Letters of Rev. John W. Alvord

shown their committee by Mr. Packard. Also their Depositary C. Godfrey wants you to send samples of all your childrens books — ie S.S books to him — thinks he can do something with them. Will try to interest their committee in making business connections with us. Let choice samples come. Now is the time to hook on to these publication societies. They want new works to make a noise with, but have not means to get up things of their own. Please them if you can. They all evidently see that we are in the drift of the times — & competent to produce what they must have. Their active men in the depositories see this more quickly than their committees. They also sympathize with us more intimately — & assure me that they can sell from their counties what some in their committees, would not allow to be published & so desire to take the above steps in getting samples &c that ^hoping it^ may lead to ^permanent^ business connections.

Mrs. Hamilton you have strong hold of, & she is a host — said to be the most accomplished bookseller in Phil^a. J. W. Bradley will pay the $26 for [illegible], but his bookkeeper was out, & could not [illegible] to the [illegible]. Let the 50 Memos come at once—as I hope if Bro. Luther gets hold of this city canvass he will want several hundreds. All the others will do something with it from their shelves—Bro. Bruick is to do the same (ie canvass) in N. Y.— Have been striving up the Young Mens Christn Assoc. here.

Yours truly J. W. Alvord

Washington Nov. 6

My Dear Rev Warren

Yours of 4th is here filled with things to be pondered. It is very gratifying to see how our opinions at the [illegible] of this work come home. Does com it not signalize the divine hand & show that a Higher Mind in guiding our minds. Do not fail (some if you) of being in New York on the 14th. I think you better come with one of the numbers of the [illegible]. Can you not be a delegate to the Convention? It will be something of a meeting, though I do not think things will have large numbers or any definite plan -- or can fix upon one different from that wh. we are now pursuing. In other words they will be compelled at any rate to adopt us in a very important sense. Sufficiently so perhaps to give us all the leadership (in the engineering & reaching) wh. we may desire. Our presence therefore in some force (if it can be had legitimately) will be appreciated.

[crosswritten]

P.S. Perhaps it may seem rather formidable for the two of your to come toNYork. Please consider this. We need much [illegible] in all the steps we here take in giving right shape to this whole thing. Don't withdraw yourself prematurely from the Young Men. It may be a question whether we should do so in any case except they shall attempt to ignore us. We can afford to wait around very patiently until we see just what they do. The combination may start with energy and carry with it large influence. If so we better be with it. I have no doubt a majority of the Young Men of the whole country are in very strong sympathy with us.