Bloody Jack fan mail
Apr. 1st, 2013 05:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amelia_petkovaTitle: Selections from the Professional Correspondence of Amy Trevelyne, 19th Century American Author
Fandom: Bloody Jack
Word Count: 2,100
Summary: AKA, Amy’s fan mail.
Disclaimer and Notes: I am sorry to say that I still do not own any of the characters from “Bloody Jack”. My thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bookelfe for beta-reading.
The Bloody Jack novels by Amy Trevelyne are an important contribution to early 19th century American literature. Within months of the first book’s publication, copies had appeared in the print shops of London and rapidly spread throughout the English-speaking world. At least eight subsequent novels were written. There is speculation that more were published but no copies have survived to the present day. Although the books fell into obscurity during the start of the 20th century, they are now experiencing a resurgence in popularity. The books’ initial fame and geographic reach on their own are impressive, but the conditions surrounding their creation are even more so: at the time she began writing, Trevelyne was a student attending the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston, Massachusetts. As an underage girl from a family of high social status in New England, it is remarkable that she should have thought to write and publish adventure novels under her own name at all, let alone ones that gained international fame.
In regards to Trevelyne’s claims that the novels depict real adventures as recounted to her by her friend Mary “Jacky” Faber, both Faber and her husband James Emerson Fletcher have been established as real people, as have a number of the minor characters. Faber did attend the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls with Trevelyne from 1803-1804, but it is unknown how many of the other events in the novels took place in reality. Literary critics have long assumed that Trevelyne embellished events to suit the popular literary trends of the earth 19th century, yet recent events have challenged these beliefs.
Trevelyne’s descendants had often claimed that there existed correspondence Trevelyne had received from readers of Bloody Jack and its sequels. Unfortunately, in the late 19th century a fire destroyed much of Dovecote, Trevelyne’s childhood home, and many family papers were lost. Literary critics had long agreed that none of the disputed letters survived. Recent events have proved that these letters do in fact exist. Renovations in the building where Trevelyne’s husband, Ezra Pickering, practiced law during their marriage revealed a number of letters addressed to Trevelyne. The following samples of Trevelyne’s “fan mail” are certain to be a delight for scholars of both 19th century American literature and Women’s Studies.
#
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
Rebecca Adams is my hero! It is perfectly thrilling to read of her adventures. Would you please ask her to send me an autograph?
Your servant,
Catherine Spencer
#
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
Recently I acquired a copy of In the Belly of the Bloodhound and was made happy beyond all measure. It was thrilling to read of the girls’ adventures, and how they thwarted the vile Sin-Kay and that horrible captain. I shudder to think of what could have happened had they not managed to escape! I imagine it must have made your flesh quiver when you learned the details of your classmates’ adventures.
My favorite part of the book how Jacky and Clarissa change from eternal enemies to comrades-in-arms. I never would have thought that they could work together but I am delighted by this turn of events. I particularly enjoy the scene when Jacky and Clarissa are pretending to embrace in order to keep their work from being discovered during the inspection. I was so moved by the story that I wrote for you an alternate version of how that scene could have happened; perhaps you can insert it into a future edition of the book.
“I breathed a great sigh of relief when the Captain and Sin-Kay left the hold. ‘Good heavens, that was close!’ Clarissa gasped as soon as the gate clanged shut. ‘Who knows what they would have done to us had they found the rat hole!’
“The other girls had begun to settle down on the stage now that the danger was past. I felt Clarissa’s slender form shiver above me as we lay in that dark, fearsome space. ‘Something horrible, I’m certain. But we don’t have to worry now, at least not for a little while.’
“Unsurprisingly, she moved from being nervous to irritated in the blink of an eye. ‘And just what were you thinking, laying your hands on me like that?’ she hissed, her breast heaving with indignation, and rolled away from me. ‘Have you no shame?’
