Dear Miss Benedite,

I beg to thank you for your letter from New York just to hand, and beg to hasten to send you my reply. I was surprised to hear that your father was tired and used up when left Paris and that his conditions did not improve during the sea voyage but became much better only quite recently. I am sure you may have a very hard time and must have felt lonesome and troubles away from your mother and in a strange country. I beg to mention my sympathy and kindest enquiries after your father. As you mention, illness is terrible thing to have, I quite agree.

I took liberty of sending you a telegram today reading as follows:

“Miss Benedite C/o Mis Emmet 126 East 34th Street New York

Thanks letter received exceedingly sorry your father illness praying entirely recovered. Matsukata

Mr and Mrs Louis V. Ledoux shall be welcomed by me, when they will arrive here, and I shall be much pleased to hear all news about your father and your goodself.”

I am very glad that your father has successfully concluded negotiations with Mons. Cottet about his big master piece. The artist’s conditions are quite agreeable to me and I beg to thank your father for all his troubles. The price is surprisingly moderate and I highly appreciate the artist’s concession to part with his master piece with noble idea of exhibiting the French art to the Japanese public [manuscrit: and to help Japanese art]

I beg to mention that the question on Pygmalion & Galathee has been settled and I am very thankful to your father that it was obtained cheap through his kind efforts for me. I wish you will particularly mention this to him.

I feel more than pleased to hear your high praises for a small and humble souvenir sent to your father. It was only sent to him to show that I have not forgotten about him at all and that I availed on a good chance to express my remembrance of his kindness and troubles taken for me. I am looking for another souvenir to keep in memory his most valuable assistances for me, when my Museum will be completed.

My niece’s husband is living in Paris now and I have received a telegram from him as copied below:

“Pleased to advise you that I am very friendly with Claude Monet who tells me he will part with any of his paintings for your gallery stop can consult artists Kojima and Saito for choice reply urgent care Japanese Embassy Kuroki”

I sent him a reply today reading as follows:

“Thanks sincerely and appreciate unboundedly for Japanese arts make Mons Monet kindly agreed part with his works which I asked through Mons Benedite before stop please buy with his own choice three large Museum pictures and if possible three of four smaller sizes consulting Kojima and Saito as Japanese public earnestly desire his many various works stop please tell he unlimitedly helps our arts stop if you [illisible]ire wait Benedite return from America Matsukata.”

The above telegrams will be explanatory by themselves; but I wish to mention my thanks to your father that negotiations with Mons. Monet resulted so favourably, because it was all due to his kind influence and helps for me.

When I wrote to your father, I requested him for his American address, as I wished very much to request him just to cross over the Pacific and come over to Japan as my guest, when he came so far as Californi ; but of course, it could not be realized on account of his unexpected illness. It is my desire to request four father to visit Japan as my guest, when my Museum was completed and I wish very much you will accompany him on the trip.

Trusting that your father is very much better now and with my kindest regards to him and to your goodself for the meanwhile.

I remain, dear Miss Benedite,

Yours sincerely,

Kojiro Matsukata