February 4 Wednesday – Sam responded from Hartford to a letter from Emeline Beach, a fellow passenger on the Quaker City excursion with her father Moses Beach. Sam’s letter to the young woman he had previously flirted with was very proper and formal. He informed her of the death of Dr. George B. Birch (1822?-1873/4), who Sam credited along with William F. Church for standing by him when he was “dangerously ill in Damascus” [MTL 6: 24].
Sam also wrote to his brother Orion, who struggled on in New York at two dollars a day for the Evening Post. Sam’s offer of a pension for Orion was refused and the family generally felt it an unwelcome boasting to make such an offer. In this note, Sam was more conciliatory.
“God knows yours is hard luck, & one is bound to respect & honor the way in which you bear up under it & refuse to surrender. I thought you were heedless & listless; that you were content to drift with the tide & never try to do anything. I am glad indeed, & greatly relieved to know that this is not so” [MTL 6: 26].
Sam often wrote several letters in one day. He also wrote thanks to Samuel S. Cox, a Democrat congressman from New York who had probably praised The Gilded Age.
“Our new house is progressing steadily—hope to sleep you & eat you under its roof when it is finished, next autumn” [MTL 6: 29].
One journalist described the new house, on the summit of Farmington Avenue as:
“…a small brick-kiln gone crazy, the outside ginger breaded with woodwork, as a baker sugar-ornaments the top and sides of a fruit loaf. Of the several tall brick chimneys, no two are alike, and a good strong gale would be apt to topple them” [MTL 6: 29-30n3].
Jane Clemens wrote to Sam and Livy:
“My dear Children. / your letter came to us yesterday we were glad to hear from you all. Sam my dear son you are going to write to Orion If you are going to give him advice that is good, all right. Kind words will always do good. Orion troubles me very much but I cannot speak a short word to him, at any time. / I love to see brothers live and love each other and look over faults.” She thanked for the picture. Her hand troubled her: “I cannot write much”[MTP].