For your kind, helpful and complimentary words of recent date, accept my deepest thanks.

YoursEditorial Note: See L05194. by Mrs Sargent just rec'dExpanded:received. I am sure I desire to help you in every way I can, but what to do in this copyright matterEditorial Note: Copyrighting a French translation of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy I don't know. I have endeavored to find out something about the law of copyright, and to that end procured a work devoted to that subject. The more I have read it (and I had to steal time from my other work to do that) the more I am satisfied that the law of copyright is a confused mass – a Jumble. I am not surprised that even one who, like Mr Roberts, makes a specialty of this law, should advise erroneously.

The preface to the work I have begins thus: "Meaningless, inconsistent, and inadequate st [?] Unclear or illegible atutory provisions, ambiguous, erroneous, and conflicting decisions cover the law of copyright with doubt, difficulties, and confusion.... This condition of the law is doubtless due in a measure to the facts that the nature of literary property is somewhat peculiar, that the law relating to it may be regarded as yet in its infancy, and that it is comparatively seldom that courts are called upon to determine its meaning. But much of the error and confusion which exist can be accounted for only on the theory that the statutes have often been drawn by incompetent persons, and often interpreted by those who, however learned in other branches, have but a limited knowledge of the law of copyright. I can fully endorse this. I do not understand from your letter whether you intend to publish the translation here or in France. I suppose in either case it must be copyrighted there. But of this I am not sure.

Please let me know where it is to be published, and I will see if I can get enough understanding of what is to be done to do it, or aid in doing it.

I was in hopes that during adjournment of Church and other meetings I could get a little respite. What with the interminable procession, the mixed, pushing, inquisitive, and in some instances impertinent thought, poured in uponme, the increasing attendance at church – two services – and intense, but mixed thought I have weekly to meet there, the Friday evening meetings, the rapidly increasing work on the Journal, the work on the Bible lessons, etc. and the intense mental pressure I am constantly under, I feel overtaxed and almost overborne.

Unless there is some let up soon I don't know where I shall land. With the unfortunate mental conditions pervading at headquarters,– which are so thrust upon me that I cannot keep out of their way,– added to all else, I am some timesCorrected:sometimes driven almost to desperation. It seems the devil envied me the four days of Joy I thought I was having, and has been doubly prodding me ever since.

I am having, and for a long time have had, a constant battle with "head, heart and back," suffering day and night; old claims which came upon me in war times are reasserting themselves, and it seems to me I ought to have an opportunity to get with God and the booksEditorial Note: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, away from this awful mental turmoil, where I will have at least a fair fighting chance. I had hoped to do this during church vacation. We have a good deal of matter set up for the Sept Journal, and Camilla thinks she can manage it if I am away. I had hoped to get my mind sufficiently clear to make some suggestions with reference to the work here during the coming year (or rather my connection with it) which seem to me absolutely necessary.

Now concerning the French translation, you will remember I expressed alarm about it when Mrs R– spoke to me of it here. I still feel it would be a dangerous thing to do, but if God demands it must be done. Mrs R– was very enthusiastic and very persistent about it then as I suppose she still is, and since you came to me as your lawyer, will you allow me to advise the most careful consideration of this matter before opening a door that may make you vastly more trouble in preventing piracy than you have ever yet experienced.

You know how unscrupulous the French are, and you can forsee Corrected: foresee something of the difficulties of dealing with it in the French courts. [?] Unclear or illegible Your works are so rapidly reaching around the world, and the English tongue is so manifestly destined to become the universal tongue, that I really cannot see the importance of the translation.

You are getting so many children on your hands as it is, that I hardly see what you can do with them, and how will it be if an army of French babies is added?

Please pardon all this, and its length.