You did not send me the Times article. If you have it, will you send it to me? Not that I wish to take up the writer & answer him, but a passing reference to some of his remarks will furnish me a pretext for coming out & telling the Hartford people traits of Dr. Taft which every person already knows—for the very graces of character & conduct which you mention in your letter were among the prominent & conspicuous features of the Dr Taft which the world had daily before their eyes, & they were the things spoken of in a taken-for-granted way when he was talked of. Do you get my idea? I do not wish to seem to be defending Dr Taft; for to Hartford people that would be like defending light, & warmth, & water; & I do not wish to seem to have to remind any Hartford man or woman that Dr. Taft possessed certain beautiful traits & high virtues which they will remember upon being reminded, but might not, otherwise. I divine, from what you say of the Times article, that it will furnish me both text & pretext—& when one would speak publicly of the great & good who have finished their work, & passed out from our vision, & become holy to us, he should be well assured that he possesses the latter.

I have been a long time answering; but you will understand the delay when I explain that I have been almost daily in the dentist’s hands during the past seven or eight days. It has unfitted me for everything.

It is just about a year ago that the newspapers gave us such a shock—& now that black prophecy is fulfilled. One cannot accept of it or realize it.

Mrs. Clemens sends her love to you & to Laura; as I do also.