September 20 Saturday – In York Harbor, Maine, Livy had a relapse. A telegram was sent to a doctor.
Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.
It was pretty hard for Mrs. Clemens to give up the yacht, but she is not a good sailor, & the doctor says that if her stomach should refuse work for three or four hours she would be exhausted. Therefore Charley Langdon is going to attend to engaging a Pullman to take us through from York Harbor station to Riverdale without change, & I am writing Mr. Daniels of the N. Y. C. [R.R.] to ask him to have us hitched to an Express from Boston by Albany & discharge us at Riverdale in the daytime; or detach us at Yonkers & snatch us down with dispatch behind a locomotive or local train.
When, I don’t know. Not for days yet—& maybe other days.
It is still a case of up & down, & down & up—has been for 40 days. She had a bad time yesterday afternoon late. Then was better. Bad again this morning, with heavy sweating from weakness. This afternoon she is better again, & is sleeping.
Jean prospers here. It is 7½ weeks, now, since she has had a faint. It is the longest interval by a week & a half, in four years [MTHHR 507]. Note: George H. Daniels was the general passenger agent for the NY Central RR.
Elizabeth Perkins wrote from Chelsea, Vt., forwarding a telegram from Dr. George J. Helmer to Sam, which was sent by telephone to the Perkins. The doctor said he did not get the telegram from Sam until six p.m. this evening and could take the first train from NY at 2:30 the next day—should he come? [MTP].
Note: Livy’s emergency caused Sam to summon the osteopath. See NB below.
Sam’s notebook of Sept. 21: “Dr. Helmer was telegraphed for yesterday and came to-day and treated the patient…a severe treatment left Livy sore and lame and she slept but little, the night” [NB 45 TS 27-8]. Note: George Helmer, osteopath from N.Y.C.