Anna Dickinson     General Correspondence     Perry, George
                                                                                  1877-85
Home Journal
8 April -77

Dear Miss Dickinson
Please accept 
my sincere thanks 
for the pleasure of "assisting"
 at your "Crown
 of Thorns", last evening. 
 I was very agreeably surprised
 to find the play so 
well-constructed and so
 powerful in effects; as
 to learn how much better
 is the acting of "Anne 
Bolyn" than has been represented
 in several
 of our papers. Althono believer in the
 infallibility of critics,
 I was not prepared to
 find so great a discrepancy
 as exists in this 
case.  Clearly you 
have been grossly misrepresented. 
I sympathize
 with you deeply in
 this injustice, and shall 
take pleasure in doing 
what I can to place 
you before the readers
 of the Home Journal
 in a true light.
     I hope you will 
not find the odds too
 strong against you, 
and that these blows will
 serve in the end only to
 hasten the day of your 
complete triumph in
 your chosen profession.
Yours truly
George PerryHome Journal
2nd Sept. 79
Dear Miss Dickinson,
Accept
many thanks for the
favor of your note and
books. Not the less welcome
because the publishers
sent me a copy of the
Register some weeks ago.
It is a very entertaining
book. But while I laugh
over your odd adventures
with outlandish characters
I cannot but perceive an
awful sense stealing over
me of the immense deal
of martyrdom and wearand tear there is in the
profession of lecturer.
There were of course
many bright spots in the
path - but at best you
must have earned your
crown many times over.
You have a clear right to
rest on your laurels, or
rather (for you will never
rest) to avail yourself
of modern enginery to
reach your vast body
of hearers in an easier
or quicker way. I
haven’t seen your

newspaper announced
yet, but I am expecting
 it. And I recommend
it. Haven’t you
found out many times, that
your friends know better
what you want than you
do yourself? Where you
have a pen that reaches
over the continent
why tire yourself longer
with voice or gesture?
Very good things in their
day but too slow for this
age - or too short.
I know you will excuse
delay in notice of this Register
for this is the season of vacations
or indulgences. A note of it
will appear soon
Truly Yours George PerryDear Mrs. Dickinson,
I regret that
the letter, of which you
speak, did not reach 
me. It is too late, now,
for time has answered it
as you say, or as Napoleon
 used to say
of all letters. You
are doubtless right as to
that particular letter,
but I think Napoleon
greatly mistaken in his
statement.
Accept my cordial 
thanks for your kindgreetings, and let me wish
you many happy new years
and the best success with them.
As to the word in season
I hardly think I deserve
any thanks for it, for however
friendly my sentiments,
my aim was to express the
impartial truth and see
plain justice done. On
similar occasions in the
future I hope you will find
yourself in a condition
to command justice even
when it is most reluctant.
Yrs truly
George Perry
Home Journal
New York: 7th Dec 78Geo Perry
A BHome Journal
18 March 85
Dear Miss Dickinson
On receipt
of your note I made
inquiries of a friend who
knows Mr Irving well
regarding his possible
prepositions against your
sister. He says there
is not the least ground
for any such suspicion.
His words are: There is no
reason why Miss Dickinson
should not put herself in
direct communication
with Mr Irving." I was
confident of this in advance, 
but thought
best to make inquiries
as you requested. Yoursister's fame, eminent
character would, any
way, command for her
all civilities from a
distinguished gentleman
like Mr Irving. But
your sister has a standing
in the dramatic profession
large enough to claim
ordinary courtesies
at least and her platform
reputation which is closely
akin to a dramatic one
makes her position doubly
secure. Mr Irving is
a stranger here and the
first advances are properly
made by those to the manor
born - in art there
is no sex: one artist
addresses another on
art matters regardless

of the sex etiquette of 
the outside world.
Actors, the representative
portion of the profession,
are the most generous
and unselfish of mortals.
Talent as yours can
address themselves nowhere
with more certainty of ready,
cordial recognition
Yours truly
George Perry