August 3 Thursday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote a long letter to H.H. Rogers

“Yours of July 6 [not extant] is just at hand. I wondered where it could have been spending its vacation; but I find by the N.Y. postmark that you didn’t mail it until it was 14 days old. …”

Sam commented on a matter between Frank Bliss and the Harpers, thinking Bliss’ permission would be necessary and that Bliss should refuse “if he thinks it good judgment to do it.” He related missing seeing Harry Rogers in London, as the young man had not left his address, and was gone by the time Sam had “hunted him down” by telephone. He then labeled the next passage, centering on Jean’s health, “Private.”

Bok was mistaken. I think we were packing up for Sweden when he called with Doubleday. I am unspeakably sorry to lose the steam yachting and the Fairhaven visit, and I wasn’t expecting to lose the whole scheme, but the Swedish project made a sudden and radical change in our plans. You see, Jean’s health has made no real and substantial progress in the past 3 years. None whatsoever. We had tried the baths, and the doctors and everything—all no good. What should we do? For one, I was willing to try anything that might turn the tide— except Christian Science.

Sam told about hearing of Kellgren’s cure from Poultney Bigelow, who had been near death before taking it. He told of trying it himself at Kellgren’s London gymnasium. Sam called the massage and physical manipulations, “vigorous exercise, and other people do it for you. Isn’t that nice?” and gave several anecdotal testimonials. Also, he advised that he’d sent his Christian Science article to Cosmopolitan and told John Brisben Walker to send it on to Rogers if he didn’t want it. He didn’t want to publish the rest of the series of articles on Christian Science until he issued a book.

I have marked part of this letter “private” because we do not want it known that Jean is ailing. If this treatment should definitely help her we shall continue it in London when we return thither the 28th of Sept. No doctor will ever do her any good; that is perfectly plain. The best in the world have had charge of her for 3 years and haven’t made an inch of progress toward a cure [MTHHR 402-7].

Sam also wrote to an unidentified person; only a fragment survives restating his desire to publish only the first article on Christian Science and leave the others for a planned book [MTP].