Submitted by scott on

April 26 Sunday – In Fredonia, N.Y., Charles Luther Webster died at 3 a.m. He was only 39 years old. In Hartford Sam wrote condolences to his niece, Annie Moffett Webster.

There are no words that can bring solace at such a time; the most that one can do is to offer one’s strong sympathy, & this we do out of our hearts. Charley was a great sufferer, & to him death is peace, & a grateful release from intolerable pain….Your aunt Livy is invalided, & I am debarred from travel by rheumatism. Otherwise we should go to you at once….I have telegraphed Orion to go, & he will be there without doubt [MTP].

Sam’s above letter mentions a telegram to Orion, asking him to represent the family and attend Webster’s funeral. The telegram is not extant. The N.Y. Times, Apr. 27, 1891 p.5 reported Webster’s death at “his beautiful residence, Interstrassen, in Fredonia.” The article noted that his parent, wife and three children survived him.

According to Sam’s Apr. 23 to Kravchinksi, Livy and Susy were to arrive back home on this day. Since this was a Sunday, a day Livy did not like to travel on, they may have arrived the following day, Apr. 27.

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Day By Day Acknowledgment

Mark Twain Day By Day was originally a print reference, meticulously created by David Fears, who has generously made this work available, via the Center for Mark Twain Studies, as a digital edition.   

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