December 30 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Carlotta Welles.
Your letter has just arrived, & is a very pleasant & very welcome surprise; I thought you had forgotten me long ago. The xmas holidays have this high value: that they remind Forgetters of the Forgotten, & repair damaged relationships.
Yesterday afternoon when I was breaking the Sabbath over the billiard table, word was brought up that “Doangivadams” were downstairs, waiting. We had a very pleasant time together, & some day I’m going down to Bryn Mawr & return the visit.
You remember Frances Nunnally? I had xmas letters from her & her mother day before yesterday, from their home in Georgia. They visited me in Tuxedo in September. Frances (whom I call Francesca for short), was very good to me in London, & drove with me two hours every afternoon, returning calls. Her school is near Baltimore; I am going down there by & by.
Dispeptic? Dear me, I do pity you Charley, for I was walking that vale of tears & exasperations for many months, & I know all about it. I cured it two months ago, & I will tell you the process. So that you can duplicate it? Indeed no!—so that you can avoid it. For what cures one person always kills another. I stopped drinking milk—that was the main thing. I stopped dieting. That was the next mainest thing. I dine chiefly on radishes & celery now (I am not joking), following these with all kinds of deadly food, & always finishing with two pears. My health is at last perfect. But don’t you venture that road, you little rascal!
With love & Happy New Years … [MTAq 89-90]. Note: source: “Carlotta was attending the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; the three visitors were probably school friends.”
John Larkin wrote to Sam about the Knickerbocker Trust situation. Larkin advised the best thing for depositors to do is to “consent to the Satterly plan…of which Mr. Parsons is chairman and Mr. Satterly is counsel.” He had followed the situation and felt as did Harvey, that the bank might reopen [MTP]. Note: Herbert L. Satterly, also seen as Satterlee, was the son-in-law of J.P. Morgan. Hinsdill Parsons (1864-1912).
Dorothy Quick wrote to Sam.
My Dear Mr Clemens / Here I am safe in Plainfield. Grandpa and Grandma came yesterday and I was so glad to see them I had over 40 Christmas [presents] when I counted them all up It is raining here and is dark and dreary I have not heard from Bache but expect a letter every day will let you know when I get it with lots of love / your loving / Dorothy / P.S. Please give lots of love to Miss Lyon from me [MTAq 88-9].
Oscar M. Voorhees for Phi Beta Kappa wrote to Sam, enclosing a bound copy of the “report of the recent Phi Beta Kappa Council” (in file.) [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote on the letter, “Answd. Jan. 6, 1908” and “Thanks for report”