Acquired with other letters from George Allen, which have been catalogued separately; see collection level record for more information (MA 2547.1-4).
Addressed from "Sunnyside, Orpington, Kent".
Contains a note in red ink at the start of the letter in Allen's hand and another note in blue ink at the end of the letter in an unidentified hand.
John Thomas Hobbs was George Allen's brother-in-law and had been Ruskin's servant.
Transcription available in the Collection File.
Discussing his and Ruskin's system of working with booksellers, the difficulties of that relationship in the past, and some recent changes; writing of the success of his editions of "Seven Lamps"; giving details about the print runs, specifications, and orders for a new edition of "Stones of Venice"; discussing the past arrangements between Smith, Elder and Co. and Ruskin, how well they did with "King of the Golden River", how little profit Ruskin saw from their edition, and how much better he has fared ever since "I got it out of S.E. & Co's clutches"; discussing Ruskin's progress with "Praeterita" and his mental health; sending news of his wife and children and other family members; writing of his own health and about going to dances with his children: "I don't feel at all old at times and enjoy a good dance as well as ever and get one now and then"; commenting on Millais, "who is a great man now", and mentioning a Turner watercolor of Ruskin's that Allen is trying to find a buyer for; saying that Ruskin has given up his Oxford professorship and that Allen has bought from him two mineral cabinets built by Ruskin's father, John James Ruskin: "I have a beautiful lot of minerals now".