June 13 Monday – In the evening at the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to Charles J. Langdon about transporting two horses, Livy’s last gift to her daughters, back to America.
Poor Livy’s last important gift to the children was a pair of gray mares.These, with the saddles, will leave Leghorn June 22, in the [left blank by Sam] in charge of our butler, Ugo who knows not a word of English. It is a slow ship (about 20 days). Could you send word to our livery man, Melvin, 10th st., half a block east of 5th ave., & ask him to have a man (an Italian speaker) on the dock to receive the horses, & find an Italian boarding house for Ugo? I think Melvin will board the horses, but I want to make sure; if he can’t, he can recommend a boarding-stable.
When the horses are rested, Miss Lyon & Therese (Italian maid) & Ugo will take them up country & put our cottage in order for us. It belongs to Gilder of the Century; I have secured it by cable.
If Clara goes to Elmira we must make the strain as brief as possible—be there one day & return to New York the next.
Lost among old letters & papers on my table I have just found the enclosed. I obey Livy’s order—I would have obeyed long ago but for forgetfulness. Return it to me when I come—every scrap from Livy’s hand is precious to me now.
Livy paid $140 for one of the horses, & $250 for the other. There will be duties to pay [MTP]. Note: Gilder’s cottage, “Four Brooks Farm” in the Berkshire Mountains near Lee, Mass. [MTHHR 573].
Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.
The “Prince Oscar” is due to arrive Sunday July 7—so Jean says; my head is muddled, & I do not know anything myself. The Consul has written the Collector asking him to see that we are delayed as little as possible, but I hope you will add your influence, too. (I seem to have written this to you before—I don’t know; I have written you 50 letters in my head, & this may be one of them.)
I am not allowed to see Clara to-day. She was strongly threatened with a nervous breakdown, & we are still troubled about her. We hope to persuade her not to go to Elmira—at least we can try. If she goes, we shall make the strain upon her as brief as possible, going up the day before the funeral & returning the day after. We must go to a strange hotel in New York—a house with no associations. We have chosen the St. Denis. If she does not go to Elmira, she will stop in that hotel with Miss Lyon & her mother till we return.
Then we go at once to the woods in Massachusetts, where I have secured a house for the summer by cable. It is next door to Gilder’s, of the “Century” & belongs to him.
It is an awful blow & wholly unexpected, & we do not rally very well. / Ever yours SL. C / [in ight margin:] Will you telephone Harvey our ship’s name & date? [MTHHR 571-2].
Poultney Bigelow, on the US Flagship Brooklyn off Tangiers, Morocco, wrote a letter of condolence to Sam. “I love to look back and recall Mrs. Clemens—I don’t think I ever met anyone with such a wholesome breadth of human charity and general atmosphere of helpful sympathy” [MTP].