Your letter is come, & we thank you heartily for that alluring invitation, but we are leaving to-day for New York; & we leave New York tomorrowⒶemendation morning at 9.15, in a special sleeping-car, which I hired & have caused to be attached to the train because Mrs. Clemens needs to lie down a good deal, & the children need to spread around for comfort’s sake on so long a trip. We rech reach Elmira at half past 6 p. m.

Everything’s in a state of rush, to-day, preparatory to departure. With warmest regards of all hands to you & Mrs Whitmore & your family, I am