My Dear Dr.

I was glad to hear from you after your long silence. I often wished you would write and thought that perhaps you would suddenly turn up some day in our City. But it would seem that this is not to be and yet--I can not help thinking that you would do better to get any information from [Isaak?] personally rather than thro' myself or any one else--At all events it is impossible for me to give the information as to the financial situation for I have not learned anything you do not know. I have heard nothing further about the Arcade and have not the slightest information that would guide me in giving a satisfactory answer to your enquiry.

One would think that by this time your agent Walker would be in possession of full knowledge of the position of affairs. It is certain that I could not find out anything certain without running the very great risk of being thought over curious.

In order to try to bring you and Mr. McQ. [Isaac] to a proper understanding I did "step in where angels might fear to tread" but having reached the point of letting Mr. McQ. understand how you felt, I think it was quite time for me to 'take a back seat'; for the rest might be done thro' the frankness which ought to prevail. But as I said before it seems to me that your personal full acquaintance with the affairs can hardly be got thro' writing letters.

Now as to the other matter I think appearances are better and more hopeful. I cannot say more than this, as I before observed when writing on this, I am quite satisfied you were wrong in thinking that the error, when you were here, was for the purpose of avoiding "a facing of the facts"--an unfortunate habit had been established and I believe that a sincere effort has been made to resist it.¹

I must hurry to a close. I would be glad to follow you in reflections on public morals and professional affairs but bedtime is at hand & I have yet two letters to write--I shall be glad to hear from you again.

Mrs. Mullin joins me in kind remembrances.

Yours sincerely,

[Dr. John] Mullin

¹ Dr. John Mullin was Isaac's doctor and he is replying very cautiously to Dr. Calvin McQuesten's inquiries about his half-brother, Isaac's, business and health affairs. Isaac died very suddenly on March 7, 1888 of alcoholism and sleeping potions; he was also bankrupt at that time. See W2520 for more on Isaac and his death.