September 8 Friday – The Clemenses were still in New York.

In Cambridge, Mass., Howells wrote to Sam. He’d received and would print “The Canvasser’s Tale,” about a man who collects echoes. Howells suffered from dysentery after returning home from Townsend Harbor, but finished the campaign bio for Hayes in twenty-two days. Once again Howells asked Sam, “Do you intend to speak or write any politics? I hope you do…” [MTHL 1: 149]. Note: Howells’ hasty bio of Rutherford B. Hayes sold fewer than 3,000 copies [n3].

NYC temperatures ranged from 74-62; 0.06 inches of rain fell [NOAA.gov].