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Marie Corelli Letters, 1889-1892, Accession #10998, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.
The letters were purchased by the Library from David J. Holmes, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 15, 1991.
This collection consists of nine letters, 1889, 1892, and seven undated letters, from the English romantic novelist, Marie Corelli (1855-1924), Longbridge Road, Earl's Court, to Signor Ciardiello. Corelli (pen name of Mary Mackay) promises to visit Ciardiello's studio when she can find the time from her proofreading of printer's proofs, and offers to recommend his art talent whenever possible (March 11, 1989).
She also returned a song to Ciardiello regretting that she cannot permit its dedication to her as "the words of the song are really too careless and unpoetical" (October 9, 1892). In one of her undated letters, she says of the Scots, "I am not overfond of the Scotch, and I'm afraid I have not taken much pains to cultivate them." Another gives advice on placing his short story "Rosetta" with the Evening News syndicate or a magazine like Household Words, in addition to her comments about the story. Others contain invitations to tea, to meals, and her birthday party, and offers of tickets for a performance.