March 13 Thursday – The gathering with Henry Irving, the British actor, and the Warners and others at the Clemens home took place at 2 P.M. It is not known if Laurence Hutton attended, and Twichell’s journal does not mention him. (See Mar. 7 entry.)

“H[armony] & I dined at M.T.s (at 2 pm) and met there the English actor Mr. Henry Irving. The company sat long at table and there was most pleasant talk. Mr Irving made himself most agreeable though his manner was very quiet and he had no great facility in conversation…I was sorry not to be able to see him on the stage” [Yale, copy at MTP].

Sam wrote from Hartford to Howells, but made no mention of the gathering.

I have been dead to all interests of this life for 5 days with an unspeakable cold in the head; so I don’t know what’s been going on. I haven’t seen any mention of the Prince & Pauper, but I take said mention to mean that Webster & Mallory have come to a conclusion of some sort or other concerning Col. Sellers, for the reason that Webster was not to let Mallory see the P&P or talk any business about it until the Sellers matter should be disposed of. Webster wanted to come up & report a day or two ago, but I telegraphed him to come tomorrow [MTP].

Andrew W. Hendman wrote from Big Island, Nova Scotia, sending some papers & asking if they were worth anything; was one really satirical, he asked [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Cheek”