| Description | My dear Leighton
I've only just had time to look in, yesterday, at R.Ac. And your pictures are the only ones that interest me in it and the two pretty ones: peacocks and basket - interested me much. That I don't much like - you know, you, like all people good for anything in this age - and country (as far as Palmerston) are still a boy - and a boy can't paint Elijah. But the pretty girls are very nice and very nearly beautiful. I can't say more - can I? If once they were beautiful they would be immortal too. But if I don't pitch into you when I get hold of you again for not drawing your [conephora's bucket] as well as her head and hair! You got out of the scrape about the circle of it by saying you wanted it being out of sight (which I don't). But the [-] are all wrong - inelegantly wrong - which is unpardonable. I believe a Japanese would have done it better. Thanks for nice book on Japan - with my name Jappaned. It is very nice too. I wish the woodcuts were bigger. I should like it so much better in a little octavo with big woodcuts on every other page. But I never do anything but grumble. Faithfully yours
J Ruskin
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