July 13 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to his old friend, William Dean Howells about the death of Theodore Crane and the “heart-breaking” atmosphere at Quarry Farm. In Hartford since at least July 11, Sam brooded about the house, empty save for the servants. His letter is one of the few from this period that is not an obvious response, but a request.

I shall be here for ten days yet, & all alone; nobody in the house but the servants. Can’t Mrs. Howells spare you to me? Can’t you come & stay with me? The house is cool & pleasant; your work will not be interrupted; we will keep to ourselves & let the rest of the world do the same; you can have your choice of three bedrooms, & you will find the children’s schoolroom (which was built for my study), the perfection of a retired & silent den for work. There isn’t a fly or a mosquito on the estate. Come — say you will [MTHL 2: 604-5].

Orion Clemens wrote to Sam that he’d never seen such a good proof by hand as the Paige typesetter made. Orion also wrote he had ideas about how to make a flying machine, something he’d thought about for 30 years. He added after the signature that Sam had not sent any account of the proceedings when he received his degree from Yale [MTP].