Vol 3 Section 0798
This is great, but the goat’s-tail ending was an awful thing for me: I did want it to go on, so. Isn’t there any more? Why not a succession of such identifications, closing with the major’s remembering the youth as a witness to something awfully shady in his own past? Anything to make the story longer!
I am going to N.Y. on Wednesday, and I am afraid I shan’t see you again for a week. I hope Mrs.
Clemens is doing well [MTHL 2: 745-6].
September 28 Sunday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook : “Let me talk with Mercer & didn’t tell me the h k f was on the door. / Thunder overhed—kind of rolling-pin. / Tin pan falls—racket. / Didn’t watch for beef steak / 59 days (8 ½ weeks) since Jean had any trouble. The longest interval, by 2 weeks, in 5 years. / And poor Livy, the real victim, is prostrate when all in justice she ought to be up & well & rejoicing. / We are again uneasy about her” [NB 45 TS 28-9].
Nurse Margaret Garrety arrived in the evening and took charge of Livy the following morning, Sept. 29 [NB 45
TS 31].
Joe Twichell wrote to Sam from Hartford about Livy’s illness, and why hadn’t he answered sooner?—he “didn’t want to make” Sam “lie unnecessarily” about her condition, but knew from the clipping he sent that it was serious. What would his address be the next few weeks? If Sam went to Elmira to give his regards to Mollie Dunham. “Your abominable heresies, of which you are now sporting such a menagerie, I will not deal to execrate at this time, but will return to later” [MTP].
September 29 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “New nurse came last night, the other one went this morning. Clara discharged the one & hired the other on her own motion. / Clara went to Boston in the deluge at 10 a.m., to consult Dr. Putnam. Found that Hawkes had done nothing by telephone nor sent the analysis” [NB 45 TS 29].
Clara Clemens hired trained nurse Margaret Garrety [MTHHR 510n4; Sept. 30 to Twichell].
September 30 Tuesday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam replied to Joe Twichell’s Sept. 28.
We think the above will be our address for only a week longer, but there’s no certainty. It depends on Livy’s picking up strength enough in that time to qualify her to sit up 30 minutes in a chair without harm. She sat up ten, yesterday. We have to wait & see.
We show her some of the letters, but not those that would stir her; she can’t see yours yet, but I will tell her it is here.
Clara assumed control nine days ago, seeing that everything was going to destruction for want of a centralized power & authority. Her first act saved her mother’s life. Since then, things have gone well & rationally. She seems to be as good a general as her mother, & with even more (perhaps) than her mother’s bravery in doing the disagreeable thing. To a physician who had an appointment for a certain day she wrote a letter excusing him. Without calling a council of war, she contracted for a successor to the trained nurse by telegraph last Saturday; installed her yesterday morning (per enclosed letter to Dr. Hawkes)* [at bottom of page: *No, I’ll destroy the letter—that’s fairer to Clara.] & discharged the previous occupant of the post. Yesterday at 10 a.m. she went alone to Boston in the deluge to consult the specialist & find out why such-&-such things were so-&-so & involved in disquieting mystery. It was a valuable journey for us. Meantime she conceived of an excellent way of conveying Livy to the RR station; (I believe I have improved on it this morning, & so does Clara—but we shall see.) She reached home (again in the deluge) a little after dark, & went to bed tired.
With a power of love to you all, / Mark [MTP]. Note: Dr. Wilson L. Hawkes (1848-1911).
September, late – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Joe Twichell, enclosing a newspaper clipping dated Sept. 23 from London [MTP]. Note: MTP catalogs this only “September.”
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.