July 19 Friday – In Richmond, Va., Arthur C. Thornton (1865- ) wrote to Sam, spelling his name wrong. Thornton extended “a true old Virginia welcome” for Sam to visit in his “summer rambles.” Thornton referred to himself as the “forgotten writer of the horrible conglomeration of puns, which” Sam “rec’d some two years since…” Note: He was from an old Virginia family; his comedy book is not further identified.
July 18 Thursday – In Cambridge, Howells sent Sam a postcard that he could not leave home. Could Sam “run up Saturday and spend Sunday”? (July 20-21) [MTHL 2: 606].
G.P. Davis wrote from Hartford following up on Sam’s contribution to the YMCA [MTP].
William Mackay Laffan wrote to Sam asking if he would be in N.Y. all day Saturday [MTP].
July 17 Wednesday – In Cambridge, William Dean Howells responded to Sam’s invitation of July 13. There was a chance he might be able to come for a day, perhaps even the next day. He would telegraph if he could come.
July 16 Tuesday – † In the evening in Hartford, Sam dined with the Charles Warners and then wrote a “response” not an “answer” to his daughter Clara’s letter of the previous day.
July 15 Monday – In Elmira Clara Clemens wrote to her father in Hartford of a new kitten, the growing puppies, their horse rides and her violin teacher, Professor John C. Bostelmann (see Sept 13 to same). Clara called her father “Buf” and obviously inherited her mother’s “original” spelling [MTP].
July 13 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to his old friend, William Dean Howells about the death of Theodore Crane and the “heart-breaking” atmosphere at Quarry Farm. In Hartford since at least July 11, Sam brooded about the house, empty save for the servants. His letter is one of the few from this period that is not an obvious response, but a request.
July 12 Friday – In Hartford, at the family home, Sam wrote to Livy still in Elmira;
July 11 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Edmund C. Stedman, referring to his critical read of CY. Paraphrased from Henkels catalogs, Apr. 19, 1912, item 118:
July 10 Wednesday – W.P. Hanna wrote from Auckland, NZ to Sam, enclosing a clipping (not extant) which told of a reading in the Wellington Parliament of Sam’s description of the Chamois in TA [MTP].
July 9 Tuesday – Sam would have been in New York. He might have left for Hartford this day or either of the next two, but wrote from Hartford on July 11. He probably did not go to Hartford until the latter date, as he wrote Howells on July 13 that he “came on from Elmira a day or two ago.”