John Ruskin letter to Ellen Heaton, 1857 January 22

Ruskin begins by asking Heaton for a further £5. He says he will not send her recently purchases vignettes by railroad "because they are wholly unreplaceable" but says that he will send the sketch, once it is insured. He tells Heaton that he is negotiating to change one of the pieces "the golden grey, for a blue one" which he thinks she will like better. In a postscript, he tells Heaton not to try to secure Rossetti's appearance at the Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition as Ruskin is trying to get him to stand for election to the Water-colour Society, where Heaton can display her Rossetti alongside Ruskin's Beatrice. Ruskin says that £84 more is all he will ask Heaton to spend this year. [Date provided by Surtees: Thursday, January 22nd 1857]