For the sisters Brontë my father had the highest
admiration. He received the following letter from
Currer Bell (Charlotte Brontë):

June 16th, 1847.

SIR,

My relatives, Ellis and Acton Bell, and myself, heed-
less of the repeated warnings of various respectable publishers,
have committed the rash act of printing a volume of poems.

The consequences predicted have of course overtaken us;
our book is found to be a drug; no man needs it nor heeds.

In the space of a year the publisher has disposed but of two
copies; and by what painful efforts he succeeded in getting rid
of these two, himself only knows.

Before transferring the edition to the trunkmakers, we have
decided on distributing as presents a few copies of what we
cannot sell. We beg to offer you one in acknowledgement of
the pleasure and profit we have often and long derived from
your works.

I am, Sir, yours very respectfully,
CURRER BELL.

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