September 12 Wednesday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam replied to J.L. Bishop, whose incoming letter is not extant. Sam listed “The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg,” and “The book to be published 100 years hence” and said “No” to each of them; “3. Another? Yes.

And it promises to reach a finish by and by; though not very soon, I hope, since the fun is not in publishing a book, but only in writing it” [MTP]. Note: Bishop is not identified.

Sam also replied to the Aug. 26 from Williston Fish, former West Point cadet, now Chicago attorney and author.

You make me feel very proud; & if there was a debt, you have most liberally paid it, interest & all, & now we stand a little more than square, with the advantage in my favor. And so I thank you very cordially for your letter.

I am coming home now in a month, after an exile of nine years; & if I were as young as I was in 1880 [actually 1881], I would take the hint & raid the country & sack it from the platform & foregather with the old friends & do my best to make some new ones—but that is a dream; & dreams do not come true [MTP].

Note: Fish wrote a sentimental mock will in Harper’s Weekly 1898, titled “The Last Will,” which has been reprinted over 100 times since, and under at least 20 variant titles. Gribben lists a book by Fish, Short Rations (1899) [232].