Vol 3 Section 0358

November 9 Thursday – In London, England Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.

My temper is under a heavy strain this morning, for I find that the Kellgren system (under the new name of “Osteopathy,”) is being practiced all over America! If I had only found this out in September, instead of yesterday, we should all have been located in New York the 1st of October—& we should have had that Fairhaven visit into the bargain. We are here only to have the Kellgren treatment for Jean, yet we could get it in several places in New York; & now we are tied here till April or May, because we have taken the flat for 7½ months & have paid half of the rent in advance.

I happened to write my nephew about the treatment, & now I find that his mother has been taking it several months in Buffalo. She sends me circulars & pamphlets [not extant] which show that Osteopathy is exactly the Kellgren treatment.

Sam then pointed out three places in N.Y.C. where Rogers might go to take the treatment; he urged him to do so for two months, costing only a “trifle of time.”

I took the treatment daily during 2 months. I began again 3 days ago because I was not sleeping well & was seedy & needed freshening up for work. I am all right again, now, & shall stop after a few days.

Go & freshen up—please don’t say no [MTHHR 414-5]. Note: actually Sam began treatments on Nov. 4, five days before, as reflected in the following bill:

Sam took a second treatment from Dr. Jonas Henrick Kellgren, Osteopath, and was sent a bill from “Kellgren’s Swedish Institution,” London , for £26.5.0 for Nov. 9 [1899 Financial file MTP].

Sam also inscribed his photograph to Percy Spalding of Chatto & Windus: “Mr. Percy Spalding with the kindest regards of S.L. Clemens / Nov. 9, 1899” [James S. Copley library, NY sale lot 523 17 June 2010].

H.H. Rogers’ mother, Mary Eldredge Huttleston Rogers, died in Fairhaven. She was 88 [MTHHR 416n1].

The ledger books of Chatto & Windus show that between Nov. 9, 1899 and Aug. 5, 1908, four printings totaling 7,500 additional copies of CY were printed, totaling 40,000 [Welland 236].

Before November 10 Friday – In London, England Sam wrote two notes to Poultney Bigelow. The first agreeing to walk at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 10. The second a P.S. “Too bad! Clara is to perform with [Blanche]

Marchesi Friday eve the 10th. I had forgotten it. I’ve got to be there” [MTP].

November 10 Friday – In London, England Sam replied to H.F. Gordon Forbes, whose incoming letter is not extant, but the subject was politics and the Boer War:

Events do seem to confirm your judgment. It is a pity for all concerned, that the force was not overwhelming in the beginning, as it will be presently. The war could have been cut down to a brief space of time & much blood-spilling saved. …

Oh, the French! The unspeakables! The incident you mention was strictly in character. I don’t think they have improved a jot since they were turned out of hell.

England & America will pull together yet—under compulsion. Compulsion is the only law that politics heeds. … [MTP]

Henry Ferguson wrote from Hartford to Sam.

I was surprised to see so much of my own and my brother’s diaries republished in your article in the November number of the Century. Perhaps you never knew how unexpected it was to us that they should appear in Harper’s 33 years ago without allowing us to edit them previously [MTP]. Note: Ferguson didn’t

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