August 13 Thursday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Helen S. Allen in Bermuda.
To Helen Allen, M. A. (Member of the Aquarium).
Dear Helen: Don’t forget that you are coming here to spend a week with me when you come to New York. Several of the fishes have visited me already, & others are coming later. Just now they are pretty well scattered; & I find by their letters that they are not all amusing themselves in only one monotonous way, but in a healthy variety of ways: you with your regattas & fancy dress parties; Dorothy M. A. & Irene M. A. with sunbathing; Dorothy Quick M. A. with scrambling around on sea & land; Helen of Montreal M. A. with mountain-climbing in Scotland; Boston-Dorothy M. A. with foot-races & swimming-matches in her school-camp far up towards the North Pole (& she wins them, too); Margaret Blackmer M. A., with foregathering with the Indians in South Dakotah. The rest of my little tribe are—somewhere, I don’t quite know where, but I shall soon know, for they are loyal & they always write me, sooner or later, & tell me what they are about.
We have good times here in this soundless solitude on the hill-top. The moment I saw the house I was glad I built it; & now I am gladder & gladder all the time, after 8 weeks occupancy. I was not dreaming of living here except in the summer-time—that was before I saw this region & the house, you see—but that is all changed now; I shall stay here winter & summer both, & not go back to New York at all. Miss Lyon is extravagantly fond of the place, & so is Ashcroft.
Ashcroft comes up ever[y] Friday & stays over Sunday. All the guests like it. We have had 21 guests since June 26, & lots more have engaged to come. My child, it’s as tranquil & contenting as Bermuda. You’ll be very welcome here, dear.
With lots of love from Miss Lyon & from me— / S L C./ Curator of the Aquarium [MTP].
Note: for some reason Cooley did not include letters to and from Helen Allen, clearly given the distinction of “Member of the Acquarium” here by Clemens.
Sam also wrote to Margaret Blackmer.
It’s a charming letter, you cunning little angel-fish! and glad I was to get it. My fishes find many ways to entertain themselves: you with the Indians & the circus; Irene with sea-bathing; Helen of Montreal with climbing mountains in Scotland; Helen of Bermuda with regatta-races on stormy seas; Boston-Dorothy with foot-races & swimming-races in her school-camp away up towards the North Pole—& she wins them, too. The others are scattered far & wide, but I shall hear from all of them presently & know what they are at, for they are not going to neglect me; they are too dear & faithful for that. I answered letters from 3 of them yesterday; & this morning I have your letter & one from Irene.
I shall be so glad to welcome you & your mother here, when you get back home. You will arrive September 16th, & you will write me on the 17th, won’t you? & you & I will arrange that visit.
Goodbye, dear, with lots of love, / SLC. / Curator of the Acquarium [MTP; MTAq 199-200].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “I heard sounds—sneezes from the King’s room in the night and going to his room I found him very wakeful and threatened with another attach of nausea” [MTP: IVL TS 59].
Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Katharine Boland Clemens (Mrs. James Ross Clemens) in South Dartmouth, Mass.
Mr. Clemens asks me to write for him & tell you how very glad he is to know you are in this part of the country again, & to say that he very much hopes that you & D . Clemens will be able to motor over, or to come over here to see him, for it will not be possible for him to make any visits this season. Mr. Clemens went down to New York to attend the funeral of M . Moffett, & he returned entirely exhausted. A day or two later he had a bilious collapse, & the doctor has forbidden him to leave the quiet of Redding until frost. But he can have his friends; and any time that you can come to Mr. Clemens he will be most happy to see you, & make you welcome, and it will confer a benefit upon him. Mr. Clemens sends much love to you & to D . Clemens & hopes you will not disappoint him [MTP].