September 30 Tuesday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam replied to Joe Twichell’s Sept. 28.
We think the above will be our address for only a week longer, but there’s no certainty. It depends on Livy’s picking up strength enough in that time to qualify her to sit up 30 minutes in a chair without harm. She sat up ten, yesterday. We have to wait & see.
We show her some of the letters, but not those that would stir her; she can’t see yours yet, but I will tell her it is here.
Clara assumed control nine days ago, seeing that everything was going to destruction for want of a centralized power & authority. Her first act saved her mother’s life. Since then, things have gone well & rationally. She seems to be as good a general as her mother, & with even more (perhaps) than her mother’s bravery in doing the disagreeable thing. To a physician who had an appointment for a certain day she wrote a letter excusing him. Without calling a council of war, she contracted for a successor to the trained nurse by telegraph last Saturday; installed her yesterday morning (per enclosed letter to Dr. Hawkes)* [at bottom of page: *No, I’ll destroy the letter—that’s fairer to Clara.] & discharged the previous occupant of the post. Yesterday at 10 a.m. she went alone to Boston in the deluge to consult the specialist & find out why such-&-such things were so-&-so & involved in disquieting mystery. It was a valuable journey for us. Meantime she conceived of an excellent way of conveying Livy to the RR station; (I believe I have improved on it this morning, & so does Clara—but we shall see.) She reached home (again in the deluge) a little after dark, & went to bed tired.
With a power of love to you all, / Mark [MTP]. Note: Dr. Wilson L. Hawkes (1848-1911).
September, late – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Joe Twichell, enclosing a newspaper clipping dated Sept. 23 from London [MTP]. Note: MTP catalogs this only “September.”
September, after – Gwendolyn Mastrell wrote from the Longmore Hospital, Edinburgh, to Sam asking for an autograph [MTP].