Yours of recent dateEditorial Note: See letter of Eldridge J. Smith to Mary Baker Eddy, dated November 16, 1881 (382.50.015). received — accept my thanks for your great favor, the offer of aid from your Lawyer's council.

Mr James C. Howard was a charity scholar As Written: schollar whom I was maintaining with his family until he could get business. He offered to assist me gratuitously in the distribution of my books etc I learned accidentally he was running As Written: runing up a bill against me, and immediately asked him if it was so? and requested him to let me see it. He said it was true, but refused to let me see his bill or to pass receipts. He had then been six months in my house and I had given him over a hundred dollarsEditorial Note: $100.00 in 1881 is the equivalent of $2522.96 in 2016. to assist him to pay his grocer bills etc. but I did it more for his dear little ones who were helpless, three children, under five years of age.

On his refusing to settle with my husband, he told him he had no more chores for him to do gratuitously, as he claimed beforehand, or otherwise, and Howard left our house in about one week. Immediately on his disappearing we looked for the deed he gave my husband which was locked up in the desk and found that had disappeared also. It was no where to be found in the house.

This deed was on account of a business arrangement as follows

I assigned to him my copyrightAs Written:copy right to sue Mr. Arnes for infringement (such as referred As Written: refered to in the commencement of my revised edition of Science and HealthEditorial Note: This is the third edition of Science and Health, which was published on August 17, 1881.) he delayed to do it, and finally discouraged me from having it done But he had deeded the copyright back to my husband for security. This deed must have been taken out of our desk. Since I wrote you, the Judge has advised my husband to a measure that has succeeded, namely to request Howard to sign another similar document to the first, he dared not refuse this of course, but still he has the assignment back to my husband of that I made to him of my copyright no doubt.

Mrs. Reeves inquired at the Congressional library to learn if a copy of Science & HealthEditorial Note: This is the third edition of Science and Health, which was published on August 17, 1881. had been received to finish my claim, and was answered, after search had been made, that it had not. but afterwards she was told it had and shown the booksEditorial Note: See 139.23.001. I saw something irregular in that for Howard’s As Written: Howards book had the record of those Vols. being forwarded to the Librarian of Congress Aug. 15th Then I requested Mrs. Reeves to obtain a certificate for me of Copyright as it was found I never had received one but had before on my former editions received a certificate. She was told the law did not require it but I find in the law regarding copy copyright As Written: right a fee named for a certificate So I enclosed this fee in a letter addressed to the Librarian by myself which you will please present and then see if he refuses it. If this is the best way, Also please have this assignment of his H.'SEditorial Note: Howard’s back to my husband put on record to show the business as it now is.