May 19 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Helen S. Allen in Hamilton, Bermuda.
I am so sorry, you dear child! You must be pretty desolate, now, with so many of your pets gone. I hope the disaster will not spoil the fancy dress dance for you.
Indeed you will be very likely to see me in Bermuda next winter, but I shall also hope that you will come to New York to school. I wish to keep in touch with my angel-fishes. One of them came Saturday morning & stayed until late yesterday afternoon, but could not stay longer because she goes to school. We drove to the ship, Saturday afternoon, & saw my daughter Clara off to England.
The new house up-country is getting finished. Miss Lyon expects to go up & take possession about the first of June; then I will follow about the tenth.
To-morrow I attend two functions, & two on the 25th—then I’m free till next fall. It’s a blessed thought!
Miss Lyon sends lots of love, & so do I. / SLC
The pictures of you & me in the Atlantic Ocean are VERY cunning! Miss Lyon has sent you copies—or will, anyway. She has just gone out a while ago, so I don’t know [MTP; not in MTAq].
Sam also wrote to daughter Clara.
Clärchen dear, you are half-way across, now—I have been keeping the progress of the ship in mind ever since you left, & watching her lay the meridians of longitude behind her. By this time she has cut twenty-five or thirty of them in two, I guess.
Robert Collier did certainly do well by you. He is a dear. He was going to find an automobile for us, but we’ll call him off from that quest to-day. We should need it only 4 or 5 months in the year; it would cost a good deal; the chauffer would be expensive; we shouldn’t use the thing often, for I mean to walk, not ride; we should have to build a garage—an unsightly one, no doubt. And so, there’s not going to be any ’mobile.
We took the subway at 9 this morning, & had half an hour with Jean at the Grand Central station. She was on her way to Glo’ster—a tedious long journey. I was sorry for her, but she was cheerful. From the station I walked out to the Plaza Hotel, & then back home.
If you should run across little Dorothy Butes, be good to her. She is one of my pets.
With warm regards to the others & lots of love & kisses to you. / Father
Dear heart, I hope everything will come out exactly as you would wish [MTP].
Hellen Elizabeth Martin wrote to Sam. “I was so pleased to get your letter. I am glad you heard from Jean Spurr, Our cousin Bruce is dead. Mother went to … see him buried. I am glad you are feeling well and hope you are still well. Edith and I went picking flowers with my Sunday school teacher and the class. Did you get the letters I sent you? Lots of love…” [MTP; not in MTAq]. Note: IVL: “ans. June 7”