April 20 Friday – In New York Sam wrote to Livy about his day-trip to Hartford, and about the assignment and Fred Hall:

Well dear heart, I read everything the newspapers had to say about it yesterday on my way to Hartford, & discovered not one unkind or unpleasant or fault-finding remark. As I hadn’t done anything to be ashamed of, I wasn’t ashamed; so I didn’t avoid anybody, but talked to everybody I knew on the train. The same, coming back. All my friends say I was wisely advised, & did right. I think your desires made Mr. Rogers think, for a while, that he wanted the assignment prevented — but I haven’t a doubt that that was merely a momentary weakness on his part; the moment he saw the rigorous attitude of the Mt. Morris Bank his sanity returned to him & we precipitated the assignment. I feel an immense sense of relief today; & so does Hall, though when he signed the assignment he could hardly keep from crying, & I half thought he would go off & drown himself.

Sam had more unkind things to say about Hall, who he said “prattles like a child.” He also hoped Livy was getting acquainted with the two Rogers girls, Mrs. Cara Rogers Duff and Miss May Rogers, who were in Paris [LLMT 299-300]. Note: making an assignment was akin to today’s chapter 11 protection, giving a firm time to reorganize and restructure debts.

Sam enclosed a letter from Mollie Clemens dated Apr. 15, upon which he wrote:

Dearheart, Molly sends this through me because she doesn’t know your address. My passage is taken for May 9. I spend the 17th in London on business. Saml [The Twainian 37.3 (May-June 1978: 3].

Many wrote or cabled concerns and luck for Mark Twain after seeing the newspaper notices. Sam wrote a line of thanks to James B. Pond, and a short letter of thanks to Henry C. Robinson:

None of the creditors has shown any but a friendly spirit. Several of them called yesterday to sympathize, & said nothing about the money owing to them.

I have lost 84 pounds in the last 48 hours.*

With my love to all the family, / Ys Ever/ Mark / * Not meat, but moral fat.