June 8 Saturday – Clara Clemens and family celebrated her fourth birthday. The family custom was to give both girls presents on either’s birthday. They received dolls, books, cups, and flowers. In the afternoon they rode donkeys up a hill and enjoyed a picnic of bread, butter, and strawberries [Willis 119; Salsbury 79].

Sam received an invitation to the Author’s Congress, Victor Hugo (1802-1885) presiding. The invite had been sent to America and the Congress met on June 11. Sam elected not to go. He noted the invitation was signed by Edmond About, French novelist and journalist [MTNJ 2: 97]. (See June 10 entry.)

Twichell replied to Sam’s May 23 dispatch to fund his trip.

Do you realize, Mark, what a symposium it is to be?…Nothing replentishes me as travel does. Most of all I am to have my fill, or a big feed anyway, of your company—and under such circumstances! To walk with you, and talk with you, and sleep with you, and say my prayers with you, and see things with you, for weeks together,—why it’s my dream of luxury [MTNJ 2: 113].