“As if being lectured by Constance Howell on a near-daily basis wasn’t enough, now I had to listen to this? ‘Listen, Clarissa,’ I snarled as I lay there in the dark, ‘it was the only plan I could think of and it just saved all our necks. If you don’t like it, you can come up with a way to keep Sin-Kay fooled. All I care about is not dying. There’s no place for shame in a situation like this.’
“’That’s not the point!’ she sputtered, but quietly. I guess she didn’t want to attract any more attention, even from the other girls.
“’Then what is the point?’
“’For you to just…kiss me like that! How could you think to do such an outlandish thing?’
“Aha, now we were getting to the real problem. Clarissa had taken my little ‘dance’ for water each morning well enough—with plenty of snide remarks on her part—but it seemed she felt quite differently when it came to something that she had to take part in. It was because I pretended to be her ‘special friend’ even though we both knew it was a ruse. She had probably never kissed anybody, the ignorant thing, especially not another girl. Mistress Pimm keeps a close eye on her girls and even Randall Trevelyne wouldn’t have gotten past that eagle-eyed guard. Well, that’s the gentry for you. So picky about each and every little thing. Yet another reason for me to be grateful for my humble upbringing as a member of the Rooster Charlie Gang.
“’Of course, I’ve never known such a bad kisser as you,’ she said loftily.
“What a liar! I tried not to start laughing. ‘So you believe you could kiss better?’ I asked. It wasn’t hard to turn Clarissa in the direction I wanted. ‘I find that hard to believe.’
“She huffed and puffed. ‘I’ll show you,’ she said.
“’You’ll have to work hard to convince me.’ I pulled Clarissa’s face to mine and—“
Editor’s note: The rest of this letter was torn from the page. It has not been found among the rest of Trevelyne’s correspondence, nor is the writer’s identity known.
#
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
Would you be so good as to inform your readers when the next Bloody Jack book will be published? It has been three months since the appearance of The Mark of the Golden Dragon but I have not heard anything of another novel. If I may be so bold as to say so, you have an obligation to keep your readers informed. I am anxious to learn when Jacky and Jaimy will be married, if ever. Certain people among your readers have suggested that the causes keeping them apart book after book are due to a desire to play with us, and that they will never be wed. I would never hold with such vile speculation, of course, but it is said all the same. You could easily lay this gossip to rest if you were to write the next book, which would feature Jacky and Jaimy’s wedding.
Yours truly,
Janet Donovan
#
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
It is with great concern for your welfare that I write this letter. A member of my congregation recently made me aware of a book that he had found in his daughter’s possession: Under the Jolly Roger. He was alarmed by the few pages he had read and asked me to examine the work in regards to its suitability for the female reader. Wishing to put the poor man’s mind at ease, I did so.
Miss Trevelyne, I am greatly troubled by what I found. The scandalous story I read belongs in the lowest of newspapers, not a novel written by a young lady of good standing. It disturbs me greatly even to write of such shocking material, yet I must speak my mind. Miss Faber’s “adventures” lack both plausibility and morality. I find it difficult to believe that any female would dress in the scandalous attire of a jockey, let alone dream of attacking a ship and seizing its contents. I was able to comfort the father in question by saying that his daughter would surely stay on the Godly path if he kept the book away from her sight, but imagine my distress when I learned that there were more books!
How can you be so irresponsible as to write so many of these outrageous tales? Consider your reputation and that of your family. Surely your parents must be distressed by your actions. I am sure that any future husband would be discouraged from marrying a lady who puts her own name to these attempts at literature. You also have the responsibility to set a good example for other women. Such tales as these will only encourage young ladies to lead disreputable lives. In particular, I am disappointed by the actions of Reverend Mather in The Curse of the Blue Tattoo. Although I never had the privilege of making the man’s acquaintance, I am certain that a fellow man of God would never engage in the unspeakable behavior that you wrote in his portrayal. If you must pen another of these novels, I strongly suggest that you consider writing the rehabilitation of Miss Faber. You are welcome to return my correspondence if you feel the desire for moral guidance. I shall pray for you.
