April – With Livy, Susy Clemens left Bryn Mawr for good and returned home. Powers claims she was “underweight and overwrought” [MT A Life 537]. Note: Charles Langdon’s Apr. 2 to Sam mention’s Livy’s “thin and worn” condition, which suggests he saw her in N.Y. on Apr. 1 or 2. Significantly, Langdon made no such evaluation of Susy.

Sometime during the month Sam answered a now lost letter by Joe Goodman, reasurring him that “Diplomacy couldn’t have saved” the effort with Senator Jones or the future of the Paige typesetter.

I was running an immense risk, but it was justified by Jones’s promises — promises made to me not merely once but every time I talked with him. When February arrived, I saw signs which were mighty plain reading. Signs which meant that Paige was hoping & praying that Jones would go back on me — which would leave Paige boss, & me robbed & out in the cold. If I ever get my nine-twentieths interest, it will be by lawsuit — which will be instituted in the indefinite future, when the time comes [MTP]. Note: Clearly, Sam had no stomach for more legal battles at this time.

Sam also told of work on a book, “Not with a great deal of spirit, but with enough.” He also thought it “dreadful” to think of Joe in ill health:

I can’t realize it; you are always to me the same that you were in those days when matchless health and glowing spirits & delight in life were commonplaces with us. Lord save us all from old age and broken health & a hope-tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms [MTP].

Webster & Co. sent a ledger page to Sam headed “Books sent out during March, 1891” totaling 7,585. A note at the bottom states the numbers were books actually shipped and did not include the single volume on Sherman which would appear in April [MTP].