July 3 Friday – In Kimberley Sam went on drives with A.M. Robeson to the Bulfontein and new Wesselton mines. At 8:30 p.m. the Clemens party left Kimberley on a first-class rail car, bound for Cape Town some 647 miles southwest [Philippon 23]. Parsons writes of this leg of the journey:

Twain’s final rail journey of 647 miles from the 4,012-foot elevation of Kimberley to near sea level at Cape Town must have been exhausting. The Cape Times warned its readers, “He asks for a rest before visitors and interviewers begin” [“Clubman in S.A.” 252].

James B. Pond wrote to Sam after returning to New York from the Hartford funeral of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

My Dear Friend: —

I have just returned from Hartford with Mrs. [Henry Ward] Beecher. We attended Mrs. Stowe’s funeral yesterday. Mr. Twichell conducted the service. It was a pathetic incident, and I might almost say, event. There were present most of the distinguished people of Hartford, and all of your old neighbors. Within a few minutes walk lay Mrs. [Mary Beecher] Perkins. In her ninety-second year, — a physical invalid with an intellect as brilliant and sparkling as ever. She is quite deaf. I called on her and she seemed quite delighted to see me. She had not seen Mrs. Stowe for eight years, although she has been stopping in Hartford for two years. She said she preferred to remember her sister as she saw her eight years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Warner and Susie [Clemens] were present. Charley Stowe [Harriet’s son] was there with his family. I received a gracious reception from everybody, having known Mrs. Stowe so long and she having been my friend for twenty years. It was a pleasure to hear so many kind expressions from everybody. I called at Mr. Warner’s and Mrs. Warner went with me to your house where we found Susie in possession of the old place. She, and her faithful Katie, spend their days at the house. She seemed very glad to see me. She told me that she had heard from you about two weeks ago; that you had decided to spend the winter in England (near London), and that she and Jean [Clemens] expected to sail in September. She seems quite happy where she is. She says it seems very much like home to her, and she wished you would come back. The place is beautiful, but there is a terrible atmosphere of lonesomeness there. The last time I visited the place you and Mrs. Clemens and a party of Hartford friends were there, and it was delightful. Mr. and Mrs. Twichell had many kind inquiries and expressions for you and of you and are very very anxious that you come back sometime to live. I wonder if your ears burned yesterday. Everybody seems to think you fail to give them any information about yourself. Mr. Warner said, “Mark never tells any of us anything about his movements, or even his address.” I replied that I thought you were uncertain as to that yourself. We have all come to the conclusion, however, that you will be in South Africa during August, so I send you letters and papers there.

I started to write you about Mrs. Stowe, but it seems to me my thoughts are of the living more than on the dead. Susie told me that she (Mrs. Stowe) was in the habit of coming over nearly every day to your place for a chat, and was pleasant and childish. Hattie Stowe [Harriet’s daughter, one of the twins] told me that her Mother had played with the children and seemed more like a child for the last four years than a woman. Her memory seems to have failed, and she seldom referred to the past. She was in good physical health until she was strikken last Friday. There are none of her old friends left to write of her. The familiar poet-friends, and men of letters, she has outlived; even Mrs. Gov. Claflin, of Boston, died on the 13th of May last. Mrs. Beecher, in her eighty-fifth year, accompanied me. She is quite feeble. Mrs. Hooker was at the funeral, but she and Mrs. Beecher did not meet, — a very pathetic condition of affairs.

P.S.: — I had a delightful visit with Mr. and Mrs. Twichell, who are about the most substantial friends you have in the world. J.B.P. [Andrews 219-20].