February 14 Wednesday – J.M. Shoemaker arrived in New York. Sam wrote of a meeting between himself, H.H. Rogers and Shoemaker on this day:

Livy darling, we have had several talks with Shoemaker. Yesterday [Feb. 14] Mr. Rogers talked with him; for whenever Mr. Rogers finds that I am wool-gathering & imperiling my matters he drops his own affairs & takes hold. My idea is for Shoemaker to sell as big a block of the stock as he can at 45 cents — say $200,000 of stock for $91,500 — & for this service I to sell him stock for himself at 25 cents. He thought it would be an immense help if Mr. Rogers would write him a letter saying some strong things about the machine [Paige typesetter] & the Company’s prospects, but Mr. Rogers is very cautious & conservative, & loath to have people put money into a thing on his recommendation. However, S. said he believed Mr. R. would discomfort himself a good deal if I was to be the person benefited; so he asked him & got the letter. It is strong (for Mr. Rogers) & dignified & simple & honest & straight-forward, like Mr. Rogers [Feb. 15 to Livy]. Note: the three men met again the following day.

In Paris, Olivia Clemens wrote to H.H. Rogers, sending the letter first to Sam to deliver. On Feb. 27 Sam referred to this letter as “just right” and promised to write Rogers and enclose hers in his “to be handed to him after I have sailed [Mar. 7]. That will spare him embarrassment.” Portions of Livy’s letter to Rogers:

My dear Mr. Rogers: / I am going to venture to send you a little note in order that I may quote to you a paragraph in one of Mr Clemens’ last letters.

I have had the good fortune to be Mr Clemens wife for a goodly number of years, therefore I know him pretty thoroughly.

One of his peculiarities is that he does not say a thing when he thinks it and ought to say it.

And she quoted Sam’s letter about Rogers’ name being “music in my ear”:

For six months Mr Clemens letters have been full of affectionate admiration of you, and I have given you a little sample of what his letters have contained.

Hoping the day is not far distant when I shall be able to know you personally [MTHHR 39].

Sam inscribed a copy of P&P to Marjorie Gwinn (Singer): With the affectionate homage of / Mark Twain / to / Marjorie Gwinn / Feb. 14, 1894 [photocopy sent by Thomas A. Tenney, with attached letter stating Gwinn to be a Hartford neighbor].