April 17 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “10 a.m. Sig. Gelli—portrait-photos. / [Horiz. Line separator] / Only one detail of God’s character is truthfully stated in the Bible: to Him a thouasand years are as a day. Look at the Crusades; look at the conversion of the world; look at any of His large undertakings—all are failures, for lack of time. Any really active person can do in a day what it takes him a thousand years to accomplish. He never succeeded in capturing His Sepulchre at all—yet He spent time enough on it to capture a whole cemetery” [NB 47 TS 9-10].
John Y. MacAlister wrote two letters to Sam. He was delighted to hear of Livy’s improvement. He was sorry he overlooked business in reply to Sam’s last letter. He lacked faith in “substitutes for coal,” and would “stop England’s export of her most valuable asset.” His doctors said he needed to stay for two or three more weeks. In his second letter: “I forgot to say in previous letter of this date that the soap I am sending you was made to use with London water & it may chance that Florence water doesn’t suit it” [MTP].
Janet D. Ross wrote a picture postcard of Florence Villa Settignanese to Sam. “The owner of villa is away, but in 3 days I hope to hear more” [MTP]. Note: Mrs. Ross was helping Sam to find another villa.