April 20 Tuesday – Sam and Livy purchased a brass fender from C. McCarthy of Boston for $15, showing that they did not leave Boston earlier. The item was billed to Sam on May 13 and paid on May 17 [MTP]. Note: Invoicing and payment were often made long after purchase. Afterward the Clemenses returned home to Hartford.

Sam wrote from Hartford to the Press Club of Chicago that he had “reformed & quitted the lecture field permanently.” He sent “the boys” his new book, TA [MTLE 5: 74].

Sam began an angry letter to Moncure Conway about Chatto & Windus, enclosing them a separate letter. Sam finished the letter the next day [MTLE 5: 75].

My Dear Conway, I started to write the enclosed to Chatto & Windus, but I saw I was too angry, & so it would be better for you to convey to them in inoffensive language that I am not in the publishing business, & that as long as you are in London & Bliss in Hartford I will have nothing whatever to do with electros, dates of issue, or any other matter of that sort. Jesus Christ, how mad I am! This man is forever ignoring Bliss & writing me about electros & matters strictly within Bliss’s province [MTLE 5: 75].

William A. Seaver wrote from NY to Clemens.

My charming old Ruffian:– / I’m going to Yurup in two or three weeks, and unless you send me your Tramp, which purports to be inaccessible to anyone but subscribers, I shall positively be without any intellectual hash, cod, or anything else lovely and nourishing. It would be a great and good thing if I could steal a few sweet jokes from it for the Drawer.

Ain’t you coming down here within a couple of weeks? I would cherfully spend the price of a tramp in salooning you at the Union or Lotos,—and never shed a tear. / Essentially Yours, / Wm. A. Seaver [MTPO].

Orion Clemens wrote from Keokuk: “The Atlantic came yesterday. It is the finest criticism that has done you justice.” He enclosed a letter from T.T. Woodruff of the Trinidad, Colo. Enterprise and Chronicle, offering the paper for sale at $750 [MTP].