December 29 Wednesday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to daughter Clara .
O, Clara, Clara dear, I am so glad she is out of it & safe—safe!
I am not melancholy; I shall never be melancholy again, I think.
You see, I was in such distress when I came to realize that you were gone far away & no one stood between her & danger but me—& I could die at any moment, & then—oh then what would become of her! For she was wilful, you know, & would not have been governable.
You can’t imagine what a darling she was, that last two or three days; & how fine, & good, & sweet, & noble—& joyful, thank Heaven!—& how intellectually brilliant. I had never been acquainted with Jean before. I recognized that.
But I must n’t try to write about her—I can’t. | have already poured my heart out with the pen, recording that last day or two, I will send you that—& you must let no one but Ossip read it.
Good-bye. I love you so! And Ossip! / Father [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Mrs. Harriet A, Rathbone in Elmira, N.Y. “Dear Mrs. Rathbone—I know of your lovely tribute to the memory of my lost Jean, & out of my heart thank you. She was worthy of that gracious kindness. / Most sincerely Yours / ...” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Mary B, Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers, Jr.).
You are your old self again, Mary dear, & I am glad. If you had failed me at this time it would have hurt me—& you would not wish to do that.
The first letter to come from a friend was from Mrs. Coe; & the same mail brought six others. I answered them all, & it took me all day. The evening mail brought some more from friends, but I was very tired, & gave up trying to answer them: every mail since has brought others—among them, letters from Mrs. Broughton & Mrs. Benjamin—but I did not try to answer. Of the letters brought by yesterday’s two mails, 63 ought to be specially answered. I am not equal to it. Of the letters in this mornings mail, 22 ought to have special answers—but I will begin & end with yours, & content myself with that. I have kept all the letters from the beginning (many of them, from utter strangers, are very beautiful & touching), & shall only answer them with the usual printed card of acknowledgment & thanks. I have read every one of them. Indeed I have done nothing but read letters and telegrams (& annotate and classify them) since mid-afternoon of Christmas Eve. I would specially answer every one of them if I could.
We are in a turmoil yet, & can’t take care of a guest, for we are re-arranging things. My secretaries (Mr. & Mrs. Albert Bigelow Paine & wife) & their little daughter have moved into Jean’s apartment to-day & vacated their house. They will constitute my family henceforth & be a wholesome change from Miss Lyon & the confederate whom she married to keep him from turning State’s evidence against her. I like them greatly —& so will you, Jean liked them.
My other niece (Mrs. Edward Loomis) [Julia Langdon Loomis] & her husband, who represented me at Jean’s burial, are coming next Monday; Robert Collier & his wife are coming a day or two later (Wednesday) & I hope you can & will come a couple of day's later (Saturday), (The train leaves Grand Centra LEXINGTON AVE SIDE, at 3.32 p.m & teaches Redding in an hour & 40 minutes.
(Let me know, so I can send a carriage to our station.) I want Mrs. Sybil to come by & by—& Harry; but
they would not feel at home in this wrecked & ruined house now, With real love / Your uncle Mark
P.S. There is also a good train at 8.50 am [MTP],
More letters and telegrams of condolence were sent by:
| G.M, Acklom Marjorie Breckenridge Margery H. Clinton Sam P, Davis Mattie J. Durant Lord Grey, & Lady Grey (telegram) Marion von Kendler Mrs. George L. Kohl Ethel Newcomb Marguerite Schmidt (Schmitt) Charles E. Smith Spencer J. Steinmetz Luigi Villari [MTP}. |