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Lucy’s Letter in the Typed Manuscript

Lucy’s initial letter contained a lot of content in the typed manuscript Stoker initially submitted to Constable that didn’t make it to the published novel. For the benefit of all the cool people following me who don’t have a New Annotated Dracula, I thought I’d post a copy of the letter with the excised bits reinserted today (shown in bold).

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My dearest Mina, I must say you tax me very unfairly with being a bad correspondent. I wrote you twice since we parted, and your last letter was only your second. Besides, I have nothing to tell you. There is really nothing to interest you. Town is very pleasant just now, and we go a great deal to picture-galleries and for walks and rides in the park.  As to the tall, curly-haired man, I suppose it was the one who was with me at the last Pop. Kate Lee has evidently been telling tales. I shall have my eye on that young lynx for the future, so tell her to be very discreet and give her a kiss for me.

That was Mr. Holmwood. He often comes to see us, and he and Mamma get on very well together, they have so many things to talk about in common. I almost envy mother sometimes for her knowledge when she can talk to people whilst I have to sit by like a dumb animal and smile a stereotyped smile smile till I find myself blushing at being an incarnate lie. And it is so silly and childish to blush without reason to.

We met some time ago a man that would just do for you, if you were not already engaged to Jonathan. He is an excellent parti, being handsome, well off, and of good birth. He is a doctor  and really clever. Just fancy! He is only nine-and-twenty, and he has an immense lunatic asylum all under his own care. Mr. Holmwood introduced him to me, and he called here to see us, and often comes now. I think he is one of the most resolute men I ever saw, and yet the most calm. He seems absolutely imperturbable. I can fancy what a wonderful power he must have over his patients. He has a curious habit of looking one straight in the face, as if trying to read one’s thoughts. He tries this on very much with me, but I flatter myself he has got a tough nut to crack. I know that from my glass. Do you ever try to read your own face? I do, and I can tell you it is not a bad study, and gives you more trouble than you can well fancy if you have never tried it. He says that I afford him a curious psychological study, and I humbly think I do. I enclose a circular for Madame as you wish. I do not, as you know, take sufficient interest in dress to be able to describe the new fashions. Dress is a bore. That is slang again, but never mind. Arthur says that every day. There, it is all out, Mina, we have told all our secrets to each other since we were children. We have slept together and eaten together, and laughed and cried together, and now, though I have spoken, I would like to speak more. Oh, Mina, couldn’t you guess? I love him. I am blushing as I write, for although I think he loves me, he has not told me so in words. But, oh, Mina, I love him. I love him! There, that does me good. I wish I were with you, dear, sitting by the fire undressing, as we used to sit, and I would try to tell you what I feel. That is not love at all – no, nor the least like it. Love is a holy thing. I do not know how I am writing this even to you. I am afraid to stop, or I should tear up the letter, and I don’t want to stop, for I do so want to tell you all. Let me hear from you at once, and tell me all that you think about it. I wish you knew the tall straight-haired [sic] man – he is so noble and brave and good and tender and true – How the girls would laugh in school if they saw this letter. I must stop. I feel so happy that I could go on writing for ever – telling you my secret is just like telling Arthur I love him – only of course it is not quite the same. Mina, if a time should come when, –after he told me that he loved me of course– I should be able to whisper to him “Arthur, I love you!” Mina, I must stop. Good-night. Bless me in your prayers; and, Mina, pray for my happiness. Lucy P.S. – I need not tell you this is a secret. Goodnight again. L.

Quick PSA, if you get one of those "Work scanned, AI use detected" comments on AO3, just mark them as spam.

Some moron apparently built a bot to annoy or prank hundreds of authors.

There is no scanning process, your work doesn't actually resemble AI writing, it's all bullshit. Mark the comment as spam (on AO3, not the email notification you got about the comment!) and don't let it get to you.

Owl friends

I’m obsessed with teenagers who turn 18 and post shit like this it’s the funniest thing in the world:

people have never wanted their posts to pop off on here that is... not a new development

if anything it used to be worse because your activity/notifications used to be directly on your dash. so you REALLY did not want a popular post. if you got one you didn't see your actual dash for days

tumblr is a pvp enabled zone, kids

can i get a hell yea if you’re still gonna be wasting your time on this website in 2014

After passing peer review here is my drama recommendation tool

Maybe I will update it in the future but for now I am happy to have watched enough good dramas to make it.

Your friendly Black History Month reminder that Black Jews are JEWS.

Born Jews, Jews by choice, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Ashkenazic, Sephardic, Mizrahi, Israeli, diaspora…they are an integral part of all of our communities and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.

We still have work to do as a community to uplift Jewish POC, particularly Black Jews, but to my Black Jewish friends out there know that I see you and I will keep trying to do the work.

Happy Black History Month. ❤️