From A. H. Sayce   30 July 1877

Dear Sir,

Let me thank you very much for your kind reply to my questions. May I quote your words in regard to “mum” & the greater difficulty experienced in pronouncing certain consonants than in pronouncing the vowels in a forthcoming work of mine on Language?¹ If I do not hear from you, I shall assume that you give me permission to do so.

It is very difficult to collect trustworthy information about the attempts of children to learn to speak. Unfortunately the majority of people have not had the necessary amount of scientific training to enable them to observe & report the facts correctly, & malobservation is worse than no observation at all. This must be my excuse for having troubled you.

With many thanks, I remain, | dear Sir, | Yours faithfully | A. H. Sayce.