1876.04.21 English

THE ROYAL INSTITUTE

 

FOR THE DEAF-MUTE

 

 

 

 

                                                                                              APRIL 21, 1876

 

 

 

                                   MY DEAR  B R O T H E R !

 

 

 

ATTACHED I ENCLOSE DENSMORE’S REPLY CONSISTING OF ONLY ONE SINGLE LETTER, AND THAT IS AFTER ME HAVING SENT EIGHT LETTERS TO HIM, ALL OF WHICH HE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED BEFORE THE 7TH OF APRIL. HOW COME? WHO MIGHT HAVE OBTAINED THE LETTERS BY SOME TRICK? OR COULD HE HAVE RECEIVED THEM BUT IS PRETENDING? WELL, HE HAS NOT EVEN UNDERSTOOD, AND HENCE NOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF MY OFFER TO RECEIVE MY MACHINE FROM CHICAGO. LUCKILY I HAVE REGISTERED SEVERAL OF THE MISSING LETTERS, SO THEIR POINT OF DISAPPEARANCE WILL PRESUMABLY BE DETECTED. PRAY DEAR BROTHER, WOULD YOU PLEASE TRANSLATE THE ATTACHED, EXCEPT THAT YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY EXCLUDE MORE OR LESS THE FIRST PAGE WHICH IS FILLED WITH IRRELEVANT NONSENSE ABOUT HIS INCOMPETENCE IN THE GERMAN LANGUAGE. ANOTHER LUCKY CIRCUMSTANCE FOR ME IS THAT I HAVE WRITTEN TO AN ENGINEER ADLER IN NEW YORK, THE SON OF MERCHANT ADLER HERE, AND HAVE GOOD HOPE THAT HE WILL INVOLVE HIMSELF IN THE MATTER.

 

 

MY WRITING BALL WILL NOT BE SENT TO PHILADELPHIA; SINCE I MYSELF CANNOT PARTICIPATE, I DO NOT WISH TO GET INVOLVED IN A BATTLE IN WHICH – WHEN I AM NOT PRESENT – THE MOST POORLY AND DESTRUCTIVE ASSESSMENT OF MY MACHINE[1] MAY BE MADE; THUS, I WOULD RATHER PREFER TO PUT ALL EFFORTS INTO THE COMING PARIS EXHIBITION.

 

 

 

                        WARMEST REGARDS FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU

 

 

                        YOURS DEEPLY DEVOTED BROTHER

 

 

 

 

                        R.   Malling  Hansen

 

 

[1] Sverre: If RMH had been able to glimpse into the future, he had probably travelled to the USA in order to convince Densmore to put the writing ball into production. It seems he cannot, after all, read English since he is asking the brother to translate the letter from Densmore.