India-paper books received all right.

The McMillan matter belongs to you & Dawson to decide—it is a matter of pure business. I don’t care how many of the Canadian edition are sold in the British Possessions—simply don’t want them to get over the line. Mr. Dawson has put on a high price so that they can’t be sent to the U.S., no doubt.

My position is simple: just so we are secured against an o shipments of the Canadian books to the US., I do not care what arrangement is made with McMillan & others.

Yes, I remember discussing the discount to General Agents. It’s only just now, in view of current events, that I am impressed with the idea that all that we give them, over 50% is thrown away; for the canvasser is the lad that does the work, & he ain’t going to get any more or less than his regular 40% in any case.

No, we can’t keep the books out of the stores—& moreover, we don’t want to; we only want to let on like everything that we do want to——otherwise the canvassers would sail into us.

⟦Look here! Why shouldn’t ne we have straw we be our own general agents in N.Y. Phila & Boston, another time? We could work the bookstores & divide the swag.⟧

Read what I have

Read the enclosed letter from a stranger & foreigner & return it to me. Dean Sage sent it to me. Get “John Inglesant,” (Shorthouse’s book,) for me, if you can. The Scot has excited my curiosity; I want to see it.

House & Koto are here—arrived yesterday.

enclosure:

no. 9 castle street edinburgh

Dec 17th 18 81

Dear Mrs Sage

I do not wish your pleasant letter (which reached me in September last) to remain unanswered until 1882 has commenced a new year. I acknowledged its receipt however in a letter to Mr Sage in October & hope he received it but it has been so tempestuous during November & the previous month that I should not be surprised had some mails miscarried The temperature here until 10 days ago has been at summers heat (I must premise our Scotch summer of ’81) Thanks for calling my attention to Mr H. James Portrait of a Lady. I shall make it my next book to read, but I must tell you that the pleasantest Christmas book this season comes from your side. This Mark Twains ‘Prince & Pauper’ it is in my opinion so very charming that a better story could not be read by old or young, and one too that will set them thinking of those dreadful times of the 16th and 17th centuries—I had forgotten that such laws were in existence in England & was a ‘leetle’ sceptical that they had been scanned through American spectacles but half an hour’s study of Lingard and Hume dispelled the doubt—

IfⒶemendation you should see him thank him for a bright pure bookⒶemendation

I have been reading a somewhat remarkable book* inserted at the bottom of the page: *‘John Inglesant’ by Shorthouse & have only as yet got through the first volume—but it is so striking I should like you to get an early reading & therefore send you a copy of a new edition published today by mail as I do not see it among the announcements in the American papers. If ‘Mark Twain’ has thrown himself back into the 16th ‘The Shorthouse’ has tried to do so into the 17th but the latter is more a study of a mind under training by the Jesuits than a description of the social life—It is not a pleasant book, but there are some fine sketches in the first volume (the pietists such as the Ferrars &c). You shall however judge of it yourself. Here it has made quite a sensation & copies until today could not be had for money or even love as either author or Publisher delayed issuing a second edition for some inscrutable reason

I am afraid this note will not reach you in time for a Christmas greeting which we all send you from Drummond Place but if not you will kindly accept our New-Year’s wishes—for your & Mr Sage’s happiness & that of your family

I am my dear Madam

Yours Truly

David Douglas