Autograph Letter Signed, to "Dear Lady Randolph Churchill.

1899. Two pages (first and third pages of one folded leaf of stationery printed with the address "20, Carlton House Terrace, S.W." Dated by hand "5th May '99".

The text of this letter reads as follows: Herewith I send you a programme of tonight's affair. You will witness that your name is on the list, but the programme was printed before we had word that you preferred not to speak. The hour of reception is six o'clock, when in the name of the Club, my wife and myself will welcome you. I hope you may find the evening interesting. Your kind words about my tale have given me great satisfaction. With all respect I am Yours sincerely [signed] Gilbert Parker. Though not specifically referenced in this letter, this correspondence has to do with The Anglo-Saxon Review -- a short-lived "quarterly miscellany," created and edited by Lady Randolph Churchill (her son Winston served as an advisor), published by John Lane in handsome leather-bound volumes with elaborate gilt tooling. The new periodical sent out an appeal for original material to many prominent British and American authors; contributors included Henry James, Winston Churchill, George Gissing, and Stephen Crane. The subscription list included many from the wealthy, the nobility, even heads of state. But maybe it was all a bit too much -- for there were only ten quarterly issues, from June 1899 to September 1901. Lady Churchill and other members of the editorial team had appealed to noted writers of the day for literary and artistic contributions, and Canadian-born Gilbert Parker had agreed to submit a tale called "All The World's Mad" for the very first issue (pp 176-183), which was about to appear in June 1899. The letter is in fine condition. Provenance: from the renowned three-generation Dodge Family Autograph Collection.