December 11 Sunday – In Florence Sam wrote to Dr. William Wilberforce Baldwin about a possible pulpit vacancy in the St. James American Church, which may have been the Clemens’ church of choice in Florence.

I shall see you Friday evening at Loring’s; but meantime slide your eye over the enclosed letters, & if there is a show for the said curate, won’t you conspire with Long & Mr. Childs & see if you two can’t ring him into the vacancy if one really exists, as reported. I am a Mugwump in religion as well as politics — which is to say I want to see the pulpits filled by the fittest men, regardless of creed — & I take this gentleman to be a fit man for the reason that he is backed by Matt Arnot & Tom Beecher, men whose word stands always at par no matter what the fluctuations of the general market may be, in the matter of veracity [MTP]. Note: Matthias Arnot and Thomas K. Beecher of Elmira.

Sam wrote a paragraph after his signature explaining the failed effort to erect a statue to Adam in Elmira, probably in response to a question by Dr. Baldwin.

† Another note, undated and estimated by MTP to be between Sept. 25, 1892 and Mar. 12, 1893, which was Sam’s answer to an invitation by Mr. Loring, is judged to be this day or just after. It follows:

Dear Mr. Loring:

With the greatest pleasure.

Friday evening I shall be there — & on time./ With many thanks [MTP]. †

Daniel Willard Fiske visited the Clemenses [Dec. 15 to Hutton].