Sincerely,
Reverend Simms
#
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
I first became aware of your novels several years ago, shortly before Miss Jacky Faber accepted her first assignment with British Intelligence in France. Your books have been helpful in understanding Miss Faber as a person on a number of occasions, although I suspect she is frustrated by our office knowing so much about her. Despite my initial reservations, I must confess that your work does provide some entertainment.
I now come to the heart of this letter: I respectfully request that you exercise discretion in your disclosure of British Intelligence activities. As you know, England is currently at war and the continued revelation of our previous missions to the rest of the world has the potential to compromise the security of both our country and our agents. If you feel yourself unable to do, you may consider informing Miss Faber that she should not tell you all the details of your assignments.
In closing, I can say that although Miss Faber often complains about our seemingly cavalier treatment of her (an opinion which I suspect you share), the general feeling in our office is hope that she will continue to live for many years and provide you with more material. If you should ever wish to travel or expand your writing material, I am sure that our agency would be more than willing to offer you a position.
Yours,
Mr. Peel
#
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
My sisters and I love reading your novels. They’re so exciting! We have so much fun acting out scenes from them, although there is always a fight over who gets to be Jacky. My youngest sister even wants to run away to sea when she is older, although our father sends her to bed without supper whenever she says this.
Mr. Fletcher sounds absolutely wonderful. He’s so handsome, especially with that white streak in his hair that you have described. Is he truly a real person? Would you please send him this miniature of me?
Your devoted reader,
Sophia Moore
#
The revelation of Amy Trevelyne’s professional correspondence is one of the current highlights for the fields of 19th Century American Literature, Women’s Studies, and American Studies. In addition to revealing information about the Bloody Jack series, the letters provide valuable insight into the thoughts and lives of Trevelyne’s readers. At this time, it is believed that all related correspondence has come to light. A collection of the letters is currently being edited and should be available next year under the title Bloody Jack Resurrected.
Fandom: Bloody Jack
Word Count: 2,100
Summary: AKA, Amy’s fan mail.
Disclaimer and Notes: I am sorry to say that I still do not own any of the characters from “Bloody Jack”. My thanks to
bookelfe for beta-reading. The Bloody Jack novels by Amy Trevelyne are an important contribution to early 19th century American literature. Within months of the first book’s publication, copies had appeared in the print shops of London and rapidly spread throughout the English-speaking world. At least eight subsequent novels were written. There is speculation that more were published but no copies have survived to the present day. Although the books fell into obscurity during the start of the 20th century, they are now experiencing a resurgence in popularity. The books’ initial fame and geographic reach on their own are impressive, but the conditions surrounding their creation are even more so: at the time she began writing, Trevelyne was a student attending the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston, Massachusetts. As an underage girl from a family of high social status in New England, it is remarkable that she should have thought to write and publish adventure novels under her own name at all, let alone ones that gained international fame.
In regards to Trevelyne’s claims that the novels depict real adventures as recounted to her by her friend Mary “Jacky” Faber, both Faber and her husband James Emerson Fletcher have been established as real people, as have a number of the minor characters. Faber did attend the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls with Trevelyne from 1803-1804, but it is unknown how many of the other events in the novels took place in reality. Literary critics have long assumed that Trevelyne embellished events to suit the popular literary trends of the earth 19th century, yet recent events have challenged these beliefs.
Trevelyne’s descendants had often claimed that there existed correspondence Trevelyne had received from readers of Bloody Jack and its sequels. Unfortunately, in the late 19th century a fire destroyed much of Dovecote, Trevelyne’s childhood home, and many family papers were lost. Literary critics had long agreed that none of the disputed letters survived. Recent events have proved that these letters do in fact exist. Renovations in the building where Trevelyne’s husband, Ezra Pickering, practiced law during their marriage revealed a number of letters addressed to Trevelyne. The following samples of Trevelyne’s “fan mail” are certain to be a delight for scholars of both 19th century American literature and Women’s Studies.
