I received your kind note yesterday morning with the truest
gratification, for I _am_ the writer of "The Child's Story" as well as
of "The Poor Relation's." I assure you, you have given me the liveliest
and heartiest pleasure by what you say of it.
I don't claim for my ending of "The Nurse's Story" that it would have
made it a bit better. All I can urge in its behalf is, that it is what I
should have done myself. But there is no doubt of the story being
admirable as it stands, and there _is_ some doubt (I think) whether
Forster would have found anything wrong in it, if he had not known of my
hammering over the proofs in making up the number, with all the three
endings before me.
With kindest regards to Mr. Gaskell,
Ever faithfully yours.
[Sidenote: Mr. W. Wilkie Collins.]