Grant Allen to W.T. Stead

(October 6, 18??)

2 Priory Gardens, Bedford Park, Chiswick S.W. Oct. 6 [18??]

Dear Sir,

Many thanks for your note. I will read and review Darwin’s new book at the earliest possible moment—as soon as I receive it. I have been a little slow lately owing to ill health, but on Monday I settle down at Hastings for the winter, and hope to be more regular in future.

Colonists are the thinnest-skinned people on earth. I have lived more than half my life in two colonies—Canada and Jamaica—and only a quarter of it in England: yet I never wrote anything about either colony in print without hurting some tender susceptibilities, whereas I never have had anybody... [illegible] ...with what I had to say about England, though I suppose, like other people, I must often make mistakes. In this particular case, however, I think I right and my critic wrong. It is all a relative question as to what you consider civilised and what you consider wild; and writing for a mainly English audience I spoke from an English standpoint. But perhaps it would be best to suppress my two tentative political articles, which only express the views I have derived from my own friends and correspondents—landowners in Canadian country towns.

I should be very glad if you could kindly spare me five minutes for a short talk on Saturday or Monday. I am now in town for two or three days, and not likely to be so again till Spring, and there are one or two questions I should like to ask as to possible future work.

Yours very faithfully,

Grant Allen.