William Hone to Frances Rolleston, 29 January, 1840 An Electronic Edition William Hone Kyle Grimes

For publication in the Hone Correspondence section of the William Hone BioText, http://honearchive.org. The letter is published under a Creative Commons license, details of which are accessible from the BioText homepage.

Transcribed from the original in Indiana University, Lilly Library, Rawson MSS.

 Transcribed into TEI from .txt copy made in Bloomington.
William Hone to Frances Rolleston, 29 January, 1840.Indiana University, Lilly Library, Rawson MSS. [return] — -TEI-
5 Bolt Court, Fleet Street.
29 Jany 1840 My dear Miss Rolleston

I think of you, often & much. Writing bcomes more than ever painful to me. Bear witness this, that I have not forgotten you. The enclosure mentions one of your old & dear friends—a departed one—Mr. Edward Smedley.

May I ask where do you live? where do you stay? Anywhere?

Well, where is, or is to be, your "whereabout"?

Do you know a greater moral act than the Penny Postage Act?The Penny Postage Act of 1840 reduced the cost of postage to one penny. Prior to the Act, the cost of postage varied quite widely and could be prohibitive for people without ample means. Hence, Hone's enthusiasm about the Act is founded in the very real democratization of discourse that it made possible. [return]

If you are a "Truepenny" you will answer.

Oh! Have you read Sartor Resartus

My dear lady Yours, [one word scratched out] what shall I write? W Hone

I never thought to use an envelope — cut & snipped — and artificial wax — but anything for a penny.