We reached America 6 or 8 weeks ago, & came home to Hartford last week. I had the music box o unpacked at once, & suffered a grievous disappointment.

Don’t you remember? The box I ordered was to be like the one that you played on in the back room—the room through which you pass to go to the workshop where the music-master was writing some sheet-music. You played on only one box in that room, (there were boxes of various prices, but it was the only 2000f box in the house,) & the next day you played it again, for Mrs. Clemens & the young lady. That box had no drum in it; it had no bells or gongs; it produced no tinkling music-box sounds. It produced no sounds whatever but richly blended continuous chords, like a number of violins playing softly together, with the vox humana threading its way through them.

As I have said, there were no tinklings, no bells, no drums. But the instrument you have sent me has, alas! I have talked so much about my wonderful i box that was coming, that descriptions of it have wandered about among the newspapers from here to California—but alas! If Well, the descriptions were all right enough, & I could have shown the people a box that would have justify ied all those praises, if no mistake had been made in constructing it.

Whi

What shall we do? Will you build me the right b instrument, with nothing in it but violins & vox humana? canceled with an “X”: And will must I pay the freight & duties again, the error not being mine but yours?—or will you pay them?

And what shall I do with this present box?—ship it back to you?

It was splendidly packed, but no matter, the ships and railways managed to break the strong bolt that fastened the row of bells at the right hand end short off, & also two of the teeth of the short bass comb at the left-hand end. I was afraid to touch it, but sent for a Swiss who used to work on musical boxes at home, & he said the injuries could be easily repaired. He removed the corks & cards & put the box through its paces, & it discoursed music excellent music, but it wasn’t the kind I wanted—I wanted violins & vox humana exclusively—as originally agreed upon. I have put the box in a vacant bedroom & locked it in—nobody can get at it to handle it.

canceled with an “X”: If this box goes back to you, I suppose there would be no duties on the one which came in its place. Our Consul of Geneva, Mr. L. T. Adams, will know about that.

Hoping for an early reply, I am