February 18 Monday – Sam arrived home from a quick trip to New York City, perhaps staying the night of Feb. 17 there [MTHL 2: 475]. He may have returned to talk to General Grant before leaving the city (see Feb. 16 entry).

He wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, enclosing Howells’ Feb.15 letter. Sam directed Webster how to deal with Nat Goodwin:

      You need not show the play to Goodwin. Simply tell him Howells objects to changing Sellers name; that Howells has thought the thing over & arrived at the conclusion that it could do no real good to change the name, for the character would remain Sellers. Say I disagree with Howells, but I bow to the decision of course, for he may be right; & is entitled to have his objection respected by me, anyway.  …

      I have written Howells a letter which will probably make him inextinguishably ashamed of his letter; & of the infantile objection which he makes to Goodwin; & of the preposterous idea that the Mallorys can make a thing or a man respectable where our names couldn’t [MTBus 236].

Sam then wrote to Howells on the matter.

      You will not be able to see the force of your objection, if you will look it straight in the face.

      It amounts to this: If an actor plays the piece (under our) backed by our names alone, his reputation for indecency will soil us, smirch us.—But if he plays it so, additionally backed by the Mallorys names, that will make everything respectable; we suffer no smirch, because the name of the Mallorys is our protection.

      Now the facts are, that you & I are respectable men, & quite well known to be so; whereas, from the Atlantic to the Pacific the Mallorys are just as well known to be thieves & ghouls, cheats & liars [MTHL 2: 473-4].

George W. Cable wrote to Sam, wondering “what has become of Ambulina”—he couldn’t find it anywhere [MTP]. Note: Vic Fischer of the MTP offers: Ambulinia (sometimes called “Ambulina”) is a character in The Enemy Conquered, by Samuel Watson Royston, who Clemens renames “G. Ragsdale McClintock” in his satirical review of the book, “A Cure for the Blues.”

H.B. Vandiver wrote from Weaverville, NC to Sam: “I want you to give me all your works, will you?” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “‘Nicodemus Dodge’ Another Southern beggar”