February 5 Monday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, marking the letter “Private”.
I mark it private because I want to explain what keeps us over here so long—the reason being one which a family conceals even from its friends as long as it can, let alone the world. Jean’s head got a bad knock when she [was] 8 or 9, by a fall. Seven year ago she showed capricious changes of disposition which we could not account for, & four years ago the New York experts pronounced her case epilepsy. This we learned when we got back from around the world. We put her into the hands of the world’s head expert in Vienna, who said that in some cases this disease had been out grown, but that he knew of no authentic instances of its cure by physicians.
Sam continued that their hopes had been on Henrik Kellgren to cure Jean; that they knew of two cases of English ladies Kellgren cured from epilepsy, the first taking two and a half years, some 24 years before. Jean had been treated seven and a half months so far.
“Her natural disposition—lost during 7 years, has returned. Her physical condition is good. Her mind is sound & capable—however, it was that all the time; the disease did not attack it.”
Sam still believed that in time Kellgren could cure Jean; but wanted to find an osteopath in the U.S. who could attest to a cure for epilepsy and continue the treatment so they might come home. He had tried to find out through Sue Crane and Dr. George J. Helmer, a N.Y. osteopath, the answers to his questions about treatment and a cure, but the friends went to doctors to ask opinions, which he felt was “as sane as going to Satan to find out about the Christian religion.”
At last, however, I have gone at the matter in a square way. I have sent a relative [Samuel E. Moffett] to a New York osteopath to ask what he can say, & what he can promise. I am hoping that when I get that report it will determine us to go home a few months hence. Don’t tell Rice anything. He does not believe in osteopaths.
Sam then wrote the rest of his letter about Samuel McClure’s offer, asking Rogers to have a talk with and “analyze the man…look him well over; weigh him,” as Sam felt he couldn’t “afford to go into a concern that is unsafe,” and trusted Rogers’ “usual worldly sagacity” to advise him. He doubted he would want the editorship more than a year: “I do not like slavery & work; but I am prepared for a year.” Sam closed with dreams of pointing the yacht Rogers was having built toward Norway’s fjords. He congratulated Rogers on a new grandson [MTHHR 429-32]. Note: Dr. Clarence C. Rice. Sam disclosed Jean’s illness to Moffett on Apr. 23. Epilepsy, or any illness affecting the mind, was often considered somewhat shameful, or at least not a subject to be shared, even with intimates.