July–August – Sam’s manuscript, “A Record of the Small Foolishnesses of Susie & ‘Bay’ Clemens” was added to especially in these months. “No mama I did not miss you—I had Aunt Sue & Rosa & Papa—& Papa read to me—no I did not miss you” [MTNJ 2: 365].
In July, Sam entered “Bierce’s Fables” into his notebook [2: 366], referring to Ambrose Bierce’s Fables of Zambri the Parsee, humorous sketches in the English journal Fun from July 1872 to Mar. 1873. Six fables would be included in Mark Twain’s Library of Humor in 1888 [Gribben 69].
Sam’s notebook: a list of humorists for the projected “Library of Humor,” including Max Adeler (Charles Heber Clark), Simon Suggs, Bill Arp, Prentice Mulford, and others [MTNJ 2: 361].