Transcribe Ward, Henry A. Letter to Macoun, John (1879-12-31)

interest on $4,000. </u Now > - a year after the time (to which I had already been once postponed) when you had promised, and formally signed the promise, you say that would give me the plants, you say that you propose to send them to me, and say that you do not intend to send their equivalent in money. Yet today i have - as you know, - no use for these plants. I assure you that I would not today give over $5. for 1000 American plants, well- preserved, and well determined as I know that anything coming from you would be.

  I did not buy the plants for now, but

I bought them for a time,- now ^more than ^ a year gone by, which I indicated and es- pecially specified when I made the bargain.

  Now I ask you, Professor, -

soberly and candidly, - whether you can do less under the circumstances than to give me the money equivalent. I will not wrong your good sense by offering argument in so clear a case. But in you doubt, and so challenge , any of my facts given in this letter, I will try to prompt - ly convince you that they are quite correct. I have not for a moment doubted your word, - as your letter asserts.

  But I have been dissatisfied with your

apparent light sense of the </u sacredness > of a contract. Excuse me if I have express-