February 5 Friday – The Hartford Courant ran a short article, “A Letter From Mark Twain,” Keokuk dispatch, p. 6 that refers to a not-extant letter from Sam to brother Orion Clemens:

Orion Clemens, a brother of Mark Twain, received a letter to-day (Tuesday) [Feb. 2] from the noted humorist, who is temporarily sojourning at London, England, written in a most cheerful and encouraging style. The letter, while largely of a personal nature, does not even hint at anything like the desperate straits and deep financial embarrassment mentioned in recent cablegrams from the English capital. On the contrary, Mark Twain wrote hopefully of the future and of his family affairs. The brother here says that Mark has been very much depressed and exceedingly low spirited since the death of a favorite daughter, and his moroseness arising from grief, he thinks, has probably given rise to the stories sent out about his personal and financial condition.

[Note: if Orion rec’d the letter referred to in this article on Tues. Feb. 2, then Sam would have written it ca. Jan. 20. ]