Feb 28 1894.
Crockett receives his first author copy of The Raiders which is due to be published in March. This follows a period of several months of proofing back and forth with his publisher, detailed in a series of letters. There was quite a lot of press interest in the publication throughout February. In a letter to his publisher, T.Fisher Unwin, Crockett requests for author copies to be sent to various contacts. It’s an interesting list.

Feb 28th
Dear Unwin,
As I said in my telegram, I heartily congratulate you one the format of the book. I do not see a single possible improvement except omission of the list of publications at the end, which being printed for a larger publication is cut into the margin and looks out of keeping with the book. Otherwise the printing, paper, binding of the book, are all that I could wish. You have most certainly done your part admirably, and I am grateful for your great care.
The book opens nicely, which is to my mind the be-all of good binding and it is very agreeable to handle. I asked you to send me another copy for Dr Whyte, who is not a critic but my very dear friend of many years. You would probably send it yesterday… if not you might do so at once. I am going to Edinburgh to see him on Friday and I should like to take him a copy as Dedicatee.
It is very generous of you to suggest that I should send a list of reviews, critics etc. You are so judicious with your own sending that if you send somewhat liberally to the Scottish Local papers, of which Wylie has a better knowledge than I (and of which you can get a list from W) that would be for Scotland. I do not know many critics which makes the Stickit criticisms the more remarkable.
But you might send copies, with, I think, advantage to:

1. Robert Louis Stevenson, Esq Vailima, Samoa
2. Andrew Lang Esq – Directory or at Saville Club and Care of Longmans
3. Richard de Gallienne Esq – Directory or Authors club
4. James M. Barrie Esq Kirriemuir N.B
5. Robert Mcclure Esq, 33 Bedford Street Covent Garden
6. Barry Pain Esq, v Directory or Authors Club
7. And early copy to the Daily chronicle would do good. They gave me a great lift last time.
8. D.R. Somerville Esq Christian Leader Office, Glasgow
9. Editor at Dumfries Standard, Dumfries N.B.
10. Editor at Dumfries Herald, Dumfries N.B.
11. J.H.Maxwell Esq, Kirkcudbrighshire ‘advertiser’ Castle Douglas N.B.
12. Rev W. I Dawson, Ed Young Man
13. T.A Atkins Esq, Ed young Woman 2 amen Corner E.C
14. Frank George esq 8 Randall Road, Clifton, Bristol
15. Robert Wildgoods esq, The Gables, Matlock, Derby

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Crockett 's first correspondence with T.Fisher Unwin, who was to publish the first five of his works, dates from December 31st 1892. It is a short note in regard to the MS that will become The Stickit Minister and reads: 

Dear Mr Unwin,
 
I hope to send you the MS in about a week or ten days complete
 
I shall try a few more titles ‘The Ministers of our Countryside’ did good serial service and is widely known but I think we might do better. Thanks for good wishes.

There followed another 9 letters in January and February, with the two men first meeting in person on January 26th 1893.  The back and forth is mostly about plans for publication of 'The Stickit Minister', but they are also discussing other possible projects. 

On February 28th Crockett introduces the possibility of a serial story he has already had published in magazine form 'The Galloway Herd'.  Unwin never took up this option, and a couple of years later it was pirated and published in America - without Crockett's knowledge and against his wishes. 

The following letter reveals Crockett working hard to gain acceptance as a novelist, beyond the stories that would be 'The Stickit Minister'. In the event, The Raiders would be his first published novel (by TFU) - a work which had not been previously serialised. 

