Letter from Charles Dickens, London, to Angela Burdett-Coutts, 1850 August 14 : autograph manuscript signed.

Explaining that he could not come the previous night as he "...was waylaid by a parcel, in dimensions like a spare bed, containing 'doubtful articles' for Household Words, on which decision was necessary to the peace of mind of the writers. As my days are taken possession of by Copperfield, I had no alternative but to sit down and have them read to me. And extremely dreary they were - all with a drone of imitation of myself in them, which pervaded the whole parcel, as the Anabaptist strain does the Opera;" advising her not to answer the letter from Mr. Elliott and saying he will keep it for several days so that he might ask his printers whether they authorized him to use their names; commenting on the smaller number of inmates at Shepherd's Bush as it relates to the tasks that need to be done; saying "If they cannot, with that small number, do the washing of themselves, then I think a woman should be hired to come and help - which would teach the girls. To put the washing out, seems to me a great mistake of Mrs. Morson's. If they cannot bake, somebody should come and help (and teach) in that work too, I think. But I would not let them buy bread, with that oven there."