September 16 Saturday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam replied to Lilian W. Aldrich’s Sept. 15:

Dear Mrs. T.B.: / You don’t need the secretary. Mr. Rogers does not see very many of the business letters that go to 26 Broadway, but he sees & reads all the personal letters that go there addressed to him.

I am going to hope with all my might that I can go from another friend’s house in Boston about the 27th or the 28th of October & have a day with you; but I’ll have to excuse Jean—she would be too much responsibility for me.

I hope you & Tom are well, & I wish I were, also; I spend my time in bed, mostly. At first it was gout, but now it’s other things—dyspepsia & one thing & another. But I can work, in bed, as well as elsewhere, so it is no great matter.

As soon as I reach Boston I will telephone you [MTP]. Note: See Lillian’s Sept. 15 and Sam’s this date to Rogers, Lillian’s enclosed.

Sam also wrote to Frederick A. Duneka asking about Editorial Wild Oats. Evidently, Sam had seen the newspaper notices and was unaware of its publication:

Dear Mr. Duneka: / What’s the new book? I hope it isn’t old sketches that I’ve tried to keep out of print, for they could damage me, I suppose. In England I am under contract to add to the Collected Works every book I publish. Will this one be added here? for I am under the same engagement here, by the contract which Bliss made with that Reade-street man. / Sincerely yours [MTP]. Note: See Sept. 24 entry for titles in the book

Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.

Read & destroy the enclosed, & don’t blame me, I’m not doing anything. It is from Mrs. Tom Bailey Aldrich, & I had to give her an answer, of course. I have told her your private mail goes to you, not to an intermediary.

I am still doing the rest-cure in bed—nearly ever since the journey to Clara in the hot weather broke me down. The worst of it was, that I was not obliged to go at that time—as I supposed, by grace of misinformation—Clara was not expecting until October. The journey from here to Boston in hot weather is murderous, & I expected it to knock me out, & it did.

I’ve got dyspepsia [indigestion], now, & have had a disagreeable time with it—& gruel, all by itself—but I am getting over it.

I have lost a straight two months from my work; but I did 4 months’ work in the preceding 2, so I am not behind [MTHHR 598].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: I went down to see Robert Pearmain’s beautiful mounted butterflies and while there I had a chat with Mr. Montague the young lawyer who was here on Wednesday. He is full of appreciation of Mr. Clemens, enjoying to the full the talk he had with him in the twilight of his room when he sat up in his white bed, and the tobacco smoke caressing his wonderful, beautiful head. Last night at the dance I told Mr. Montague he had seen Mr. Clemens in one of his bests [MTP TS 98]. Note: Gilbert Holland Montague. See earlier.

H.E. Heller wrote from Salamanca, N.Y. to Sam, trying to interest him on a musical production for people who took tours “down the St. Lauwrence, through the Great Lakes and to many other points,” incorporating “scenes so vividly portrayed in” LM. What was Sam’s opinion of the possibilities? [MTP]. Note: Sam’s response through Lyon is estimated at ca. Sept. 18.