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the year I expect to put in on a couple of long books （half…
completed ones）。 No more magazine work hanging over my head。
This secluded & silent solitude； this clean； soft air； & this
enchanting view of Florence； the great valley & snow…mountains that
frame it； are the right conditions for work。 They are a persistent
inspiration。 To…day is very lovely； when the afternoon arrives
there will be a new picture every hour till dark； & each of them
divineor progressing from divine to diviner & divinest。 On this
（second） floor Clara's room commands the finest； she keeps a window
ten feet high wide open all the time & frames it in that。 I go in
from time to time every day & trade sass for a look。 The central
detail is a distant & stately snow…hump that rises above & behind
black…forested hills； & its sloping vast buttresses； velvety & sun…
polished； with purple shadows between； make the sort of picture we
knew that time we walked in Switzerland in the days of our youth。
》From this letter； which is of January 7； 1904； we gather that the weather
had greatly improved； and with it Mrs。 Clemens's health； notwithstanding
she had an alarming attack in December。 One of the stories he had
finished was 〃The 30；000 Bequest。〃 The work mentioned； which would not
see print until after his death； was a continuation of those
autobiographical chapters which for years he had been setting down as the
mood seized him。
He experimented with dictation； which he had tried long before with
Redpath； and for a time now found it quite to his liking。 He dictated
some of his copyright memories； and some anecdotes and episodes； but his
amanuensis wrote only longhand； which perhaps hampered him； for he tired
of it by and by and the dictations were discontinued。
Among these notes there is one elaborate description of the Villa di
Quarto； dictated at the end of the winter； by which time we are not
surprised to find he had become much attached to the place。 The Italian
spring was in the air； and it was his habit to grow fond of his
surroundings。 Some atmospheric paragraphs of these impressions invite us
here：
We are in the extreme south end of the house； if there is any such
thing as a south end to a house； whose orientation cannot be
determined by me； because I am incompetent in all cases where an
object does not point directly north & south。 This one slants
across between； & is therefore a confusion。 This little private
parlor is in one of the two corners of what I call the south end of
the house。 The sun rises in such a way that all the morning it is
pouring its light through the 33 glass doors or windows which pierce
the side of the house which looks upon the terrace & garden； the
rest of the day the light floods this south end of the house； as I
call it； at noon the sun is directly above Florence yonder in the
distance in the plain； directly across those architectural features
which have been so familiar to the world in pictures for some
centuries； the Duomo； the Campanile； the Tomb of the Medici； & the
beautiful tower of the Palazzo Vecchio； in this position it begins
to reveal the secrets of the delicious blue mountains that circle
around into the west； for its light discovers； uncovers； & exposes a
white snowstorm of villas & cities that you cannot train yourself to
have confidence in； they appear & disappear so mysteriously； as if
they might not be villas & cities at all； but the ghosts of perished
ones of the remote & dim Etruscan times； & late in the afternoon the
sun sets down behind those mountains somewhere； at no particular
time & at no particular place； so far as I can see。
Again at the end of March he wrote：
Now that we have lived in this house four and a half months my
prejudices have fallen away one by one & the place has become very
homelike to me。 Under certain conditions I should like to go on
living in it indefinitely。 I should wish the Countess to move out
of Italy； out of Europe； out of the planet。 I should want her
bonded to retire to her place in the next world & inform me which of
the two it was； so that I could arrange for my own hereafter。
Complications with their landlady had begun early； and in time； next to
Mrs。 Clemens's health； to which it bore such an intimate and vital
relation； the indifference of the Countess Massiglia to their needs
became the supreme and absorbing concern of life at the villa； and led to
continued and almost continuous house…hunting。
Days when the weather permitted； Clemens drove over the hills looking for
a villa which he could lease or buyone with conveniences and just the
right elevation and surroundings。 There were plenty of villas； but some
of them were badly situated as to altitude or view； some were falling to
decay； and the search was rather a discouraging one。 Still it was not
abandoned； and the reports of these excursions furnished new interest and
new hope always to the invalid at home。
〃Even if we find it；〃 he wrote Howells； 〃I am afraid it will be months
before we can move Mrs。 Clemens。 Of course it will。 But it comforts us
to let on that we think otherwise； and these pretensions help to keep
hope alive in her。〃
She had her bad days and her good days； days when it was believed she had
passed the turning…point and was traveling the way to recovery； but the
good days were always a little less hopeful； the bad days a little more
discouraging。 On February 22d Clemens wrote in his note…book：
At midnight Livy's pulse went to 192 & there was a collapse。 Great
alarm。 Subcutaneous injection of brandy saved her。
And to MacAlister toward the end of March：
We are having quite perfect weather now & are hoping that it will bring
effects for Mrs。 Clemens。
But a few days later he added that he was watching the driving rain
through the windows； and that it was bad weather for the invalid。 〃But
it will not last；〃 he said。
The invalid improved then； and there was a concert in Florence at which
Clara Clemens sang。 Clemens in his note…book says：
April 8。 Clara's concert was a triumph。 Livy woke up & sent for
her to tell her all about it； near midnight。
But a day or two later she was worse againthen better。 The hearts in
that household were as pendulums； swinging always between hope and
despair。
One familiar with the Clemens history might well have been filled with
forebodings。 Already in January a member of the family； Mollie Clemens；
Orion's wife； died； news which was kept from Mrs。 Clemens； as was the
death of Aldrich's son； and that of Sir Henry M。 Stanley； both of which
occurred that spring。
Indeed； death harvested freely that year among the Clemens friendships。
Clemens wrote Twichell：
Yours has just this moment arrived…just as I was finishing a note to
poor Lady Stanley。 I believe the last country…house visit we paid
in England was to Stanley's。 Lord！ how my friends & acquaintances
fall about me now in my gray…headed days！ Vereshchagin； Mommsen；
Dvorak； Lenbach； & Jokai； all so recently； & now Stanley。 I have
known Stanley 37 years。 Goodness； who is there I haven't known？
CCXXXI
THE CLOSE OF A BEAUTIFUL LIFE
In one of his notes near the end of April Clemens writes that once more；
as at Riverdale； he has been excluded from Mrs。 Clemens's room except for
the briefest moment at a time。 But on May 12th； to R。 W。 Gilder； he
reported：
For two days now we have not been anxious about Mrs。 Clemens
（unberufen）。 After 20 months of bedridden solitude & bodily misery
she all of a sudden ceases to be a pallid； shrunken shadow； & looks
bright & young & pretty。 She remains what she always was； the most
wonderful creature of fortitude； patience； endurance； and
recuperative power that ever was。 But ah； dear！ it won't last；
this fiendish malady will play new treacheries upon her； and I shall
go back to my prayers againunutterable from any pulpit！
May 13； A。M。 I have just paid one of my pair of permitted 2…minute
visits per day to the sick…room。 And found what I have learned to
expectretrogression。
There was a day when she was brought out on the terrace in a wheel…chair
to see the wonder of the early Italian summer。 She had been a prisoner
so long that she was almost overcome with the delight of it allthe more
so； perhaps； in the feeling that she might so soon be leaving it。
It was on Sunday； the 5th of June； that the end came。 Clemens and Jean
had driven out to make some calls； and had stopped at a villa； which
promised to fulfil most of the requirements。 They came home full of
enthusiasm concerning it； and Clemens； in his mind； had decided on the
purchase。 In the corridor Clara said：
〃She is better to…day than she has been for three months。〃
Then quickly； under her breath； 〃Unberufen；〃 which the others； too； added
hastilysuperstitiously。
Mrs。 Clemens was； in fact； bright and ch