May 15 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Orion and Mollie Clemens.

“The new baby is as fat as butter, & wholly free from infelicities of any kind. She weighed 4 ¼ pounds at birth—weighs about 9 now.”

Orion and Mollie had been staying in Sam’s Hartford house. Sam directed the discharge of one of the servants, sent petty cash for house expenses, and told Orion to ask Charles Perkins, Sam’s attorney, if any of Orion’s points about the Bliss lawsuit were needed [MTL 5: 87].

Sam also wrote to thank James Redpath for promoting Roughing It to the Boston press [MTL 5: 90].

Sam then wrote to Elisha Bliss, asking him to send another half-morocco copy to Redpath for him to forward to Ellen Louise Chandler Moulton (1835-1908), Boston literary correspondent of the New York Tribune. Sam also sent bad news:

“I enclose Riley’s letter. The simple fact is, that the cancer has fast hold of his vitals & he can live but a little while. Nine physicians have tried their hands on him, but the cancer has beaten the lot. I shall go down & see him day after tomorrow” [MTL 5: 91]. Note: Sam was unable to make the trip to Philadelphia. The diamond book was never written.