December 19 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Orion, who had given Sam an idea for a book (see Dec. 15 from Orion). Sam’s answer sounded more like a put-upon father than a brother, which is the way he often answered Orion. But then, Sam did not suffer fools lightly.

“Dr Bro—If I write all the books that lie planned in my head, I shall see the middle of the next century. I can’t add another, until after that. I couldn’t write from another man’s ideas, anyway. But go ahead & write it yourself—that is, if you can drop other things” [MTLE 2: 205].

An unsigned article, “Celebrities at Home,” ran in the London World apparently from a visit to Sam’s Hartford home, which was the subject of a lengthy description, together with Sam’s thinking and his work [Tenney, Mark Twain Journal, Spring 2004 p.3].

Charles Follen Adams (1842-1918) wrote from Boston to send Sam his book of poetry [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Adams the new humorist”; Adams began writing humorous verses in Penn. German dialect in 1872. See insert.

Washington Irving Gilbert (1821-1898) wrote from Phila. to ask Sam’s help publishing his poem “Whittier” enclosed [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Curiosity rubbish from an ass”.