April 15 Saturday – Sam gave a talk at Boston’s Saturday Morning Club. Fatout designates this as “Advice to Youth” [MT Speaking 169-71] but Fatout prefaces this as “date and time uncertain,” the 1882 written later on Sam’s manuscript. Gribben notes that Sam urged youth to read only “good” books, such as Robertson’s Sermons, Baxter’s Saint’s Rest, and Mark Twain’s Innocents Abroad [583].
Sam’s notebook and letter to Rutherford B. Hayes of Apr. 10 cite this paper as “Mental Telegraphy” [MTNJ 2: 455n69]. Whatever the talk, after the luncheon Sam, Howells and Aldrich went to Concord to pay their respects to Ralph Waldo Emerson, who would die Apr. 27 [MTNJ 2: 432].
Slote, Woodman & Co. wrote to Sam, authorizing him to use “any portion or all of the matter contained in ‘Punch, Brothers, Punch’” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the note, “You need to keep this, Osgood, I reckon. / SL Clemens”
Charles Webster wrote to Sam that they would need another $500 before he left for his trip. He also felt “we have got Bliss” for short paying, and added details [MTP].
Frank D. Haynes & Frank B. White wrote to ask Sam a list of questions, leading with “Who is the greatest general of modern times?” and 3 others [MTP].
Christian Tauchnitz, Jr. wrote “In consequence of your kind lines of the 30th of March, I handed over the books wished by you to the bookbinders to be bound in red leather like vol. 2000.” He added that Washington Irving’s Mahomet and Kimball’s Student Life were by American writers so he could not add those. He enclosed his invoice (not in file) for 172.90 Marks [MTP].
April 15 Saturday ca. – Sam sent authorization from Slote & Co. for use of “Punch, Brothers, Punch” to James R. Osgood, noting that he needed to keep the authorization [MTP].