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Hotel Gotham,
Fifth Avenue and 55th Street,
New York City.
July 4th, 1919.

Mr. P'ang Lai Ch'en
#3 Newchwang Road,
Shanghai, China.

My dear Mr. P'ang:-

Your good letter of May 24th. reached me promptly after its arrival in America and would have been answered earlier, but because of serious illness which has detained me in New York and prevented my doing many things in which I have deep interest, - but today I am dictating these lines which will be typewritten and forwarded to you in my behalf.

It was a real delight to receive your letter and to have positive evidence of your kindly remembrance, and I am very thankful for the six pieces of seals which you so kindly had prepared for my use, in stamping objects of art already possessed by me, or which may hereafter be acquired for my collection.

None of the seals have as yet arrived here but I fancy they will come safely in due time.
  
With you, I deeply regret that the great distance between China and America prevents our meeting, but you are often in my thoughts, and on many occasions I would be happy indeed to consult you as I did in China, and to discuss more fully, the fine arts of both your country and mine, - and I am still hoping that some day in the near future we may meet in America. With my shattered strength there is little probability of my ever being able to revisit your country, much as I would so like to do.

I have the welcome news of your cousin P'ang Tsang Chen being now in New York City, and I am hoping within a few days to have the pleasure of a short talk with him - I am not yet allowed by my physicians to have long conversations even with my closest friends.

Transcription Notes:
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