March 13 Monday – Sam’s mother, Jane Clemens, and his sister, Pamela Moffett, arrived in Hartford to visit Sam, Livy and the children. They stayed until Apr. 8 [MTHL 1: 393]. Note: MTNJ 2: 457n81 puts the end of the visit at Apr. 7.

From Hartford, Sam typed a letter to John Russell Young. Sam missed seeing Young during his recent trip to New York to confer with General Grant. After explaining that Grant had written a letter to help Sam in his attempts to save Howells’ father’s Toronto consulate position, he also wrote of Webster’s request for a letter of introduction from Young to Governor Alonzo Barton Cornell (1832-1904).

“DO YOU EVER NEED A DAY’S REST? I WISH YOU WOULD COME UP HERE THE FIRST CHANCE YOU GET, AND LET US HAVE A LEISURELY TALK AND SMOKE TOGETHER; YOU KNOW I CAN TALK TO YOU EASIER, THAN I CAN PRACTISE ON YOU WITH THE TYPE WRITER” [MTP].

Mary Mason Fairbanks wrote another long folksy letter from Cleveland, including “moral lessons” that Sam must hear [MTP].

James Van Vorden wrote a postcard from NYC, not having heard a reply for an autograph request for their charity fair [MTP].