January 31 Saturday – William Oliver Fuller, Jr. (J.O. Fuller, Jr.) wrote to Sam from Rockland, Maine. “Mr Aldrich has sent me your letter commenting upon the newspaper clipping I mailed you. I gather from your letter that you were not pleased with my sorry attempt to joke. The thing on my part arose out of our visit to Mr. Aldrich some months ago and the subsequent fooling over lost umbrellas and slippers—which possibly you recall.” Fuller felt that if he had overdone the joke, then he was apologetic [MTP]. Sam wrote “ans” on the env.; see his answer Feb. 4.
Muriel M. Pears wrote from Mentone, France to Sam.
Ah no, Dear Our President, I cannot see the comedy of such a Christmas week’s experience as you and the Donzella have been living through. You can make nearly everything else in the world amusing to us, but not this. I never heard of anything more poignant and cruel and heroic.” Muriel was reacting to the illnesses in the Clemens household [MTP]. Note: the “Donzella” reference is Spanish or Italian, meaning “maid,” or “maiden” or “damsel,” likely referring to either of his daughters or Isabel Lyon.