February 13 Tuesday – At 1 a.m. in New York, Sam finished the multi-part letter to Livy he began on Feb. 11. The broker from Elmira with whom Sam wanted to sell stock in the new Paige company, J.M. Shoemaker, was thought to be blocked by a snowstorm which began at noon on Feb. 12. H.H. Rogers had invited Sam to dinner (on Feb. 12) and offered to keep posted by telephone on Shoemaker’s arrival at the Players Club, and also to be on hand should there be problems in the trade.

I never saw such a man. He is not strong, & has no business taking all this trouble for me. They are lovely — all the family.

Mrs. Rogers [Annie Palmer Gifford Rogers] has built a costly town hall for the Courts & the post office in their native village of Fairhaven, Mass., & it is to be delivered to the town & dedicated with big ceremonies on the 22d of Feb. Coming up the Elevated, Mr. Rogers asked me if I would go up with them and be present & make a few remarks; & he was as shy & diffident about it as if he were asking me to commit suicide; but said Mrs. Rogers was afraid it was asking too much of me & was sure she never could get up the courage to do it; so she had entreated him to do it for her. Think of that! Why, if they should ask me to swim the Atlantic I would at least try.

We shall be there a day or two & stay at their country house.

Sam told of getting his mind off of worry for Susy, who had been ill:

I was glad to play billiards after dinner to-night [Feb. 12]…because it partly made me forget my distress about Susy. You see, your letter telling me that her English trip had done her no good. Oh, if I were only there! I would not allow her to touch food until she was wolfish for it; & she shouldn’t have any regular hours for eating, but eat only when hungry; then she would eat beef juice in quantities, & like it. What a hateful & thoroughly idiotic system it is — regular meals! The idea was the invention of a donkey. No — a donkey knows better.

Sam wanted to “rush over” and take Susy to Hartford to board with Lilly Warner and get her mind cure from the “same person who cured” Lilly Foote (their ex-governess).

I suppose I must go to bed, since you require it, you dear creature, though it is a couple of hours too early, yet. I weigh 154 pounds, now, which is 4 pounds above my normal weight, & 2 pounds more than I have ever weighed before. The first time I was weighed on the scales in Mr. Rogers’s house I weighed 150. That was about two months ago.

Sam hoped to be able to sail by month’s end. He noted the blizzard and hoped J.M. Shoemaker hadn’t been caught in it. Then he closed by saying he’d left $1,000 with Webster & Co. to convert to a draft and send to her immediately [MTP].

Sam also wrote a short note to Bram Stoker who was acting agent for Henry Irving. Both men invested in the new Paige Compositor Co. Sam noted that the stock was ready but the 30-days’ public notice required by Illinois law wasn’t up yet [MTP]. See also MTHHR 40n1&2.