PARSONS

Letter: 4pp., 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Loosely inserted in the book. Addressed to 'Dear Lady Kinnoull', which to Baker 'sounds so formal but when I was with you I got to feel as if we had known each other a long time'. Fearing that the Countess may consider her 'one of those people who take books', she explains about the difficulties of returning one: 'Our intention was to bring it back when we called for my picture but, as you know, we came to you from Big Sur & left Carmel early next morning.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. On aged paper, with short closed tear at head of first leaf and traces of mount on blank reverse of second leaf. Written in a hurried and difficult hand. The letter begins: 'Dear Senior | We are most happy to hear that we are to have the pleasure of seeing you and Mrs Senior.' After discussing arrangements he comments: 'You will find Ireland much improved, abundance of employment every where.' He concludes by suggesting two railway stations to alight at, as 'our branch is not yet finished'.

4pp., 12mo. Worn and stained on four leaves with wear to extremities resulting in slight loss of text, and with at least one leaf lacking. Parsons begins by informing Caswell that he is sending him a copy of the Examiner containing his article on 'Tennyson's Literary Career': 'It was sent to the Editor only a few days after the poet's death when I knew nothing about the title or contents of the new book of poems.' He discusses his plans to insert the article when he republishes his pamphlet (Parsons' 'Tennyson's Life and Poetry' appeared in 1892, with a revised edition the following year).

Written in green ink on one side of a piece of watermarked paper roughly 20 x 12.5 cm. Nineteen lines of text. Fair, on lightly-aged paper with a couple of pin holes. Heavily stylised signature with long gap between the 'O' and 'f' of 'Ofori'. He thanks him for the letter, and is 'very pleased to welcome you to Ryebi [capital of Akem]'. He was 'awfully delighted to hear that Mr. Myerstein has completely recovered from his recent serious illness' and is pleased to learn that they are 'starting work on the reef very shortly'.