December 13 Saturday – Harper’s Weekly, p. 1943 -4 ran William Dean Howells, et al article, “In Honor of Mark Twain: Verses to be read at a Dinner Celebrating his Sixty -seventh Birthday. Included Howells’ “A Double- Barrelled Sonnet to Mark Twain (written to be heard, not read)”; John Kendrick Bangs, “Mark Twain (A Post-prandial Obituary)”; Henry Van Dyke, “A Toast to Mark Twain!” [MTJ Bibliographic Issue Number Four 42:1 (Spring 2004) p.8].
Henry W. Lucy wrote from Berks, England to Sam. “thanks for your letter and the cutting [of] the reading of which I much enjoyed.” Lucy told of a party at Edwin Austin Abbey’s “Manorial residence” [MTP].
Henry Lutz, publisher, wrote from Stuttgart, Germany to Sam. “The German court declines to get a new testimonial from you, but demands that a copy of the St. Nicholas 1893 and 1894 is laid before the court as proof that your story, Tom Saywer Detective was not published there. I have tried in vain to get a copy in London” [MTP].
Edward J. Murray wrote from Nampa, Idaho to Sam offering an “obituary” for his contest [MTP].
Frederick W. Peabody wrote from Boston to Sam. “I’m very sorry you object to the publication of your letter, as I think it would do more than any thing else put together to inject a little sanity into the situation” [MTP].