Vol 3 Section 0114

Washing. Bring leather clotes—armor. Nothing else can survive these laundries.

———

The raspy American voice is hearable on these boats. Glad they travel—it will improve them.

———

To-day Livy found Dr. George Williamson Smith on the boat.

———

As destitute of taste as a gardener’s bouquet [NB 42 TS 22-3].

July 30 Friday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote to Andrew Chatto, whose letter of July 28 cleared up some confusion on proofs and revisions of FE, and Sam’s purpose for wanting copies. Sam wrote, “I would rather suffer any death than read a first-proof.” Chatto has misunderstood that proofs were wanted in a hurry for a lecture, but Sam was only building such a talk for “some future year.” He complimented the Alfred Ellis photographs and wanted “one of the best ones” sent to Frank Bliss. The bicycles for the girls had arrived and he wished to thank Percy Spalding for shipping them. He also thanked Chatto for paying for some wine glasses and put an enclosure in the letter that Livy asked that the new wine glasses be sent to their last apartment at 23 Tedworth Square. Evidently the glasses had been taken by

mistake or were broken during their residence [MTP].

Note: Alfred Ellis was a London photographer. The photo insert appeared in the Nov. 1897 issue of McClure’s Magazine.

On the Lake Lucerne boat “a couple of days ago,” (actually on July 29) Livy had met old friend George Williamson Smith, President of Trinity College in Hartford. (Locher misidentifies Smith as “probably the chief of Smith Publishers, London” [23] ) Smith arrived at 11:05 [NB 42 TS 23] and lunched with the Clemens family on this afternoon and stayed three hours. He wrote the day after of this day’s activities:

Yesterday [July 30] Clara & Jean climbed to the Rigi-culm with Susy Crane’s butler [Ernst Köppe]. They walked up in 3 hours, & down in half the time, & brought plenty of skinned feet & blisters. Susy Crane & Julie Langdon went up the ladder railway & the gang dined at the summit. Clara & Jean got down in time to go with Livy & me in the row-boat to Viznau, & there we picked up Susy [Crane] & Julie [Langdon] & rowed them home [July 31 to Twichell]. Note: (Locher misdates the climb as July 31)

Katharine I. Harrison wrote to inform Clemens that Frank Bliss had paid the $10,000, as per his agreement, this a.m. when Harrison gave him the balance of Sam’s MS for FE [MTHHR 295].

July 31 Saturday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus, questioning why postage

was repaid on a foreign letter; that “Surely that must be an unnecessary expense. / …a fully-paid foreign postage ought to chase a man all over the globe without extra cost” [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Joe Twichell. Clemens enclosed clippings from German papers and a cutting from Pennsylvania bearing his likeness (probably a caricature) “with the suggestion that I sue upon it for libel.” Sam liked the picture and would “rather be picturesque than pretty, any time.” He mentioned Livy meeting an old Hartford friend, George Williamson Smith, President of Trinity College, on the Lucerne boat “a couple of days ago,” and told of his coming for lunch the day before:

…it was more refreshing & uplifting & enjoyable than any sixty hours we have known for months. A wonderful man in all ways, & unspeakably lovely; it was a lucky day when Hartford captured him. I am going to Lucerne this afternoon to see him & Mrs. Smith. )

SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.