June 26 Sunday – At the Grand Hotel Du Quirinal in Rome Sam wrote to Charles J. Langdon.
Dear Charley: / Jean, Katy & I had to halt when the rest left the Villa for good, on the 20th. Jean was sick. But she rallied, & we followed the others 3 hours later & arrived at the Hotel de la Ville about 8 p. m.
We were to remain there 4 days while the mourning-gowns were finishing.
We came to Rome the 24th, intending to stop a day to give Clara a rest; but concluded to make it 2 days, for she was in bad shape.
So, we were to go to Naples to-day, leaving an hour after noon. But at noon Jean was not well enough, so we unpacked & are waiting another day. It is 5.30 p. m., now, & Jean is ever so much better.
I hope to have these two safe on board the ship day after to-morrow—where their poor mother already lies lonely.
Unless the girls are better than they are now when they reach New York, it will not be safe to allow them to go to Elmira. Unless the strain is soon removed from Clara she will go down with a crash and her present two-thirds nervous breakdown will take on an additional third & be complete.
I set my hopes upon the journey to Naples to-morrow. If we fail to make it, poor Livy will make her pathetic voyage all alone—she has never had to do that before. Then of course I will cable you.
If you receive no cable, it will mean that we have succeeded in reaching the ship.
With love to you all, out of a heart that is full of bitterness & rebellion— … [MTP].
Sam’s notebook: “When we were ready to leave the hotel at noon, Jean was not well enough. Canceled all arrangements. We wait over till tomorrow at 1.20 p.m. / Our ship is the Prince Oscar. Our dear casket went on board at Genoa yesterday ” [NB 47 TS 13-14].
Jean was still not well enough to travel, so the Clemens party remained another day in Rome. By 5:30 p.m., Jean was “ever so much better.”
Georgie Fyfe wrote from Castello, Mexico a letter of condolence to Sam. “Your two daughters must be a great comfort to you, but I hardly met them when in Vienna, and I can only remember you two, & how very kind she was to me” [MTP].