mr. fisk arrived in new york yesterday, and we look for mr. warner up today with the bronzes. of course we are exceedingly anxious to see them.

if mrs. clemens ever gets strong enough to swing a pen, she will write josephine and blow up her nurse. i hoped she might at least get strength enough to dictate a letter, but that time has not arrived yet. she has wasted away to nothing; has no more flesh on her than a basket; is all bones, and has no strength at all. but she has begun to eat, now, and if she keeps it up a week or two you will hear from her. she thinks that if josephine had had the right kind of a nurse, she would be suckling her child today; and i think she will strongly recommend that you have nothing to do with wet nurses, if the child is reasonably strong and healthy. a wet nurse is good, but she is not as good as condensed milk by any means. the best condensed milk over there is named the “anglo swiss.” well, i think i will drop this and leave it to mrs. clemens. i seem to be getting out of my depth.

mr. porter has written to ask me to get some orders for him, as his money is nearly spent and he wants to remain some time longer in paris. this places me in a bothersome position; because, a long time ago, josephine intimated in one of her letters that porter had gone to the dogs or was on his way there. she gave no details, brought forward no facts. i meant to write her, then and there, and say that whenever one flings a flask of dynamite under a person’s character, he should always go into the details of the matter, and state exactly why he felt justified in doing that thing. i hav[e]n’t answered porter; cannot answer him until i learn from you how he stands. tell me all you have heard against him, keep back nothing whatever. also tell me what part of the evidence rests upon trustworthy authority, and what part of it doubtful. i want to know everything about him, good and bad; for if he is worthy of help i want to turn out and see what can be done for him; and if he is not, i want to at least act with caution. at the same time i must remember, and you must also remember, that on every sin which a colored man commits, the just white man must make a considerable discount, because of the colored man’s antecedents. the heirs of slavery cannot with any sort of justice, be required to be as clear and straight and upright as the heirs of ancient freedom. and besides, whenever a colored man commits an unright action, upon his headⒶemendation is the guilt of only about one tenth of it, and upon your heads and mine and the rest of the white race lieⒶemendation fairly and justly the other nine tenths of the guilt. so, when you have told me all there is to tell about porter, i shall doubtless judge his case charitably enough.

with much love to you both and the french boarder,