July 17 Wednesday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam wrote a paragraph reply to Elizabeth (Ann Chase) Akers Allen (Elizabeth C. Akers).

Of your suggested mitigations of Shelley’s guilt (in the matter of Harriet’s suicide) only one has value, I think—would have, I mean, if it were not a myth—Harriet’s second marriage. I wonder Dowden didn’t invent that, instead of leaving it to another. His charity is to be accounted for in only one way—he didn’t think of it [MTP].

Note: this relates to Sam’s esay “In Defense of Harriet Shelley” which ran in the North American Review July-Sept. 1894. The essay castigated Edward Dowden (1843-1913) for slandering a dead woman, Harriet Shelley, in his Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley (1886). See also July 30, as well as Gribben p. 200.

Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.

Judge Howland can’t go—friends due at his house Aug. 5.

There’s Professor Wm. Sloane of Columbia, a perfectly delightful man—would you like to have him? If so, will you write him (time being short), or shall I? At this time of the year he will be living in his house at Princeton, N.J.. I think you couldn’t possibly help liking Sloane. Perhaps you know him; if so, you do like him. He wrote the big History of Napoleon that appeared in the Century [MTHHR 466-7; Gribben 647]. Note: Sloane declined to join the cruise due to illness. See July 9, July 28.

Sam also wrote to Abbott Handerson Thayer in Monadock, N.H.

“Indeed we should like it, but we are so contented here that I suppose nothing can move us out but dynamite.

We thank you again & again & encore” [MTP].

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

284  Whitmore  700.00