ELOISE, MA CHERE AMIE,

Six months have now elapsed since the publication of our culinary and domestic correspondence. Hardly had I time to correct the numerous mistakes which were in the first edition, before 15,000 copies were issued from the press, and nearly all purchased by the public. I am confident you will agree with me, that we cannot feel and express too much gratitude for such extraordinary patronage.

You reproach me for being silent so long; the reasons, you must be aware, have been serious illness, and other family troubles, which no human being can be free from; but, thanks to Providence, now all is well; and to prove to you that I have not been indolent, I herewith enclose a very novel, interesting, and useful subject: it is a correct resumé of every kind of condiment, its origin, country, nutritive quality, and its effect on the human frame. It has, I assure you, taken some hours of study to arrive at the conclusion of my researches, and I sincerely hope they may be the means of causing to be more frequently used those wholesome aromatic plants which nature has so bountifully spread over the globe, and lessen the false manipulations of inexperienced persons, so pernicious to humanity.

Having now carefully revised and added new re

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ceipts to our culinary journal, I beg of you to call this morning upon the printer, Savill, of Chandosstreet, and get composed, in good plain reading type, the enclosed; it will probably make forty more pages. Send me a proof as soon as possible, which I will immediately correct and return to you, as you say our publishers are now getting short of the work. I would not think of going to press this time with less than 5000. Kind remembrances of love and friendship to you and yours. Dear Eloise,

HORTENSE.

The extraordinary sale of this work, unparalleled in the history of the book trade, (for the short time from its publication, the 7th of Sept. 1849,) has caused many to doubt the fact. The author has therefore inserted the following letter, received from his publishers: Stationers' Hall Court, Feb. 15, 1850.

DEAR SIR,

"Modern

We beg to inform you, that the sale of your Housewife" is still in great demand, and we would therefore advise you to go to press immediately with 3000 or 4000, as they are certain of being wanted early in March.

We remain, your most obedient servants,

To M. SOYER, Reform Club.

SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & Co.

P.S. The last number mentioned would be preferable, as completing the Twenty Thousandth copy of your last work. Let us know, also, when the 7th edition of your "Gastronomic Regenerator" can be delivered to us.

Bifrons Villa, St. J W

September 29th, 1849.

ELOISE, DEAREST,—

PLEASE in your name, and also in mine, return our sincere thanks to our friends, and especially to the fair daughters of Albion, for the flattering reception they have given to our culinary correspondence, or gastronomic journal, with which I beg of you especially to couple that powerful organ, the public press, which in a few days, like the commotion of an earthquake, has shaken the domesticated nerves of thousands of housewives throughout the United Kingdom, merely to inform them that I," Mrs. B.," and you, "Mrs L.," humble but domesticated women, have had a friendly correspondence respecting housewifery in all its branches; the echo of which, believe me, Eloise, has done more in a few days, than half a century could ever have accomplished for us in our happy but obscure sphere; therefore you must not

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be too proud of our success, for be well convinced that it is more due to the iron tongue of the press than to the brain that has conceived it.

A Second Edition is already wanted, say you-“I can hardly believe it,"-and that in less than a fortnight. At all events, the only novelty in this one must be confined to corrections, which I can assure you, thanks to you and the printer's carelessness, are tolerably numerous; therefore, follow your publisher's advice, and cause the steam press to issue, as quickly as possible, 6000 copies, which will form the Second Edition.

With the greatest esteem,

I remain, ever yours,

HORTENSE.

P.S.-I have forwarded you one of the Magic Stoves, which I have just received from Gardner's. I had this morning one on our breakfast-table, and cooked in a very short time, at a trifling expense, two of Soyer's new mutton chops (No. 452), four sausages, and eight pieces of very thin bacon, and also in the fat fried two slices of bread; we were eight to breakfast, and all enjoyed this extraordinary novelty.

You reproach me for not sending you one earlier; that which I intended for you has been taken by the Marquis of N. and party to Egypt, with the view of having a dinner cooked on the top of the Pyramids.