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GS

December 15th 1922

Mr. Raymond Pitcairn,
Bryn Athyn, Pa.

Dear Mr. Pitcairn,-

Enclosed please find memorandum of your purchase of even date.

You will notice the 5% excise tax mentioned on this memorandum; I believe I forgot to mention it in connection with your purchase, though I remember perfectly well telling you about it in reference to the marble columns and other items. I am sure that you won't mind paying these $400 as this is ^[[only partial]] [[strikethrough]] not an [[/strikethrough]] extra charge for you since you can deduct it from your income tax return, [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] as on the other hand we have to pay this some at the end of the ^[[next]] month, perhaps even will you be so kind as to send us a check for this amount, and have our agreement in reference to the payment of the statue, that is payable on December 15th 1923, only apply to the $8.000.

I leave this matter to you, but I am sure that you will find that my proposal is a fair one. This oversight on my part comes from the fact that the excise tax, which we have to pay to the U.S. Government, is only placed on certain categories of works of art and not on others.

You will find on the memorandum the guaranty that you asked for, that is that there is aboslutely no modern part added to the statue, and that whatever repair there might be only consists of having kept together two parts originally belonging to the statue. It is a very beautiful work of art, and I am really glad and proud that it goes into the hands of a connoisseur such as you. It will be sent to you within a day or two, and delivered at your studio