April 20 Sunday – Back home in Hartford, Sam wrote to Edgar W. Howe, reporting that Howells was “drunk with admiration of your book,” The Story of a Country Town (1883).

“As T.B. Aldrich was present during one whole evening [on the recent trip to Boston], & had to listen to so much talk about a book which he has not seen, he naturally got pretty well filled up with curiosity” [MTP].

Note: Evidently, Howe had sent Howells the book thinking he was still the editor of the Atlantic, but not realizing that Aldrich had taken that post. Send him a book, directed Sam. At one time, The Story was listed as one of America’s top ten novels, yet was rejected by several publishers. Howe finally printed the first edition in his shop.

In a short article on page 10 of the Brooklyn Eagle, George W. Cable revealed the genesis for the April Fool’s day autograph joke he recently played on Sam:

CABLE NEWS FOR MARK TWAIN

“The autograph joke came into my head last February, when I was sick at Mark Twain’s house. Mark and I used to open our budget of letters together at breakfast. We had a good many. Nearly every morning Mark would slug out, ‘Say, George, here’s an autograph hunter,’ and a moment later I would echo his remark, as I found a correspondent asking for my sign manual. From this time the idea of the joke may have sprung. My most enthusiastic ally was the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, who loves a practical joke better than his dinner.”

“Will Mark Twain get even with you?”

“If he lives he will.”—Interview with George W. Cable.