42, Islington, Liverpool, <England>
December 23rd, 1878
My Dear Marian:
After 11 ½ days sail, on the Atlantic, the steamer, Wyoming, arrived in Liverpool. We had quite a pleasant time, for the month of December. The 1st day out the sea was somewhat rough, and I experienced a little sea-sickness, but soon recovered, and continued well, during the remainder of the voyage. My passage from home to this place, has been free; the chief expenses incurred, being for sleeping berths and meals, Hotel Bill at N.York, and the customary contributions to stewards and waiters: all of which amounted to some 40 or 50 dollars. President Budge, John Nicholson, Joseph Bull, Bros. Nibley and Lewis are in the office, and are well. From some inquiries which I have made, I think it will require from 4 to 6 months to [page break] complete the stereotyping or electrotyping of the Book of Mormon; I shall, therefore, not return home, till next summer; and if further duties should be required of me, in this land, I might be detained still longer. Yesterday, being Sunday, I preached twice in Liverpool to small congregations. Bro. Bull, in the printing department, told me, this morning, that he and other typesetters, would print my New Theory of the Universe, and give their labors free, providing that I would furnish the paper, and a few mathematical type. I shall try to raise enough means, so that I can accept bro. Bull’s kind and generous offer, and thus be enabled to distribute a few hundred copies among the Universities, Colleges, Accadymies, and the great mathematicians of both Europe and America. I do not expect that such a work would sell, excepting now and then a copy. But my object is not speculation, but to preserve the mathematical propositions which cost me so much time and labor to discover, from falling into oblivion. O. Pratt Sen.
Please write often & give my love to the children – to Aunt Maggie – to Uncle David – to young David to Annie and to all the folks who enquire after me. And as it is so near Christmas I wish you all a merry one.
My health is good I have not tasted of tea or coffee since I left home May the Lord bless you all both now and for ever O. Pratt
P.S. I do not think the cost of type & paper for my history 300 or 400 copies would exceed 60 or 70 dollars. I have the manuscript with me.
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[Transcribed by Nora Fowers and Marlene Peine; Dec. 2010]