August 14 Friday – In the morning word reached the Clemenses in Guildford that Susy Clemens was quite ill. Sam cablegrammed Charles Langdon throughout the day for clarification but none came.

He also telegraphed Chatto & Windus, since Andrew Chatto was expected on Aug. 17:  We may sail from Southampton tomorrow Daughter ill in America / Clemens [MTP].

Note: Katy Leary recalled that Livy and Clara “had sailed for America right after getting out cable….Mr. Clemens was going to take the next steamer after them” [Lawton 137]. (See next to Goodenough.)

Sam also wrote to Anna Goodenough (Mrs. W.H. Goodenough).

Mrs. Clemens was hoping to have some stamps by this time, but none have accumulated but the enclosed. We had a very pleasant hour or two at the Crown in Lyndhurst, but found no house there & none at Romsey, none at Weybridge. We finally got this house for 5 weeks while the inmates take an outing at the seaside.

To-day we are troubled a little by news that our eldest daughter is ill in America. We cannot all get away immediately, but Mrs. Clemens & Clara will sail to-morrow & I shall follow 3 days later if the cablegrams do not improve meantime.

Sam added after his signature that they could get no reply to their cablegrams — they’d begun at 11 a.m. and it was now 11 p.m. and still no answer, so they could not imagine what the trouble with Susy was [MTP]. Note: cablegrams not extant.

The three packed bags for an emergency trip home to Hartford. They would leave for Southampton the next morning, Aug. 15 [Powers, MT A Life 576].