Letter John S. Farmer, London, to W. E. Henley, 1900 November 17 : autograph manuscript signed.

Acknowledging receipt of £10; saying "It is difficult for me sufficiently to thank the good friend who has thus come forward and helped when help was almost as much needed as when you came to my assistance two months ago. The past month has been 'ungodly' indeed; but your kind letter, in conjunction with a grant, also just received, from the R.L.F. has done much towards putting me on my legs again. Between the two I now see my way towards the dearest wish of my heart - the completion of the S.D. [Slang Dictionary]; this, when attained, will in itself be a certain way by which I can help myself. I can now push forward in earnest, and shall be free of anxiety as regards 'head and cheese' until money will be coming in from that source. It will also make possible a scheme for a much wider circulation of the book - when completed - that has been suggested and sketched out, and which will I hope, in a measure, practically acknowledge your unstinted help in a work which over and over again I have been tempted to feel was beyond my own power to finish. Please thank the kind friend for me - if I knew who, I would most certainly write direct - And thanks to you also for your own friendly offices in the matter. Will you also add that I will in due course return the advance. The rest of the money will come in handy a short time hence for Sundry working expenses which I am now incurring in connection with Vol. V. I enclose the £5 you sent me, with my best thanks as much for your sympathetic letter when I made default as for the money itself. I shall be sending you the first 100 pp of Vol. V, as set up 2 years ago, on my return to town - will you please go thro' them with a view to saving as much Correction as possible in my own [illegible."