gallantly refused dinner Invitations from Talfourd, Milnes,2 Elliotson, and two others, and really begin to hope that I shall be able to keep on at Nickleby. Tomorrow we are obliged to go to Hullah's, which makes it the more necessary that I should stick like a leech to Nicholas to-night.

I will report progress on Sunday if you dine here—Let me know tomorrow or Saturday whether you do or not.

  •                                              Faithfully Always
  • John Forster Esquire                              Charles Dickens

15 slips achieved.

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Editor’s Note
2 Richard Monckton Milnes, first Baron Houghton (1809–85; DNB), writer and politician; already a fashionable London figure, famous for his breakfast parties. Conservative MP 1837 (later a Liberal); fervently supported Talfourd's Copyright Bill. He and CD were elected to the Athenaeum at the same time (June 38), and were on cordial terms from 1840 until CD's death. See later vols.
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