April 6 Monday – Mr. and Mrs. John Bergheim lunched with Sam in the Riverdale house. They would sail for England the next morning [Apr. 7 to MacAlister].
Adeline W. Sterling wrote to Sam, enclosing letters and clippings on Christian Science. After investigating “alleged cures” of the cult, Sterling decided not to join [MTP].
E.D. Twombly from York, Maine replied to Sam. “I am sorry that you have run afoul of such an experience here in York. I easily know how it must embitter your memories of the place.” Evidently Sam had written Twombly, editor of The Old York Transcript, about exorbitant charges the doctor made for calls. Twombly assured him that the normal rate was one dollar for house calls, fifty cents for office visits; though Sam had not named names, Twombly felt sure it was “Dr. H—-“ and advised to fight the charges [MTP]. Note: the good doctor in question was Wilson L. Hawkes. It was customary then to avoid directly naming accused.
John Livingston Wright wrote to Sam, with knowledge that James Henry Wiggin was the “literary advisor” to Mary Baker Eddy. Wiggin died in 1899 but Wright had contacted him before his death and got the “complete history of this work Wiggin did written out as accurately and dispassionately as he and I could express it.” Wright had other books and evidence of Wiggin’s involvement with Christian Science [MTP].
Sophie King McHarg Porter (Mrs. Horace Porter) (1840-1903) died in Paris, France. After receiving a cable, Sam wrote condolences to the US Ambassador to France, General Horace Porter on the death of his wife, a lady who Livy “saw much of” at Kaltenleutgeben (May-Oct, 1898) [MTP; lists only as “Mr. Porter”; N.Y. Times, Apr. 7, 1903, p.9, “Mrs. Horace Porter Dead”].