5 September 1882 • Elmira, N.Y. (MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 02263)
I am glad to hear you got through so well. It was much better than I was expecting—especially in Ma’s case. Old as she is, I guess she has more “sand” than any of you.
I am glad things came out to the general satisfaction with Charley. I imagined they would. I believed it was a tempest in a tea-potⒶemendation about nothing—just as it turned out to be. Seldom has such an eloquent & imposing arrayⒶemendation of slanders come to so grotesque an end, I suppose.
I seem to speak lightly; but it was not a light matter at all. Some of the charges against Charley—& figures—were false on their face, to anybody not intellectually stone blind; the deductions from them—as to Charley’s motives—idiotic. I was in a fine fury over these foolishnesses for a week or two spell—costⒶemendation me ten thousand dollars, heaps of cash, in time, which is money & worth its face—& after all, it was sheer waste, no occasion for it. Not that my time is always so valuable, but I am writing a book, now—which accounts for it. However, at any cost I am thooroughly glad it is all over, & permanently & satisfactorily.
You all seem to be pleasantly situated, & we are all very glad of that. I enclose check for $90, being ¾ of the traveling-bill of $118 & odd.
There is nobody here sick but me, & I don’t call myself sick, seeing I get in a fair day’s work most of the time.
With love to Ma & Pamela & Mollie,
MS, CU-MARK.
MicroML, reel 4.
See Moffett Collection in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.