December 16 Thursday – Sam had received Howells’ letter of Dec. 13 praising “The Two Ps.” [P&P]. Howells liked it “immensely. It begins well, and it ends well” [MTHL 2: 338]. Sam wrote from Hartford to James R. Osgood.
“I am mighty glad Howells thinks so well of the book; & I hope to goodness he used his damnifying pencil on the MS, in which case I shall know where to enlarge, knock out, & otherwise amend.”
Osgood had written from Boston that he would go to New York City. Sam responded: “Stop over here one train & I will go down with you & we will do the rest as you have proposed.” Sam also asked Osgood to tell Howells to “fetch along my umbrella if he has not sold it—I mean pawned it” [MTLE 5: 226].
Sam also wrote to Dan Slote, who Sam heard had been sick.
“I shall arrive in New York Monday evening, with Boston friends [Osgood, Aldrich, Twichell], to go to theatre & a Tile Club supper at midnight. Next morning, if you are well, we will have a talk & afterwards look in on Sneider, at his shop.” [MTLE 5: 227]. Also, Sam asked Dan to send him a couple of his largest scrapbooks, as Livy wanted them for “something or other in Susie & Bay’s department.”
Sam purchased a copy of’ Louisa May Alcott’s (1832-1888) Little Women, probably a Christmas gift for the girls [Gribben 14].
The Jan. 1, 1881 bill from Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co. shows a telegram sent to New York (party unknown, see that entry for others).
Dean Sage had rec’d Sam’s note the day before and wrote from NYC that he’d be glad to see him there any time he could come. “The 20th you know falls on Monday, so you may get along, I suppose on Saturday unless you remain here after the Tile Club orgy.” He noted that Grant would be at the New England Society of Brooklyn banquet on the 21st and could get Sam and Joe tickets if he wished [MTP].
David Watt Bowser wrote from Dallas with his progress at school studies and hope he might hear from him now and then. His German teacher was Rabbi Bien, who “says he knew you …in Virginia City” [MTP].
Rose Terry Cooke (1827-1892), American poet and writer born in West Hartford, Conn. wrote to Clemens. Her most popular works dealt with New England country life, most recently at this time, Happy Dodd (1878). wrote to advise Sam that their entertainment would “come off the twelfth of January.” [MTP].