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The Story of the House of Cassell
daughters. The Hon. Miss Russell and I had a long chat together about Switzerland, Chamounix, etc. On Tuesday there was a magnificent assemblage to hear Lord Brougham on 'Popular Literature.' I sent you a Times, in which is contained the address of Lord B. You would see, if you have perused the address, how kindly he spoke of your papa and his efforts in the cause of cheap literature. . . . On Thursday there were sittings of the sections, and going out of one court into another we met Lord Brougham. 'Is this Mrs. Cassell?' he inquired, and shook hands very warmly. ... In the evening we went to the meeting of the working classes in the amphitheatre. The meeting was a magnificent one. Lords Brougham, Shaftesbury, Carlisle, and Sandon spoke. . . . . Friday more meetings. Took part in the discussion on the paper duty. . . . On Saturday attended a meeting for the distribution of prizes to successful candidates for the Oxford examinations. Lord Carlisle, W. E. Gladstone, and the Bishop of Chester spoke."
Of the Brougham correspondence little remains, but the following two letters show that the old statesman's ruling passion obsessed him in France as well as in England:
"Rue de Rivoli, Paris, 1858.
"My dear Mr. Cassell,—I am very happy to find that there is an anxious desire here among some of the most distinguished of my colleagues of the Academy to learn something of our popular literature. They have been much struck with the details given in the Liverpool address, and are bent on carrying forward the plan, and putting an end to the very bad publications here—some very idle and full of horrors, ghost stories, etc., but some also of a very immoral tendency. This seems to me a most important matter, and I have undertaken to obtain for them as complete a set as you can let me have, or can procure, of all the cheap publications. I don't grudge any expense for so great an object. Therefore pray do this: Have the whole packed in a box or boxes, and sent directly to me at this hotel, and in case I am gone before the box or boxes arrive, they will be taken immediately to the Institute (Academy), where those who are going to proceed upon them will receive them safe, and communicate with me on their operations.—Yours truly,
Brougham."
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