Stillwater
Bangalore

My Dear Sir

You did not leave unsaid one thing that could make me happy so this will indeed be a gay hearted letter - more than gay because I think I will not have to get you to spoil yr delightful letters by the introduction of business - Oh! how I hate the very sound of business & when one advises me on one side to write like Guy Boothby & another or another to write something taking & to try and adopt a more orthodox style, I feel all shrivelled up & long to die immediately, that is why I want to succeed according to other peoples ideas, so that I may then have leisure before I die to write one book, just one, perhaps it would be very little & only a few would care for it and I would'nt want money for it (oh keep the sound of that jingling word away from the poems we love) but it would be a joy to me. Now I must explain. A little while ago our retired Surveyor-General & daughters entertained me and a married one was asking me a lot of questions about the business side of the thing (always business & how much money did you make?) & I was asking her if Mr A. B. Paterson was soon returning as I entertained ideas of asking his advice. I thought no more of the matter until the very day I wrote to you when I was surprised by a note from Mr Paterson himself saying the lady had told him of my plight and he very kindly offers to advise me. Mother is sending me down to him soon. I am very, very thankful to you for yr goodness to me and it is a great thing for you to give me permission to use yr name which I would not have done on any acct. without your permission & our booksellers are also going to give me a written statement about the sale of yarn. But you must not expect me to keep you a secret as I always tell who helps me & I have a little book in which I've[?]