November 27 Sunday – Livy’s 36th birthday.

Sam wrote from the Windsor Hotel in Montreal to Livy. His letter was a mixture of hieroglyphics (like his several lecture notes) and text. Paine’s translation:

Livy Dear, a mouse kept me awake last night till 3 or 4 o’clock—so I am lying abed this morning. I would not give sixpence to be out yonder in the storm, although it is only snow.  …

There—that’s for the children—was not sure that they could read writing, especially Jean, who is strangely ignorant in some things [MTLP 407-8].

Sam also wrote a short note to Charles Webster:

Hire a compartment of hell—or, less figuratively speaking, buy or hire the kind of furnace necessary to get up the requisite heat to conquer brass, & let’s conquer it. Then, if the lines won’t run fine enough, how would it do to cast in copper & add a steel face? …You are drumming up the right kind of experts, sure enough. I wish I were going to be there; but I can’t [MTBus 180].

Sam also wrote a short note to Chatto & Windus, notifying them that he was in Canada to enter P&P for copyright [MTP].

Orion Clemens wrote to Sam, clipping enclosed from the Keokuk Constitution announcing P&P. He related going to a Catholic service and scoffing at the priest [MTP].