June 2 Friday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam finished his June 1 to Joe Twichell.

P.S. / June 2/05

Joe, although you are a congregational minister, you know there are proprieties that must be observed. You know quite well that if the chair of Applied Chastity at Vassar should accept a donation from a reputed whore house, just that notorious repute, unconfirmed by any court, would settle it. Don’t you know that? Withdraw your mind from the wordy confusion and hair splitting “reasonings” of the day, and rest it and tranquillize it with contemplation of a simple and easy object-lesson, like this.

Let us imagine that the American Board is the trustee of Vassar, and responsible: that Granny Judson occupies the chair of Applied Chastity, a chair supported wholly by the donations of kindly people who, having been brought to practice a little chastity now and then and enjoy it, desire to extend its sweet restraints to the gentle Vasserlings sitting in innocent darkness and unaware. Now then let Granny take that money: those contributions are not public: for all Granny knows, they are pure: So far as she knows, their money is clean. Let her take it, and boom chastity with it: she is justified. But when America’s boss whore—by rumor mind you, mere universal and unchallenged rumor, and nothing more—sends a contribution wherewith to stimulate the spread of practical chastity in the college right at that point Granny must call a halt. Common propriety, elementary propriety requires it, Joe. / Mark [MTP].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Tonight Mr. Clemens read 20 pages of the microbe story” [MTP TS 62].

Elizabeth Nolde wrote from Florence, Italy to Sam. She had met him in Florence and he had advised her to publish the letters from Miss de Hail to Benjamin Constant in America first. She had found a translator but was afraid the American public would not be interested in the letters. Would Sam “give one superficial glance” and offer “words of introduction”? [MTP]. Note: Miss Lyon wrote on the letter that Sam was not allowed to write for anyone save his publisher.

E.B. Prondfit for Aeolian Co. wrote to Lyon c/o Sam with a notice that they had made a credit in their account of $8.25 [MTP].