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Originally Posted by Findegil
Chapter XIX does not help to answer Child's question, I think.
Child is clearly right that all versions of "The Quest of Erebor" were written in 1955 when Tolkien prepaired the Appendices for the "The Return of the King". Thus the idea of providence guiding Gandalf to chose Bilbo is clearly an after thought.
Also chapter XIX of the Hobbit was written long after chapter I. As fare as we know "The Hobbit" was not written in one contious efford. The story was left for a longtime unfinished ending with the death of Smaug. Thus even Gandalf talking to Bilbo about his rôle in the quest and hinting at providence as a important force is as well an after thought of Tolkien refelcting on story written years before.
Respectfully
Findegil
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True, but I think that it at least dates the genesis of the idea prior to publishing the LotR, making it present during the process of writing The Hobbit rather than an afterthought when The Hobbit became part of the larger Legendarium. Unless, of course, the conversation dates from the same time as the revisions to the riddle game... 
Anyone have an annotated copy?
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People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect. But actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff.
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