September 30 Tuesday – In New York, Susy Clemens wrote to her sister Clara of their shopping in New York, her excitement at going away to college and of missing her.

Dearest, dear Clara; I am sitting in a bright sunny room just now, and would realy be perfectly happy for the time being if only you were here….

I have been rushing around till now with Mamma; and she has gotten me a lot of beautiful undressed kid gloves.

The new dresses are stunning! You would hardly recognize your unstylish sister in them. They fit perfectly without a wrinkle and are so narrow in the back that I have to stand up straight….

Tonight when I come back from the theater it will seem so doleful not to be able to talk it over with you, Clara. I would give anything if you were only here! I shall be so glad when we can be together again and I can hear you play the old familiar things. Because even tho’ I have been cross and horrid a great deal you know I have loved and admired you all the time. This you must never forget! …Think of me when you play the Onteora and Elmira music and write me very soon [Salsbury 280-1].

Note: Since Sam wrote from Washington the next day (Oct. 1) and wrote Oct. 4 to Goodman that Susy had entered Bryn Mawr, “three or four days ago,” it is calculated that Sam left New York for Washington either Sept. 30 or Oct. 1, while Livy and Clara left New York at or about the same time for Bryn Mawr. Sam would rejoin them by Oct. 4.

James W. Paige wrote to Sam that his draftsman, Charles I.. Earll, had seen the Rogers machine in New York on Monday. Paige included some matter set for the New York World by that machine and compared it with what the Paige typesetter could do. “In view of what we know and what Mr. Earll has just seen shall we send Van to examine it now or wait a while? Please answer” [MTP].

The Scots Observer p.454-5 ran an anonymous article, “Modern Men. Mark Twain.” “After praise of the ‘good Mark Twain,’ who gave us IA, RI, HF (a better book than the somewhat artificial TS), expresses regret for the vulgarity of CY [Tenney, MTJ (Spring 2004) p.6].