Date:
Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:06:54 -0500
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I've always understood from various readings that Susy died in rhe "mahogany
room" --the downstairs guest bedroom that opens to the library on one side
and the porch on the other --the same room where Christmas presents and
decorations were kept, also used as the "back-stage" for their home
theatricals, and where Howells, Harte, and others stayed as guests. But I
don't know if what I've read was correct, or based on eye-witness accounts.
I'd be interested to know if there is solid documentation on which room Susy
spent her last days. Citations anybody?
I think the Hartford home particularly lends itself to being experienced by
the blind because of its unusual layout. The homes of many great writers are
merely big boxes filled with square rooms. Not so the Hartford home. In
fact, I can't help but wonder if a blind person would come away with a
better spatial sense of the place than a sighted person who would be
distracted by the furnishings, wall and ceiling decorations, etc.
If there are such things as "Braille floorplans" perhaps studying the layout
of the rooms and the grounds before a visit would further enhance the
experience.
Kevin Mac Donnell
Austin TX 78730
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