Vol 3 Section 0789

Mrs. Clemens detests plasmon, yet she has to live on it, as far as keeping up her strength goes. She can take solid food, but not enough of it to nourish her.

She has had two bad turns in the last 48 hours, through experimenting with foods. One was an egg, & the other a half-teacupful of malted milk. They acted like poisons—numbed her arms & distributed pains over a large nerve-surface [MTHHR 504-5].

September 12 Friday – Sam wrote to Edmund S. Mills of Mc Vicar Realty Trust Co., N.Y.C., the letter not extant but referred to in Mills’ Sept. 18 response; see entry.

Sam also wrote to Appleton, the letter not extant but referred to in the following entry:

Sam’s notebook “Wrote & asked Mr. Appleton if we could continue in the house, furnished, till end of next June at present rental—& would Mr. Munsey agree?” [NB 45 TS 26]. Note: the current Appleton, handling lease of the Riverdale house was William W. Appleton. Frank Andrew Munsey purchased the house from Appleton: see Apr. 23, 1902 Times article.

September 13 Saturday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “Cadwalader, 7.30 / Precepts &

Principles for a New Religion: having, for its base, God & Man as they are, & not as the elaborately masked & disguised artificialities they are represented to be in most philosophies & in all religions” [NB 45 TS 26]. Note: John Cadwalader of Phila., staying in York Harbor. In his next NB entry Sam noted the presence of “Young Mercer” at Cadwalader’s dinner on this evening

September 14 Sunday – In York Harbor, Maine : Sam’s notebook: “Young Mercer was at Cadwalader’s—he is to produce the historical ceramics for the new capitol at Harrisburg [Pa.]” [NB 45 TS 27]. Note: Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930), archeologist, tile-maker, designer, made tiles used in the floor of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Other Mercer tile collections were used at Rockefeller’s New York estate, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, and the casino at Monte Carlo. Insert: Mercer tile at Pa. Capitol building

In Kittery Point, Maine William Dean Howells wrote a postcard to Sam, pasting a clipping lengthwise titled, “Millions of Corncob Pipes,” about the Meerschaum clay found only in the Missouri river bottoms within a 60 mile radius of Washington, Mo. Howells did not write on the postcard. Sam wrote above and below the clipping, “By the handwriting [on the address] I see that Howells sent me this. He told me about this pipe several weeks ago. Is it true, Dr. Jim? Do you know the pipe? / SLC” [MTP; not in MTHL]. Note: Sam’s note was either a directive to Isabel Lyon or he forwarded the postcard within an envelope to “Dr. Jim,” James Ross Clemens, St. Louis.

September 15 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Frederick A. Duneka.

My wife being ill, I have been—in literary matters—helpless all these weeks. I have no editor—no censor. I tried that Hell or Heaven on Howells, & he left me with the impression that it was all right—whereas, it wasn’t.

I was full of doubts, but when your telegram came to-day I started the story along. Half an hour later my eldest daughter remarked that she had carried the thing to her room & examined it, & it had a couple of large merits, but that they belonged apart, to be merits: joined together, they destroyed each other. She was right—I saw it in a moment. Too much sermon: it is a millstone round the story’s neck.

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