September 23 Wednesday – Sam did reach Lyon, France and found several letters from Livy, which he answered after sending a telegram (not extant) to let her know he’d arrived. Livy had secured accommodations in Berlin for their winter stay. Daughter Jean had avoided “maiming or death” when Livy managed to lift a wardrobe which fell on her. The next place where Sam might receive letters was:
Write to Avignon, sweetheart. I don’t know how to furnish any other address at present — you see this weather threatens to break up my trip if it continues.
Your letters were unspeakably welcome, & there were two more than I thought you would write — thanks for them all [MTP].
The end of “Down the Rhone” comes here:
Wednesday. — After breakfast, got under way. Still storming as hard as ever. The whole land looks defeated and discouraged. And very lonely; here and there a woman in the fields. They merely accent the loneliness [Neider, Complete Essays 616].
Caroline Earnest wrote from Wingdon, Virginia to Sam asking permission to use an extract from Ch. 25 of TA. Her book, Readings and Recitations No. 15 would be published by Edgar S. Werner, N.Y. (1891) ed. by Caroline Earnest Dickenson [MTP]. Note: Whitmore answered on Sept. 29 that though Mark Twain was in Europe, he felt sure he would approve.