Letter from E.D.E.N. Southworth to “My Dear Young Friend”, November 18th, 1894

Prospect Cottage
Georgetown D.C.
November 18th 1894

My Dear Young Friend:

If you, being in New
York, can possibly send me
a cutting from the New
York Herald of September
5th of Mr Robert Bonner's 
card upon "Self Made"
I shall be infinitely o-
bliged to you and will
return the service in any
way I can. I want
the cutting of that card
to use in the preparation 
of another article in defense
of myself against the libel,

2

for would you believe it?—
the man Morgan, repeating
the woman Southwick,
re-asserts the libel and
picks quibbling holes in
Mr Bonner's card and also
my letter— both of which
appear to me to be as plain
and straight forward as the
English language can
make a statement. But he
says of Mr Bonner's letter
that Mr Bonner does not
say that he never bought
a manuscript from a
Californian and that I 
do not claim to have
written the original manuscript

3

I do not understand such
snake like turnings and 
twistings. His letter of which
I write was sent to the 
San Francisco Chronicle where 
his first outrageous libel 
was published and also
to the Evening Star. Both
papers refused to publish
it, seeing that Mr B & you 
had settled the questions the
editors of both papers wrote
to me to that effect; and the
Editor of the Star sent me Morgan's
letter, Now I must give the
libellers the coup-de-grace in a 
final article, but must quote &
analyze Mr Bonner's card as well
as my letter. Ever Your Friend
EDEN Southworth

4

Postscript

Of course my dear
young friend I would
not tax your kindness
by asking you to give
the "death blow" I am 
preparing through your
Literary Leaves. The un-
sparing justice of my 
act would be too heavy 
for their graceful and
gracious tree. I mean
it for certain papers—
though you may have 
as much of it as you
please, if you should please.
EDEN S.