October 23 Tuesday – Samuel Clemens went to Hartford for the funeral of Charles Dudley Warner. Paine writes that Sam was a pallbearer, and also that while in Hartford the Clemenses “looked into the old home” [MTB 1112]. A. Hoffman writes: “Livy stayed in New York; she could not face her Hartford memories” [433]. Sam intended to stay “but an hour or two,” and then return to N.Y.C. The funeral was held at 2 p.m. at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church. Prayers were said at the Warner house at 1:30 at a service for the family, and then the body was taken to the church.

Mr. Bridge from Scribner’s, Madame Modjeska, Professor Fisher, Sarah Orne Jewett and Col. Green from Harper’s took part in the services. The Hartford Courant reported that “Many of the distinguished men in the world of arts and letters, clergymen from many pulpits, and professors from the chairs of universities” were in attendance. “Charles Dudley Warner was the latter-day successor of Charles Lamb—a quaint, genial, humorous master of English. His thoughtfulness was never dull, and his lightness was never trivial” [Oct. 23 and 24, 1900]. Note: Mr. Bridge is likely James Howard Bridge, who wrote under the pen name Harold Brydges.