October 1 Friday – Howells wrote from Boston to Sam.

I was immensely glad to see your hand again, and to get the piece you sent for the [Contributor’s] Club [A paragraph on Tauchnitz paying authors though not required to do so]….I am sorry you could not have come to Ashfield in August, upon Norton’s invitation. We had a good time, and much talk about you. Curtis was there, and we also talked politics….What a great speech that was of Grant’s at Warren [MTHL 1: 328]. Note: Ulysses S. Grant had stressed denial of free speech to Republicans in the fourteen Southern states, etc.

Park & Tilford of New York receipted Sam $5 for tea ordered [MTP]. Note: this is the same company where Sam often bought Glen Whisky. Schwartz Bros. “Toys, games and novelties” $6.43 Sept. 29 1 head [doll], Sept. 30 “1 fishpond game, checkerbd, game authors, birds, scrap pictures.” Schwartz Bros. became F.A.O. Schwartz within a year.

Bills/receipts/invoices from Hartford merchants:

Fox & Co. “fine groceries, teas, wines & segars,” $73.12 “amt. to date pass book”; paid Oct. 2; Samuel Spaulding $50 for “sprinkling Farmington Ave. in front of premesis”; Wm. Roberts, harness, saddles, etc., $3.60 for purchases July 15, Aug. 20, Sept. 11, paid Oct. 8; West Hartford Ice & Pressed Brick Co.  $71.02 for Apr.–Sept. ice deliveries totaling 12,285 lbs @ .0057c, paid Oct. 22; Smith, Northam & Robinson, feed store $21.17 for purchases July 10, Aug. 11, Sept. 21, paid Oct. 7; J.G. Rathbun & Co., druggists & chemists $25.60: July 8, 16 160 cigars $4.75; Coppers; 200 cigars $9.50; Aug. 24 200 cigars, Sept. 17—all paid Oct. 6; Fred. B. Edwards, “drugs, medicines, fancy goods” 85c for sponges; William H. Bulkeley, dry goods $10.49 for July 7, 12 ribbons, etc. [all MTP, 1880 financial file].

October 1? Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to William Dean Howells. The letter and poem, “Love Song” were possibly not sent, and included an undated note to Susan Crane. “The good gifts of the Giver, / I sum all these in asking thee, / ‘O sweetheart, how’s your liver?” [MTLE 5: 167].