September 3 Wednesday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “Always Mr. Rogers keeps his yacht (Kanawha) in commission & ready to fly here & take us to Riverdale on telegraphic notice” [NB 45 TS 25].
Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.
Mrs. Clemens began to sit up yesterday once more, & did it twenty minutes. Therefore she was feeling better. Feeling better, she began to plan, of course. It was plain enough that she was not likely to be strong enough to travel in any way for as much as ten days yet, even if her recovery gets no check. Then of course she was at once troubled about the yacht & in dread lest you might be delaying a cruise on her account. So she urged me to write & beg you not to think of such a thing, but to make your cruise & if you didn’t get back by the time she was strong you must not curtail your holiday by a day but let her take to the rail.
I promised to write the letter last night but I got no chance, so I am writing it now and sponging off my conscience. She is perfectly right about it—head & heart both—& so even I join with her & endorse. But if you should get back in time, I’ll be on the look out & will set up a hail.
She has sat up another 20 minutes to-day, & is thin & has lost color—much more than I thought for—in fact I was astonished, for these things are not so apparent when she is in bed. But all the same she is improving immensely [MTHHR 503-4].