November 28 Saturday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, responding to a letter, date unknown, which is not extant.
Yes, I am very glad Mr. Benjamin is looking into that matter. Whitmore, speaking as a professional real-estate agent, said it was a proper procedure for Reeves to sell to Gardiner a year’s extension of his option for a thousand dollars & charge commission for it at once, but not gobble half of it at the present time on the plea that he was going to let it be part of the commission on the sale of the house, since the house isn’t sold yet. This letter was Reeve’s latest explanation. Reeves was worried, & said he wanted to do “everything in the world that would satisfy” me. Very well, then, return the $500 and wait till you have earned it.
I reckon the stocks must be nearly ready to hit bottom by this time, so I sent the cable thinking about might find it wise to put $10,000 on the cards for me. Thank you very much for the Sun. The first copy arrived yesterday & came in very handy, for I was knocked down with gout & needed mental reinforcement. I am over the attack, now, & shall get up before night.
Harper is advertising 6 vols of my “funniest books” in McClure’s mag. All right, but I thought the contract did not allow “incomplete sets” to be sold. I’m not objecting, but I doubt the wisdom of issuing selected volumes & suggesting to the public that the others are inferior. But I would surely have to object if they advertised to sell a broken set by subscription—which they don’t.
No, I had not heard of the Benuck-Cup June race. The deep-sea course will give the victory to Harry & the Kanawha, I guess. I feel certain of it; still, if I can be there to superintend Harry it will be all the certainer, I reckon.
We are getting along pretty smoothly, now, & Mrs. Clemens feels sure a trained nurse is no longer necessary, & is sending her back to America next week. I wish I could feel as sure about it myself.
With our warmest regards to all of the household, yours ever [MTHHR 542-3]. Note: Margaret Sherry was the nurse referred to. Harry Rogers was engaged in yacht racing in the Kanawha. Note: Charles A. Gardiner had leased the Tarrytown house and would purchase it.