[_New York_: _end of September_ 1887.]
MY DEAR S. C.,—Your delightful letter has just come, and finds me in a
New York hotel, waiting the arrival of a sculptor (St. Gaudens) who is
making a medallion of yours truly and who is (to boot) one of the
handsomest and nicest fellows I have seen. I caught a cold on the Banks;
fog is not for me; nearly died of interviewers and visitors, during
twenty-four hours in New York; cut for Newport with Lloyd and Valentine,
a journey like fairy-land for the most engaging beauties, one little
rocky and pine-shaded cove after another, each with a house and a boat at
anchor, so that I left my heart in each and marvelled why American
authors had been so unjust to their country; caught another cold on the
train; arrived at Newport to go to bed and to grow worse, and to stay in
bed until I left again; the Fairchilds proving during this time kindness
itself; Mr. Fairchild simply one of the most engaging men in the world,
and one of the children, Blair, _aet._ ten, a great joy and amusement in
his solemn adoring attitude to the author of _Treasure Island_.
Here I was interrupted by the arrival of my sculptor. I have begged him
to make a medallion of himself and give me a copy. I will not take up
the sentence in which I was wandering so long, but begin fresh. I was
ten or twelve days at Newport; then came back convalescent to New York.
Fanny and Lloyd are off to the Adirondacks to see if that will suit; and
the rest of us leave Monday (this is Saturday) to follow them up. I hope
we may manage to stay there all winter. I have a splendid appetite and
have on the whole recovered well after a mighty sharp attack. I am now
on a salary of £500 a year for twelve articles in _Scribner’s Magazine_
on what I like; it is more than £500, but I cannot calculate more
precisely. You have no idea how much is made of me here; I was offered
£2000 for a weekly article—eh heh! how is that? but I refused that
lucrative job. The success of _Underwoods_ is gratifying. You see, the
verses are sane; that is their strong point, and it seems it is strong
enough to carry them.
A thousand thanks for your grand letter, ever yours,