Feb 28th 1893
 
My Dear Mr Unwin,
 
Your delightful note came in just now and set me to thinking. You are open for a Pseudonym. Well, I think I could advantageously cut ‘The Galloway Herd’ to the size of ‘A New England Cactus’ (1)or a little more. I see my way to straighten out the plot, leave out the Introductory Chapters (which make a story by themselves) leave out the French part and generally make more idyllic and less melodramatic. (2)
I send ‘The Herd’ with an indication of what chapters could be left out. Wylie will tell you that it lifted the circulation of the Leader some thousands in a few weeks and that more than a thousand dropped the week it stopped. I need not tell you Dr Nicoll’s opinion of it. You are quite as able to judge as he. I could improve greatly as I went along, and if you say the word I would leave other work and deliver MS currently week by week. I would need to go over each chapter. If you think the idea would do, I am game to go ahead. I would start with chapter IV which is a London Chapter.(3)
I have the main article in the Bookman this month ‘The Apprenticeship of Robert Louis Stevenson’ (4) It may interest you to see it.
When you return the Herd (in any case whether you want it now or not) you might send the spare sketches.(5) Take a look at the ‘Sweetheart Travellers’ sketches. They will make a book some day, with some illustrations. (6) I am going to send Mrs Fisher Unwin a portrait of my sweetheart aged 4 ½ . We have great journeys together – and are planning more this summer.(7) Alas, there is almost a snow block outside, and our mails etc have to go by horse (mailbags across saddle) as in the Olden time when things were so jolly –uncomfortable. 8
With kind regards Ever truly yours SRC
 
(Footnotes) 
1 A New England Cactus and other stories by Frank Pope Humphreys, published 1892 by TFU.
2 Crockett still trying to turn A Galloway Herd into a suitable novel. The conflict between ‘realism’ and ‘melodrama’ is obviously being played out.
3  SRC tenaciously showing that others have faith in the basic story.
4  SRC wrote several articles about contemporaries for Bookman – as they did for him.
5 Giving TFU the choice – accept or reject
6 Sweetheart Travellers was indeed published as a book (by Wells, Gardner, Darton and Co) in 1896.
7 These are journeys in the Glenkens, undertaken during Crockett’s holiday there in July/August 1893.
8 Interesting personal detail regarding the post (which from the amount of letters that went back and forth and the speed with which they were answered shows that the late 19th century could teach the early 21st century a thing or two – but that weather always plays an impact on post.) The joke about the ‘Olden days’ is vintage SRC and once again shows he never takes himself too seriously.
 
 

From the archive, a short story set in February... 

THE SMUGGLERS OF THE CLONE BY  S. R. CROCKETT
From Tales of Our Coast, 1896. 
 
‘Rise, Robin, rise ! The partans are on the Sands!’
 
The crying at our little window raised me out of a sound sleep, for I had been out seeing the Myreside lasses late the night before,  and was far from being wake-rife at two by the clock on a February morning.

It was the first time the summons had come to me, for I was then but young.  Hitherto it was my brother John who had answered the raising word of the free- traders spoken at the window. But now John had a farm-steading of his own, thanks to Sir William Maxwell and to my father's siller that had paid for the stock.
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So with all speed I did my clothes upon me, with much eagerness and a beating heart,as who would not, when, for the first time, he has the privilege of man?  
As I went out to the barn I could hear my mother (with whom I was ever a favourite) praying for me.
'Save the laddie — save the laddie!' she said over and over.
 
And I think my father prayed too; but, as I went, he also cried to me counsels.
 
'Be sure you keep up the grappling chains— dinna let them clatter till ye hae the stuff weel up the hill. The Lord keep ye! Be a guid lad an' ride honestly. Gin ye see Sir William, keep your head doon, an' gae by withoot lookin'. He 's a magistrate, ye ken. But he’ll no' see you, gin ye dinna see him. Leave twa ankers a-piece o' brandy an' rum at our ain dyke back. An' abune a', the Lord be wi' ye, an' bring ye safe back to your sorrowing parents!'

So, with pride, I did the harness graith upon the sonsy back of Brown Bess, — the pad before where I was to sit, — the lingtow and the hooked chains behind. I had a cutlass, a jockteleg (or smuggler's sheaf - knife), and a pair of brass-mounted pistols ready swung in my leathern belt. Faith, but I wish Bell of the Mains could have seen me then, ready to ride forth with the light- horsemen. She would never scorn me more for a lingle-backed callant, I'se warrant.
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‘Haste ye, Robin! Heard ye no' that the partans are on the sands '
 
It was Geordie of the Clone who cried to me. He meant the free-traders from the Isle, rolling the barrels ashore.

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