May 8 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Grace Elizabeth King, thanking her for a gift sent:

What a noble hunk of tobacco it is! I would God you were here with me to help smoke it; then would we have a serene & unproving time & unspeakable enjoyment.

Sam also noted now that he had her address, he would send some books.

We keep up a great affection for you in this & family, & we all want to see you [MTP].

Sam may have gone to Washington for a few days, though evidence rests on one note sent from Robert Underwood Johnson to Sam at the Arlington House, on which the date may have been added later. See MTNJ 3: 552n213.

George E. Walsh, Manager for Correspondents’ Syndicate, N.Y. wrote soliciting Sam’s opinion, “in view of the recent defeat in the House of Representatives of the International Copyright bill,” just what “method should be pursued in the future to secure passage of such a bill; what were the prospects; would failure to pass the bill “affect American literature to any great extent”? [MTP]. Note: the latest bill failed on May 2.