May 24 Sunday – Clara Clemens’ cabled from England that she had arrived safely. The cable arrived in the morning at 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. [May 24 to Sturgis] Sam then sent a telegram to daughter Jean, c/o Dr. Harlands: “Clara has arrived safely. Much love to you. Father” [MTP]. Note: Clara Clemens had arrived in England for her singing tour of Paris and London.  

Sam also replied to the May 21 from Dorothy Sturgis:

Dear Dorothy—

Indeed I would tell you lots of news if there were lots to tell, but there’s only some. We shipped my daughter Clara to England a week ago, & she has just arrive there—so says her cablegram of this morning. 

Last Tuesday we shipped my daughter Jean to Eastern Point, Gloucester, Mass, where she has taken a house for the summer, & has two very charming companions who do for her what you are doing for your father & brother—keep house. Miss Lyon found that place & secured it, but as  Jean had never seen it we were in deep suspense & anxiety until we should hear from her, for it might not content her. But it is all right, now—she can’t find adjectives enough to express her delight in it. I did not fully appreciate how cautious I had been, until her letter came & relieved me.

One of the angel-fishes is stopping over Sunday with us, & she & I took the top of the electric stage this morning and traveled from our door to 90th street, then down again to 55th where we entered the St. Regis & sat down to wait until church should break out. When the porter informed us,we crossed the street & mixed into the crowd issuing from a 5th avenue church, & gained good & great reputation at no expense of fatigue or contributions. Everywhere you could hear people say in an awed & hushed voice, “How nice that young Clemens is—people think he doesn’t go to church, but you can see he does.” Then I whispered to the fish to look as if she had put 10 cents in the plate, & I put on a look indicating a dollar & a half—& you never saw such admiration as it excited. Many of the ladies swooned, from pure joy.

We joined every congregation between 55th and 28th, & by careful & delicate art convinced each & every one of them that we had been partakers of their clerical feast. It has been a good lesson to this child; she will always know how to make an inexpensive good impression, Sundays, after this; & by & by it will have a splendid commercial value for her.

Kipling? I don’t know where he is, now. England, no doubt. He winters in South Africa.

Good bye. With love— / SLC [MTP].