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
Rebecca Adams is my hero! It is perfectly thrilling to read of her adventures. Would you please ask her to send me an autograph?
Your servant,
Catherine Spencer
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
Recently I acquired a copy of In the Belly of the Bloodhound and was made happy beyond all measure. It was thrilling to read of the girls’ adventures, and how they thwarted the vile Sin-Kay and that horrible captain. I shudder to think of what could have happened had they not managed to escape! I imagine it must have made your flesh quiver when you learned the details of your classmates’ adventures.
My favorite part of the book how Jacky and Clarissa change from eternal enemies to comrades-in-arms. I never would have thought that they could work together but I am delighted by this turn of events. I particularly enjoy the scene when Jacky and Clarissa are pretending to embrace in order to keep their work from being discovered during the inspection. I was so moved by the story that I wrote for you an alternate version of how that scene could have happened; perhaps you can insert it into a future edition of the book.
“I breathed a great sigh of relief when the Captain and Sin-Kay left the hold. ‘Good heavens, that was close!’ Clarissa gasped as soon as the gate clanged shut. ‘Who knows what they would have done to us had they found the rat hole!’
“The other girls had begun to settle down on the stage now that the danger was past. I felt Clarissa’s slender form shiver above me as we lay in that dark, fearsome space. ‘Something horrible, I’m certain. But we don’t have to worry now, at least not for a little while.’
“Unsurprisingly, she moved from being nervous to irritated in the blink of an eye. ‘And just what were you thinking, laying your hands on me like that?’ she hissed, her breast heaving with indignation, and rolled away from me. ‘Have you no shame?’
“As if being lectured by Constance Howell on a near-daily basis wasn’t enough, now I had to listen to this? ‘Listen, Clarissa,’ I snarled as I lay there in the dark, ‘it was the only plan I could think of and it just saved all our necks. If you don’t like it, you can come up with a way to keep Sin-Kay fooled. All I care about is not dying. There’s no place for shame in a situation like this.’
“’That’s not the point!’ she sputtered, but quietly. I guess she didn’t want to attract any more attention, even from the other girls.
“’Then what is the point?’
“’For you to just…kiss me like that! How could you think to do such an outlandish thing?’
“Aha, now we were getting to the real problem. Clarissa had taken my little ‘dance’ for water each morning well enough—with plenty of snide remarks on her part—but it seemed she felt quite differently when it came to something that she had to take part in. It was because I pretended to be her ‘special friend’ even though we both knew it was a ruse. She had probably never kissed anybody, the ignorant thing, especially not another girl. Mistress Pimm keeps a close eye on her girls and even Randall Trevelyne wouldn’t have gotten past that eagle-eyed guard. Well, that’s the gentry for you. So picky about each and every little thing. Yet another reason for me to be grateful for my humble upbringing as a member of the Rooster Charlie Gang.
“’Of course, I’ve never known such a bad kisser as you,’ she said loftily.
“What a liar! I tried not to start laughing. ‘So you believe you could kiss better?’ I asked. It wasn’t hard to turn Clarissa in the direction I wanted. ‘I find that hard to believe.’
“She huffed and puffed. ‘I’ll show you,’ she said.
“’You’ll have to work hard to convince me.’ I pulled Clarissa’s face to mine and—“
Editor’s note: The rest of this letter was torn from the page. It has not been found among the rest of Trevelyne’s correspondence, nor is the writer’s identity known.
