Vol 3 Section 0381
the proposition Clemens was to receive a tenth interest in it for his first year’s work, and an added twentieth interest for each of the two succeeding years, with a guarantee that his shares should not earn him less than five thousand dollars the first year, with a proportionate increase as his holdings grew.
The scheme appealed to Clemens, it being understood in the beginning that he was to give very little time to the work, with the privilege of doing it at his home, wherever that might happen to be [MTB 1099-1100].
February 2 Friday
February 3 Saturday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow, that they would be glad to come. “Mrs. Clemens says she has sent an invitation to you two for the same evening; but she will name another day” [MTP]. Note: date of the gathering not specified.
February 4 Sunday
February 5 Monday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, marking the letter “Private”.
I mark it private because I want to explain what keeps us over here so long—the reason being one which a family conceals even from its friends as long as it can, let alone the world. Jean’s head got a bad knock when she [was] 8 or 9, by a fall. Seven year ago she showed capricious changes of disposition which we could not account for, & four years ago the New York experts pronounced her case epilepsy. This we learned when we got back from around the world. We put her into the hands of the world’s head expert in Vienna, who said that in some cases this disease had been out grown, but that he knew of no authentic instances of its cure by physicians.
Sam continued that their hopes had been on Henrik Kellgren to cure Jean; that they knew of two cases of English ladies Kellgren cured from epilepsy, the first taking two and a half years, some 24 years before. Jean had been treated seven and a half months so far.
“Her natural disposition—lost during 7 years, has returned. Her physical condition is good. Her mind is sound & capable—however, it was that all the time; the disease did not attack it.”
Sam still believed that in time Kellgren could cure Jean; but wanted to find an osteopath in the U.S. who could attest to a cure for epilepsy and continue the treatment so they might come home. He had tried to find out through Sue Crane and Dr. George J. Helmer, a N.Y. osteopath, the answers to his questions about treatment and a cure, but the friends went to doctors to ask opinions, which he felt was “as sane as going to Satan to find out about the Christian religion.”
At last, however, I have gone at the matter in a square way. I have sent a relative [Samuel E. Moffett] to a New York osteopath to ask what he can say, & what he can promise. I am hoping that when I get that report it will determine us to go home a few months hence. Don’t tell Rice anything. He does not believe in osteopaths.
Sam then wrote the rest of his letter about Samuel McClure’s offer, asking Rogers to have a talk with and “analyze the man…look him well over; weigh him,” as Sam felt he couldn’t “afford to go into a concern that is unsafe,” and trusted Rogers’ “usual worldly sagacity” to advise him. He doubted he would want the editorship more than a year: “I do not like slavery & work; but I am prepared for a year.” Sam closed with dreams of pointing the yacht Rogers was having built toward Norway’s fjords. He congratulated Rogers on a new grandson [MTHHR 429-32]. Note: Dr. Clarence C. Rice. Sam disclosed Jean’s
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.