Letter from Elizabeth Stoddard to Julia C Dorr

Aug 9th 1895 Sag Harbor Dear Julia As Stoddard has written you I will only answer your question concerning his blindness. Ever since his 70th birthday was announced there has been a stream of tributes, and letters to answer, I have a heap on hand now. For some time I noticed a change in S a great aversion from going out, he seldom went to the office, when he did, he took a cab, for days he sat silent, sombre, sometimes suddenly irritable, he took no interest what ever in our daily life, it was a great distress to me

We got here the day after his birthday, then he told us that he had been growing blind - that was the matter. Lorry was moved to write his poem, which was printed at once in The Independent, Stoddards followed in two or three days. We have heard from Texas, Montana, [Denver ?], Oregon etc. only your word and Lilian Whiting has come from N England. Stoddards "three score and ten" - is a perfect poem, it is a genuine appeal to all who know & have suffered, and put in language so simple and dired, that it looks like inspiration. By the way Houghton and Mifflin will publish my poems in Oct. at last, if my friends dont buy the book nobody will, my poems do not like [ young?] appeal to the universal heart - they will be called cranky

Did you see our young portraits in June Harper and what Howells said of me, so kind. You speak kindly of Lorry, and he deserves it, he is very gifted, charming in manner when he chooses he fascinates his old Mother But he is having a hard time his profession is arduous, in a few weeks last season, he acted in eighty towns and averaged two hundred miles a day - but he carried off the honors, I am one happy and you four happy. We shall be back on 15th by the first Sept. I hope you have seen Stedmans beautiful tribute to S - who felt it deeply. Yours truly Elizabeth Stoddard

Dear Julia As Stoddard has written you I will only answer your question concerning his blindness. Ever since his 70th birthday was announced there has been a stream of tributes, and letters to answer, I have a heap on hand now. For some time I noticed a change in S. a great aversion from going out, he seldom went to the office, when he did, he took a cab, for days he sat silent, sombre, sometimes suddenly irritable, he took no interest whatever in our daily life, it was a great distress to me We got here the day after his birthday, then he told us that he had been growing blind––that was the matter. Lorry was moved to write his poem, which was printed at once in The Independent, Stoddard's followed in two or three days. We have heard from Texas, Montana, Denver, Oregon, &, only your word and Lilian Whitings has come from N Eng– land. Stoddard's threescore and ten is a perfect poem, it is a genuine appeal to all who know and have suffered, and put in a language so simple and direct, that it looks like inspiration. By the way Houghton and Mifflin will publish my poems in Oct. at last, if my friends don't buy the book nobody will, my poems do not like yours appeal to the universal hear––they will be called cranky Did you see our young portraits in June Harper and what Howells said of me, so kind.

You speak kindly of Lorry, and he deserves it, he is very gifted, charming in manner when he chooses he fascinates his old mother. But he is having a hard row, his profession is arduous, in a few weeks last season, he acted in eighty towns and averaged two hundred miles a day, but he carried off the honors, I am one happy and you are four happy.

We shall be back in 15th St by the first Sept. I hope you have seen Stedmans beautiful tribute to S–– who felt it deeply.

Yours truly Elizabeth Stoddard