July 20 Sunday – Howard P. Taylor, came to Hartford to read a draft of the CY play. Sam wrote to daughter Clara Clemens in Onteora, N.Y. of his opinions:

Clara dear, I hope your piano has arrived as you hoped, & that you are satisfied with it & having a good time — a better time than I have been having today. It’s a secret that isn’t to be breathed outside the family — the new play, the Yankee in Arthur’s Court, has bored the very soul out of me. Four level hours I listened, today, in misery. Taylor has made a rattling, stirring, & spectacular, & perhaps talking play, & has shown dramatic talent & training; but his handling of archaic English is as ignorant & dreadful as poor Mrs. Richardson’s; & he has captured but one side of the Yankee’s character — his rude animal side, his circus side; the good heart & the high intent are left out of him; he is a mere boisterous clown, & oozes slang from every pore [LLMT 257]. Note: though Taylor revised the play and shopped it to several N.Y. producers, he was unsuccessful (see MTNJ 3: 562n254).

While Sam was working business in New York and Hartford, William Dean Howells stopped off at Onteora. Sam wrote he wasn’t sure when he would return but, “Don’t let Mr. Howells get away before I come…Why the nation didn’t he come sooner!” Sam would miss Howells’ visit.

Sam also wrote a sweet letter to his daughter Jean, about the horses, including one named “Max Clemens” who was “under medical treatment for the scarlet fever or whatever …”

Your new kitten is out on vacation, too, up the Avenue about 300 yards beyond the bridge. A little girl had it in her lap, petting it, sitting on the grass in a yard, & I recognized it & said I believed it was our cat. She said she believed it was. She said, “It came here last night; & once before one of your cats came here & I carried it back home again.” I said I would write Jean that her kitten was in good hands. I thought I would let it stay there & board till we come home from summering, because otherwise it will wander to some other house where we can’t find it again. You see, it has a way of following people off, because it is of a sociable turn & can’t get along without society & culture.

Ino is here, & not trying to do anything useful; & today I saw him breaking the Sabbath. If he does it again I will drown him [MTP].