July 2 Friday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to Frank E. Bliss, enclosing a photo “mentioned in the last chapter of the book.” Sam advised that he and Andrew Chatto had removed material from FE the day before. “Chatto promised to write you, so that you can leave it out, too, if you like.” After his signature Sam wrote they would leave for the Continent on July 8 [MTP]. Note: delays pushed departure to July 13.

Sam also replied to a letter (not extant) from Frank Fuller, who had been hard at work with the grand lecture idea Sam had suggested on May 27. Giving the bad news, Sam wrote:

Dear Old Man: / That plan of yours would be splendid and could be successfully worked, too I believe, but Livy refuses her consent and so we’ve got to drop it. She says that if I can go on the platform again I must go in the old way and at ordinary prices, and she won’t let me diverge from that. And so, it’s good-bye, platform for the undersigned. ….

I am ever so grateful to you and ever so glad you were willing to make that big lift for me and that Mrs. Fuller gave it help and sanction. But I see that I have got to stick to the legitimate and I never liked the legitimate much.

Sam also divulged they would leave for Switzerland and then to Vienna in the fall. The choice had been made for Clara to become a pupil of Polish/Czech Theodor Leschetizky (Teodor Leszetycki, in Polish)

(1830-1915) [MTP]. Note: Leschetizky visited London in September, 1897 and played some of his own compositions at Mr. Daniel Mayer’s reception at the Salle Erard [Theodor Leschetizky, by Annette Hullah (1906) p.23]. The Clemenses did not meet the Maestro during this time, however, though they may have read of the reception; they first met in Vienna.