I have been in the greatest difficulty--which I am not yet out of--to
know what to read at Birmingham. I fear the idea of next month is now
impracticable. Which of two other months do you think would be
preferable for your Birmingham objects? Next May, or next December?
Having already read two Christmas books at Birmingham, I should like to
get out of that restriction, and have a swim in the broader waters of
one of my long books. I have been poring over "Copperfield" (which is my
favourite), with the idea of getting a reading out of it, to be called
by some such name as "Young Housekeeping and Little Emily." But there is
still the huge difficulty that I constructed the whole with immense
pains, and have so woven it up and blended it together, that I cannot
yet so separate the parts as to tell the story of David's married life
with Dora, and the story of Mr. Peggotty's search for his niece, within
the time. This is my object. If I could possibly bring it to bear, it
would make a very attractive reading, with, a strong interest in it, and
a certain completeness.
This is exactly the state of the case. I don't mind confiding to you,
that I never can approach the book with perfect composure (it had such
perfect possession of me when I wrote it), and that I no sooner begin to
try to get it into this form, than I begin to read it all, and to feel
that I cannot disturb it. I have not been unmindful of the agreement we
made at parting, and I have sat staring at the backs of my books for an
inspiration. This project is the only one that I have constantly
reverted to, and yet I have made no progress in it!
Faithfully yours always.
[Sidenote: Monsieur Regnier.]