September 24 Thursday – In London Sam wrote to William Dean Howells, responding to his Sept. 13 letter of condolence.

Yes, you two know what we feel — but no others among our friends. They have lost children, but the proportions were not the same. As Mrs. Clemens says, “they have lost a daughter, but they have not lost a Susy Clemens.” There was not a detail in Susy’s make-up that was commonplace.

      To me our loss is bitter, bitter, bitter. Then what must it be to my wife. It would bankrupt the vocabularies of all the languages to put it into words. For the relation between Susy & her mother was not merely & only the relation of mother & child, but that of sweethearts, lovers also. “Do you love me, mamma?” “No, I don’t love you Susy, I worship you” [MTHL 2: 662-3].