To
Mary E. (Mollie) Clemens and Jane Lampton
Clemens
30 August 1877 • Elmira, N.Y.
(MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 01476)
Elmira, Aug. 30.
My Dear Mollie:
I write for Livy, who has her hands full getting ready to leave for Hartford on the 4th.
Livy thinks your health & strength are a bar to your attempting the new house.
She says your energy & capacity are amply sufficient to enable you to succeed, & succeed handsomely; but, considering the bar above mentioned, she would advise rather against the new enterprise than in favor of it.
She says, If you got such an establishment on your hands & then fell sick—what then?
[MS page 2][unknown amount of text torn away]
out. I believe you could take the new house & make run it ably & make money out of it if you have a fair degree of strength—but when I reflect that with $42 a month from me, & $50 from Orion earned in a but like Livy I doubt if you have these.1
[unknown amount of text torn away]2
[in top left margin: P. S. I wrote 5 pages, Mollie, but tore up 3⅓. S L C]
[MS page 3]
With love from us,
Samℓ.
Dear Ma—If you don’t quit tearing around with the other young people, you will make yourself sick, sure. However, we are glad you are having such a good time, & hope it will continue.3 Why don’t you want to go to George Hawes’s?4 Livy & I & the children send love.
Samℓ.
Mrs. O. Clemens | Care Orion Clemens, Esq | Keokuk | Iowa [on flap:] slc [postmarked:] elmira n.y. sep 1 11am
[MS page 5]
