May 17 Friday – Livy and Sam wrote from Elmira to niece Annie E. Moffett. Livy sent some silk material for Annie to use and Sam denied newspaper reports that he’d made a fortune off his two books and lectures. “So you see we are not nearly so rich as the papers think we are” [MTL 5: 92].

Orion Clemens wrote a long reply to Sam’s May 15 about a possible lawsuit against Elisha Bliss.

“I don’t know how to approach Perkins. I didn’t know you had commenced a law suit. My plan did not contemplate a law suit by you. I suppose it is a suit for damages. I did not think there was any chance for enough to be made that way to justify such a proceeding.” Orion also suggested that Sam set him up with a law office with a salary of $100 a month; perhaps Perkins might make him a partner [MTP].