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
Would you be so good as to inform your readers when the next Bloody Jack book will be published? It has been three months since the appearance of The Mark of the Golden Dragon but I have not heard anything of another novel. If I may be so bold as to say so, you have an obligation to keep your readers informed. I am anxious to learn when Jacky and Jaimy will be married, if ever. Certain people among your readers have suggested that the causes keeping them apart book after book are due to a desire to play with us, and that they will never be wed. I would never hold with such vile speculation, of course, but it is said all the same. You could easily lay this gossip to rest if you were to write the next book, which would feature Jacky and Jaimy’s wedding.
Yours truly,
Janet Donovan
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
It is with great concern for your welfare that I write this letter. A member of my congregation recently made me aware of a book that he had found in his daughter’s possession: Under the Jolly Roger. He was alarmed by the few pages he had read and asked me to examine the work in regards to its suitability for the female reader. Wishing to put the poor man’s mind at ease, I did so.
Miss Trevelyne, I am greatly troubled by what I found. The scandalous story I read belongs in the lowest of newspapers, not a novel written by a young lady of good standing. It disturbs me greatly even to write of such shocking material, yet I must speak my mind. Miss Faber’s “adventures” lack both plausibility and morality. I find it difficult to believe that any female would dress in the scandalous attire of a jockey, let alone dream of attacking a ship and seizing its contents. I was able to comfort the father in question by saying that his daughter would surely stay on the Godly path if he kept the book away from her sight, but imagine my distress when I learned that there were more books!
How can you be so irresponsible as to write so many of these outrageous tales? Consider your reputation and that of your family. Surely your parents must be distressed by your actions. I am sure that any future husband would be discouraged from marrying a lady who puts her own name to these attempts at literature. You also have the responsibility to set a good example for other women. Such tales as these will only encourage young ladies to lead disreputable lives. In particular, I am disappointed by the actions of Reverend Mather in The Curse of the Blue Tattoo. Although I never had the privilege of making the man’s acquaintance, I am certain that a fellow man of God would never engage in the unspeakable behavior that you wrote in his portrayal. If you must pen another of these novels, I strongly suggest that you consider writing the rehabilitation of Miss Faber. You are welcome to return my correspondence if you feel the desire for moral guidance. I shall pray for you.
Sincerely,
Reverend Simms
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
I first became aware of your novels several years ago, shortly before Miss Jacky Faber accepted her first assignment with British Intelligence in France. Your books have been helpful in understanding Miss Faber as a person on a number of occasions, although I suspect she is frustrated by our office knowing so much about her. Despite my initial reservations, I must confess that your work does provide some entertainment.
I now come to the heart of this letter: I respectfully request that you exercise discretion in your disclosure of British Intelligence activities. As you know, England is currently at war and the continued revelation of our previous missions to the rest of the world has the potential to compromise the security of both our country and our agents. If you feel yourself unable to do, you may consider informing Miss Faber that she should not tell you all the details of your assignments.
In closing, I can say that although Miss Faber often complains about our seemingly cavalier treatment of her (an opinion which I suspect you share), the general feeling in our office is hope that she will continue to live for many years and provide you with more material. If you should ever wish to travel or expand your writing material, I am sure that our agency would be more than willing to offer you a position.
Yours,
Mr. Peel
Dear Miss Trevelyne,
My sisters and I love reading your novels. They’re so exciting! We have so much fun acting out scenes from them, although there is always a fight over who gets to be Jacky. My youngest sister even wants to run away to sea when she is older, although our father sends her to bed without supper whenever she says this.
Mr. Fletcher sounds absolutely wonderful. He’s so handsome, especially with that white streak in his hair that you have described. Is he truly a real person? Would you please send him this miniature of me?
Your devoted reader,
Sophia Moore
The revelation of Amy Trevelyne’s professional correspondence is one of the current highlights for the fields of 19th Century American Literature, Women’s Studies, and American Studies. In addition to revealing information about the Bloody Jack series, the letters provide valuable insight into the thoughts and lives of Trevelyne’s readers. At this time, it is believed that all related correspondence has come to light. A collection of the letters is currently being edited and should be available next year under the title Bloody Jack Resurrected.
