September 14 Friday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to James B. Pond.

This being a private letter, burn it, after reading it, lest you be tempted to print it. You say that in the story about me you do not print my letters “in full.” Indeed you will not print a single paragraph from my private or business letters of mine without my personal consent;—& that is not at all likely to be given. I do not allow the public to read my private letters over any man’s shoulder. Pond, I cannot understand how you are made, that you should want to do such insane things. Leave them to men of the Will M. Clemens breed.

We are leaving in a minute for the North, for a few days, & shall sail for America in October [MTP].

Note: Sam was jabbing Pond about the use of his private letters in Pond’s Saturday Evening Post, article to be issued on Sept. 29. The family went north 100 miles to Cromer, Norfolk, on the coast to visit “some English friends” [Sept. 25 to Fiske]. They were back at the Dollis Hill house on Monday, Sept. 17. Pond’s 1900 Eccentricities of Genius, etc. was in preparation; Sam objected to his letters being included.