April 25 Sunday – Howells answered Sam’s letter and submission of Apr. 22:

“My dear Clemens, I sent the Conversation by Telephone to the printers at once, with orders to set it and send you proofs instantly. It is one of the best things you have done and we both think it shows great skill in the treatment of female character. It’s delicious” [MTHL 1: 303].

Howells wrote the piece would go in the July issue of the Atlantic; it was in the June, 1880 issue [Wells 23; Cornell University’s Making of America website].

Sam then responded to a note from Chatto & Windus about the mix-up with the illustrations for TA. Bliss had not received letters from Chatto, so the process had been stalled. Sam advised that he’d told Bliss (Frank) to “go right to work on making pictures” for Chatto “& inform…by cable” [MTLE 5: 86].

Also, on or about this day, Sam wrote to Orion about the autobiography Orion was writing [MTLE 5: 87].