July 16 Wednesday – Sam dictated from London to Elisha Bliss, information about coordinating publishing dates simultaneously with Routledge & Sons. The English version was typeset from proofsheets provided by Bliss, but lacked as many illustrations [MTL 5: 416].

Sam also dictated a letter to Charles Dudley Warner, admonishing him to coordinate the proof sheets [MTL 5: 417]. Shortly after this letter, Sam paid Samuel Thompson and discharged him. Thompson tramped around Europe for the summer and then returned home. The social whirl had not allowed Sam time for much work on the English book. Sam also found his “first experience in dictating” caused sentences to come “slow & painful, & were clumsily phrased, & had no life in them” [MTL 5: 418n2].

In London, Sam and Livy attended a garden party at the home of George MacDonald, clergyman and novelist. In a July 10 invitation to Livy, Louisa MacDonald (Mrs. George MacDonald) described the party:

“The 16th — Wednesday aft — is the day on wh we are going to act our play we call it our July Jumble — our programme includes the inhabitants from some of the courts of Mary-le-bone — some of the elite of St James’ doctors lawyers clergymen artists and this year those Jubilee singers from Nashville College are coming” [MTNJ 1: 564n1].