Box 2

"Greeting for Christmas time, and for wishing you special happy enjoyment of the holidays in the new homeplace..."

"It is nearly a month, now, since you wrote to me on the grim development of the dissapearance of my manuscripts in their movement from yourself to the Berg Collection. As I wrote to you, on receiving word of the fact, the news quite stunned me. It boded serious disruption of my expectatons and plans - uncertainty in matters of serious need;..."

"Of course, the good news you had for me makes a big difference in my feelings, and in my monetary circumstances. I had already broken into certificae savings to cover the special obligations incurred during the past year."

"Believe me, Dr. Szladits' telephone call reporting the delivery of the manuscripts was a tremendous relief. Apparently what happened was that the envelope with the label on the outside and the invoice inside (this was well taped on the outside of the package) was torn off by the machinery..."

"I reflected, during the time when it seemed we might be faced with absolute loss of the manuscripts, on the general question of security of coverage of such losses. I deduced from what you wrote on the tracing, etc.. problems that the coverage you had was limited to postal insurance - that you had no liability insurance."

"I have been thinking on the arrangement made between Mrs. Szladits and yourself for the purchase of those manuscripts. As you have understood, the monies I had been, and still am, counting on, from the payment for these, have been, and are, assigned for my dealing with accumulated financial requirements, only part of which I have been able to meet during the time of delayed expectation of returns from the manuscripts."

"Mrs. Laura Riding Jackson mentioned to me that you might be interested in purchasing some of her manuscripts and, as I have been handling the sales of these for Mrs. Jackson, she has asked me to write to you."

"Thank you for your offer of The First Leaf and The Second Leaf. I wonder if you could hold these titles for this library until May."

"I am sending you a cutting from the New York Times that Mr. Mathias has sent me, it being of interest to him in connection with the concern he felt over the disappearance of our manuscript collection on its way to delivery..."

Includes clipping of New York Times article titled "Your Money: Liability Shield for Professions" by Thomas C. Hayes in the 1980-02-02 issue.

"I'll be happy to hold the [two] 'Leaves' for you until May. I'd also be happy to send them on now and postdate my invoice to fit your convenience."