Carmel of Lisieux
February 9, 1920
My dear Sister Ignatius,
Many thanks for check received; I enclose receipt of the invoices paid, and to make up for the small helios charged for on invoice no. 95 and which have gone astray en route, for they were surely sent, we are sending you another supply. In order not to mix them with your own order they will be forwarded alone in a couple of days.
Now, dear Sister, your Rev. Mother is right, the autobiography should be charged only $2, not $2.80 as they were in Dec. The reason of this rise was that I thought we had granted to Kenedy the privilege not to sell the book cheaper that he, and he has to sell it at $2.80, but didn’t accept this and thus we can let them at $2. Now that the franc, worth less or more than before, it does not matter for the English publications as many of them are made in England and must be paid in English money which is about the same value as the American. This is the reason for which, as I explained to Sr. Mary some years ago, I had to make the invoices in American money. As for the editions we get in France, we take in consideration the value of the English and American money to quote our prices. Of course we are exposed to loss, by instance when we are paid with American money orders for the government does not give the exchange. Hence if the $99.40 you sent us and for which the bank pays 100f had been sent by money order, we would have received only 511.91, yet you would have paid the same amount and we would have to pay the English ed. and packing and postage at the rate of 45. per pound sterling!! The exchange which is quite abnormal nowadays is a great subject of difficulties for editions made in France. In quoting our prices we take in consideration the high rate of the Eng. money and try to make them the equivalent in French. Well some British colonies have kept the normal exchange, and thus when they send us 1L instead of 45 and we get 25! You see what a loss it is. So the best is to quote our prices in American money for the States and Eng. Money. For elsewhere we do our best to safeguard the interests of the buyers. But, I repeat whether the dollar worth is 10 or 5 francs you have not to give more than before, or more than the value of the goods since prices are made according to the exchange.
I fear I explain myself very badly, yet I hope you will guess what I mean. If you prefer us to send invoices in English money we are quite willing to do so. Sister Mary preferred much to have them in American money, but you may prefer English. It is the same for us.
As for the prices, instead of lessening they are increasing; it is extremely difficult to get anything and when we get it, it is awfully dear and far from being so well done as before war.
I will deduct the $0.50 overcharged on the copies of our Soeur Thérèse off your a/e (bill of sale).
The order of 6 Showers of roses of the next edition, we are, we are not yet quite decided whether we will make it or not; an order of 6 copies is a help towards the publication. The album on the way of the Spiritual Childhood is made in English. The Carmelite Fathers in Rome and some other personages there told us to publish it in English and Italian for they say it will do much good. The English edition is under the press just now. The English verses have been translated by the Irish Carmelite who translated the Thoughts of Soeur Thérèse. She understands our little saint perfectly and has well given the true spirit of the French verses. As for the poetry in itself I would be much surprised if it were not good for she is a scholar.
Please thank the good priest who left the Liberty Bond towards the Beatification Fund and assure him of our prayers on behalf of all his intentions. If you have an occasion of seeing him please give him as a souvenir of Lisieux one of the hélios 21 x 16 which you have on hand and which you can’t sell. We’ll deduct its price from the next bill, but please remember me of same in sending your next order.
We think it is better to have it cashed over there and send it along with the next draft. Little Therese is raised to $1.25. To you it will be left at 160.85 net. I am not quite sure as I await the next invoice of the editor. Things are very difficult indeed. But as the wicked are so active to make harm to souls must we not fight to do good? And we make so much good in spreading the devotion to our little saint. Many thanks for the remembrance you give me in your prayers. I hope you will continue to grant it to me. In return I will continue to pray for you daily.
With affectionate regards, I remain my dear Sisiter Ignatius, yours sincerely in Our Lord,
Sr. Anne of Jesus, L.C.