January 16 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Will Clemens (William Montgomery Clemens 1860-1931); no relation, so Sam claimed in 1908—see Nov. 18, 1879 entry), enclosing a note to Will’s unidentified friend who evidently sought advice as to how to live life. Sam answered:

My Dear Boy:—How can I advise another man wisely, out of such a capital as a life filled with mistakes? Advise him how to avoid the like? No—for opportunities to make the same mistakes do not happen to any two men. Your own experiences may possibly teach you, but another man’s can’t. I do not know anything for a person to do but just peg along, doing the things that offer, and regretting them the next day. It is my way, and everybody’s [Clemens, W. 20].

Mollie and Orion Clemens wrote to Sam and Livy, replying to Sam’s letter to Jane Clemens of Jan. 9.

“Poor little Jean! Lying helplessly at the edge of the valley of the shadow of death, wrapped in flames and with only four seconds left! And alone!…and Bay, with the breath of death in her face three times in two weeks! … / Ma sent me Sam’s letter. I shall take good care of it. …Mollie is nearly sick. Several inches of snow have fallen to-day, and I must go and clean it off.” Mollie wrote about the horror of fire and the Clemens baby’s near death by fire. She hated the cold winters so thought it would be good if they all might go to Florida next winter [MTP].

Mary Fairbanks wrote to Sam that she thought he’d write for the holidays but hadn’t. She wanted to know about baby Jean. She wrote of her son Charlie, “still grinding away on The World and has proven himself a good journalist” [MTP].