May 23 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Edward House. Commenting on an old controversy about who wrote a book Bread-Winners, Sam remarked:

      Gott im Himmel! I would delight to live in Japan; for my idea of heaven itself is a place where all the issues are dead ones, & no man, not even the angels, cares a damn.

      There is a live issue here, but it will be no longer alive by the time this reaches Japan. It is this: whether Twichell & I will beat the bicycle, or whether the bicycle will beat us. We have fought the creature a couple of weeks, now, & we have honorable wounds to show for it. This morning we traveled a couple of miles, mainly up hill, —& made it derned uncomfortable for the wagons; for they could never tell just which way we were proposing to steer—& neither could we.

Sam further remarked that he was presently “catless & forlorn” [MTP].

Sam also wrote a list for Charles Webster: take Raymond’s offer; congratulations on the paper bargain struck for Huck Finn; his relief that all was wrapped up with Osgood before he sailed; Order 30,000 copies of Huck Finn printed & bound; get a contract with good terms on subsequent printings up to 5,000 each; begin the canvass early to have the desired 40,000 orders by Dec. 5, which would allow publication by Dec. 15; last, did he get the sketches not included in White Elephant from Osgood? [MTP].

Charles Webster wrote to Clemens: 17 drawings by Edward W. Kemble sent by express [MTP].