December 16 Thursday – Sam had received Howells’ letter of Dec. 13 praising “The Two Ps.” [P&P]. Howells liked it “immensely. It begins well, and it ends well” [MTHL 2: 338]. Sam wrote from Hartford to James R. Osgood.

December 17 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Orion, sending $25 for Christmas gifts for him and Mollie. Livy wouldn’t know what to select, he said, and “this seems the best & simplest way.” He wrote:

“The pig matter is of no consequence—only, I perceive that when one deceives people as often as I have done, there comes a time when he is not believed when he does tell the truth” [MTLE 5: 229].

December 18 Saturday – Arnold, Constable & Co. of New York invoiced Sam $10 for one cashmere rug [MTP].

December 19 Sunday – **Ajax from Baltimore wrote an over-the-top crank letter asking for help publishing [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “The same old thing. / Man wants to know the royal road, & would like help”

December 20 Monday – Sam traveled with Twichell to New York City, arriving in the evening. They had a midnight oyster supper at the Tile Club, Francis Hopkinson Smith Studio, where Sam first met Francis Hopkinson Smith (1838-1915) [MTNJ 2: 360; AMT 2: 580]. Smith was an engineer and a writer whose hobby was painting.

December 21 Tuesday – Sam introduced Joe Twichell to General Grant, so he might have a “private talk in the interest of the Chinese Educational Mission here in the U.S.” (Hartford). Saving the mission was a cause close to the heart of Twichell (see Mar.15, 1881 entry). Note: Grant wrote to Li Hung Chang in the Chinese government, arguing that closing the mission would be an error.

December 22 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to David Watt Bowser (“Wattie”) in Dallas, Texas, who had written that he’d won a gold medal for his paper. Sam asked Wattie to “remember me kindly to your teacher [Laura Wright Dake]” [MTLE 5: 231].

December 24 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Frank Bliss to order several books for the Camoēns Library in Portugal as a contribution, in care of the Consul General of Portugal in New York City [MTLE 5: 223].

December 25 Saturday – Christmas – Sam purchased two tickets for La Morte Civile (The Civil Death) starring the Italian actor Tommaso Salvini (1829-1915), which played one night, Thursday, Dec. 30 [Hartford Courant, Dec. 27 p2. “This Week’s Entertainments”]. Note: from 1873 to 1889 Salvini made five trips to the U.S.

December 26 Sunday – Bohun Devereaux wrote to ask Sam’s views on dramatic copyright [MTP].

John Russell Young wrote from Hartford hoping to visit the Clemenses. His home had been Phila. since returning from Europe. House & Koto had “charged” him with “special messages to Mrs. Clemens and yourself” [MTP]. Note: very tiny hand

December 27 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to James R. Osgood in reference to a manuscript [MTLE 5: 241].

Sam purchased a suit from Geeley’s Wardrobe,  “Mens’ and boy’s clothing,” Hartford, for $6.50; paid Jan. 27, 1881 [MTP]. Note: Henry Geeley is listed as a clothier in the 1875 City Directory.

December 28 Tuesday – William A. Seaver wrote to Clemens. “My precious old bird: — / Haven’t you got a place for bores, loafers and snobs in Hartford called a Club? … I am twisting my wits to get stuff enough together to do a little article on Clubs, and would like to ring in Hartford” [MTP].

December 29 Wednesday – Sam declined an invitation from the Press Club of Chicago, writing from Hartford that the “formidable size of the trip in this mid-winter weather” would bar him from attending. He hoped they remembered him as well as he did them [MTLE 5: 242].

December 30 Thursday – Sam and Livy attended the single-night performance of “Morte Civile,” (the Civil Death), starring the famous Italian actor Salvini at the Hartford Opera House. The Hartford Courant, Dec. 31 p. 2 reported on the “emotional tragedy”:

December 31 Friday – Hartford merchant bills/receipts/statements:

A.D. Vorce & Co. “picture & looking glass frames, oil paintings” $36.75 for purchases Oct. 12, Nov. 30, Dec. 22; “wire and painting cats, hall frame”; paid Jan. 7, 1881; J.P. Newton, “meat, poultry, game, fish & vegetables” $7.48 for purchases: Nov. 27, Dec. 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29 fish & lobster [MTP].

1881 – “Etiquette” was written sometime during the year but remained unpublished during Sam’s lifetime

January – “Contributors’ Club” items in the Atlantic Monthly were usually unsigned. Sam’s untitled piece on Tauchnitz ran in this month’s issue [Camfield, bibliog.].

January 1 Saturday – Sam and Livy struggled with sick children.

On Jan. 9 Sam wrote his mother that Susy had been: “…taken sick, & Livy removed her to our room & tended her two or three days & nights. New Years’ morning she was well again; but Bay was taken alarmingly ill that night—threatened with membranous croup” [MTBus 149].

Bills/receipts/statements from Hartford merchants:

Sam paid for the Daily Courant, period Oct. 1, 1880 to Jan. 1, 1881.

January 2 Sunday – A fire started in Sam and Livy’s bedroom from a hot croup-kettle and spread to Clara Clemens’ crib and canopy. Rosa, the German nursemaid, “snatched Bay from the midst of the flames, just in time to save her life.” Sam and Rosa threw the burning bedclothes out the window. Sam wrote that “it looked, for awhile, as if the house must go” [MTBus 149]. In his Oct. 3, 1906 A.D. Clemens related that the Polish wet-nurse should have been there but was not: Julia Koshloshky. See also Harnsberger, p. 28-9.

January 3 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Moncure Conway.

January 4 Tuesday – The Jan. 31 bill from Western Union shows a telegram sent to Elmira on this date, recipient unspecified (see that entry).

January 5 Wednesday – Sam wrote to James R. Osgood:

My Dear Osgood— / All right—shall expect you Friday.

Would have written you sooner, but one of the children has been lying very close to the grave ever since New Years’ night, & was not declared out of danger till yesterday evening. / Truly Yours, / S.L. Clemens [ABE Books, Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. 6/11/2010]. Note: Clara Clemens was ill for several days, following Susie’s illness. See Jan. 3 to Conway.

January 6 Thursday – The Jan. 31 bill from Western Union shows a telegram sent to Elmira on this date, recipient unspecified (see that entry). The Feb. 1 bill from Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co. shows a telegram sent to Elmira on this date, recipient unspecified (see that entry).

William H. Thompson for Hubbard Bros., book publishers, Phila. wrote to ask Sam to edit some work sent (nearly illegible) [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Genus of the Fireside / Nerve & Impudence” SASE remains unused in file.

January 7 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to George W. Bagby the famous Southern humorist, who had written on Dec. 20 with some sort of invitation. Sam was too busy to accept.

“They say that time is money; it must be so, seeing it is so difficult to get, in any sufficient quantity” [MTP].

January 8 Saturday – Clara Clemens developed symptoms of pneumonia; the doctor was called [MTBus 149].