December 26 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Howells, who wrote Dec. 20 that “Mrs. Howells doesn’t foresee her way” to come for the P&P play Sam and the children were re-staging in January, but that he would come and bring his daughter, Mildred (Pilla), a friend of Susy’s and Clara’s. Sam responded.

“Good—we claim you & Pilla, then, for Jan. 13, since we can’t get Mrs. Howells too. Everything is now planned, & the several guests’ beds appointed them, in Mrs. Clemens’s methodical fashion.”

To Howells’ idea of planting a humorous article in Life (then a humor magazine) or Puck on Aldrich not being 60, Livy suggested they wait a year, since “it would look like a burlesque & would pain Dr. Holmes” [MTP]. Note: Holmes had been one of four who wrote for the Nov. 28 Critic article on Sam’s 50th, supplying a witty verse.

Sam also wrote to an unidentified person on a matter of his “feeble little poverty-stricken joke,” the content of which is unclear.

“Whenever I have to explain a joke, I always charge the price of a thermometer for it. But in this instance, if you will send me one of those boxes, I will return you a thermometer” [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Charles L. Tiffany &Co. 

“The watch which Mrs. Clemens bought of you some days ago keeps too much time, sometimes, & the rest of the time it doesn’t keep any. Will you please take out its present works & put in some of a more orthodox character. It goes to you today” [MTP].