Letter from J.W.T. Ley, Newport, Monmouthshire, to Edward Wagenknecht, 1930 April 8 : typescript signed.

Informing that Wagenknecht's letter will only be published by Dexter in the Dickensian in abbreviated form, as it "is hardly the place in which to discuss psychography"; discussing the differing natures of letter-writing and writing for print; discussing a letter by Dickens in which he expresses concern as to the availability of "the flaxen wig and eyebrows" in Canada and pointing out that "in his early days he was very apt to write in facetiously extravagant vein" and further that the Staplehurst railway accident [June 9, 1865] demonstrates "that Dickens was a very cool man in a crisis"; clarifying a question on Dickens' support "of foreign missions"; discussing the "mental and spiritual resources" of Catherine Dickens and comparing her to Dora Spenlow from "David Copperfield"; challenging Wagenknecht's reference to W. Walter Crotch but exclusion of George Gissing and G.K. Chesterton; commenting that "I somehow feel that you are a little unduly sensitive to criticism" and explaining that Wagenknecht rejects national patriotism because he is young; doubting the originality of his ideas about psycography; mentioning writing by "Mr. Bradford" [likely Gamaliel Bradford] stating how different his writing on Dickens would have been from Wagenknecht's; describing his relationship with Henry Fielding Dickens; describing his health.