Vol 3 Section 0957

I could not telephone you from the station before leaving, or I would have sent you my love & another good-bye; then I wrote a note on a card, & found that that would not go, at least for about a day. So I had to put in my half-hour unprofitably.

I shall hunt up Ben. Don’t you wish you could see her? I wish you could. But you have Jean & aunt Sue, & that’s a plenty.

Livy darling, I love you dearly & worship you.

Y.

I opened a newspaper of Jean’s to see what it was, but I have remailed [LLMT 344-5]. Note: Livy received the letter on Sept. 22 and answered it on Sept 23.

Sam’s notebook: “At Century Club a Mr. Derby. Was dining with the Secretary of State last week & started to quote a remark of mine made at Knickerbocker dinner 30 yrs ago about gouging out an eye & John Hay said ‘Wait, I can quote that remark’ —& did it” [NB 46 TS 24].

In Florence, Italy, George Gregory Smith wrote to Sam about possible Villas for lease, and added it to his Sept. 18 on the same subject. “I have now a fairly comprehensive idea of such Villas in and near Florence as may be acquired…” Smith hoped to find a Villa near Prof. Fiske on the Collina di Fiesole. He He then wrote of the Villa Quarto, which was the one Sam would lease, but thought the rent “out of all proportion to its real value” [MTP].

Smith then wrote to his mother:

“Mark Twain will not have the Papiniano as the Barlows after offering it by letter for 11 months from the 1st Decr. for 6000 lire deliberately went back on their word & refused it except for 6 mos at 4500 lire. They are very dishonest. However there are other villas—several of them” [Orth 30].

September 21 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “See Col. Fairchild. / [Horiz. Line separator] / Clara 249 E. 32d / [Horiz. Line separator] / Metropolitan Museum (Sloane) / Photo for Chi. Tribune / [Horiz. Line separator] / Ties, white & black” [NB 46 TS 24]. Note: appears to be duties crossed off as completed.

September 22 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “No saddling of magazines onto the sets [collected works] / Was

always sorry I corrected the Prairie Belle, but Hay asked me” [NB 46 TS 24]. Note: John Hay’s poem, first published in:

Jim Bludso of the Prairie Belle, and Little Breeches. With Illustrations by S. Eytinge, Jr. Boston: James R. Osgood & Co., 1871.

         Rogers wanted Sam to come to his office on this day [Sept. 18 from Rogers]. Note: No notice one way or the other was found, so it is assumed Sam met with Rogers.

September 23 Wednesday – At Quarry Farm in Elmira, N.Y. Livy answered Sam’s Sept. 20 in N.Y.C.

Youth darling: I was so glad to get your letter yesterday morning. I am truly thankful that you “more believe in the immortality of the soul than disbelieve in it.” Why are you “vexed” at this I should think you would be most pleased, now that you believe or do not disbelieve, there is so much that is interesting to work for. An immortality already begun seems to make it worth while to train oneself. However you don’t need to “bother about” it, “it” will “take care of itself.”

How your reading did move me Sunday night. How sweet & fine you are! How much of immortality you have in your dear blessed self.

Dear heart will you ask them at the hotel to have a box of Buffalo Lythia water for me if they do not keep it? Also I would like you to ask them about their milk, whether it is certified &c. If we are not sure about it we better have Briarcliff leave us a quart a day. Will they (the hotel people) get in our Echo Farm whole wheat bread or shall we order it sent?

Darling with all my heart I love you. I hope yesterday was a satisfactory day & that business is going on to your mind. I am glad Mr Fairchild could say a good word about the machine. In deepest love / Livy [LLMT

345-6].

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