April 20 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y., Sam, still in bed with bronchitis, wrote to Susan Crane.
Dear Assu: / I haven’t seen Livy to-day—she doesn’t allow me to get out of bed. Miss Sherry has just told me she is a little depressed—which is unusual. It would be justifiable if she were depressed two-thirds of the time—& she would be if she did not apply mental science constantly. She keeps her fortitude up wonderfully, it enables her to make the little progress which she makes. She walks across the room every other day, assisted by two of us, but it takes her all next day to recover from the exertion & from the rheumatic pains caused in her limbs.
In her depression this evening her longings turn to you, & she has sent to know if I have heard from you or written you lately; so I have sent back word that I will write at once.
The order to clear for Italy in October brightened her up a good deal, & she has talked of it & planned about it for the past week with lively interest & cheerfulness; but I suppose (in fact I know) she privately fears she will not get strong enough by October for the trip. Why did we ever return to America—it is a life & a climate that is not endurably by anybody but horses. Her return should have been only a visit & nothing more. We hope to get her out on the roof of the porch in a few days.
With the love of all of us / SLC [MTP]. Note: Miss Margaret Sherry was Livy’s nurse.
Sam also wrote to Emilie R. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers).
Your kind letter [not extant] has just arrived, & I am speechless! I never imagined this—I though that the press report of an attack of appendicitis had turned out to be false.
If I had known! I would have slipped out of bed yesterday, & escaped the sentry & run down to your house. I wish I had known.
I must wait two hours, now, to hear—long ones to me, & what will they be to you & the family! I do hope you will telephone this house the moment you can—I must not intrude upon you to-day to ask tidings.
Mrs. Clemens has just sent me a note to urge me to let the doctor try to do something for me—it is Mrs. Clemens & her anxiety that have kept me here shut up these past days.
I wish I had known. I would have raised the blockade.
With the love of us both (Mrs. Clemens thinks Mr. Rogers is getting along well) to you & Mr. Rogers—
[MTHHR 523-4]. Note: H.H. Rogers was operated on for appendicitis this day [n1].
Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.
This is dreadful! I have stopped all papers except the Evening Post—therefore I did not hear of your illness & return until this minute. Mrs. Rogers telephones that you are doing well; I am unspeakably glad to know that. I worked without a fire, yesterday afternoon, and caught a very severe cold, & that means a bronchial attack to-morrow, unless Helmer stops it to-day, which I don’t doubt he will do. He stopped the last one with a single treatment when it has had 5 days’ start. He is coming out this afternoon or to-night. As soon as they let me out of bed I shall go down, & shall hope to find you out of bed, too. Good-bye. I am very very glad you are at home, & not tossing about at sea [MTHHR 524].
Edwin H. Anderson wrote to Sam.
A short time ago we ordered for this Library several copies of a book by you, which was said to be forthcoming, on Mrs Eddy and Christian Science. Our agent here placed the order with Harper Brothers, who later notified him that publication had been indefinitely postponed or given up, I forget which. I notice in the April number of the North American Review your mention of this book as soon to be issued. Will you kindly tell me who is to publish it and when [MTP].
On or just after this date Sam responded to Edwin H. Anderson’s above inquiry about his forthcoming book on Mary Baker Eddy and Christian Science by writing on the margin of Anderson’s letter:
The form agreed upon with Mr. Duneka was carefully chosen—& of course departed from. It was, “too late, now, for a spring book, therefore postponed until autumn.” This was to save my face, & was my suggestion: I did not want the fact exposed that a book of mine had been (in effect) declined. The situation is not barren of humor: I had been doing my very best to show in print that the Xn-Scientist cult was become a power in the land—well, here was proof: it had scared the biggest publisher in the Union! [MTP]. Note: Christian Science would not be published until 1907.
Muriel M. Pears finished her Apr. 16 to Sam, more of same [MTP].