February 21 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow.
Forgive me! Great Scott, I was dreadfully busy and I thought I asked Mrs. Clemens secretary to answer your letter for me, but she says I changed my mind and carried it to my study to answer it myself. Well I suppose I was dreaming and mislaid it, if she is right, for I can’t find it. But I wanted to say I don’t go anywhere this winter, partly because I am deep in my work and partly because of Mrs. Clemens illness. I couldn’t join a Club, anyway; I seldom get a chance to go to one. I’ve just been expelled from the Players for non-payment of dues—on a secretary’s evidence, without being afforded a chance to state my side of the case—which was good luck for that secretary. They have never had anybody in that position there who was intellectually above the grade of an idiot.
Dear me, but we have had a winter of it here in this house! Mrs. Clemens has been bed-ridden 6 months; and Jean lingered near to death for a while with double pneumonia, and we had a time of it to keep her mother from finding it out. Things are going better, now, but I suppose it will be months before Mrs. Clemens gets on her feet again.
I suppose you are busy and rushing, as always, but quiet down! quiet down! and come and see me [MTP].
Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.
I am nearly dead with the work of finishing this book, and I have promised to have it ready for the press by the middle of March…It’s revising and verifying I’m doing, and it’s always a back-breaking, heart-breaking, horrible job. There is no surviving it but to do it in bed—so I have not been up before 6 P.M. for 5 days—I get up only in time to dress for dinner [MTP: Anderson Auction Co. catalog, Nov. 21-2, 1923, No. 1774, Item 102; not in MTHHR].