December 10 Saturday – The New York Times wrote up the Montreal dinner of Dec. 8. Headlines:
MARK TWAIN IN MONTREAL
HIS SPEECH AT THE BANQUET IN HIS HONOR.
AN EXPLANATION HOW HE CAME TO BE IN AN OSTENSIBLY FOREIGN LAND – LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GOOD TIMES COMING WHEN LITERARY PROPERTY WILL BE AS SACRED AT WHISKY
December 11 Sunday – Joe Goodman wrote to Sam, relating a visit to see Denis E. McCarthy, who’d asked him to go to San Francisco, as he had serious medical problems. Turned out that Denis had improved and the causes of his enlarged heart, etc. were from drinking. He wrote of meeting Senator John P. Jones and of his offers of positions he thought he could get Joe until the vineyard paid [MTP].
December 12 Monday – The official date of publication for P&P. Two copies were placed with the Copyright Office, Library of Congress [Hirst, “A Note on the Text” Oxford edition, 1996].
Sam wrote from Hartford to Joel Chandler Harris in Atlanta.
I judge you haven’t received my new book yet—however, you will in a day or two. Meantime you must not take it ill if I drop Osgood a hint about your proposed story of slave life.....
December 13 Tuesday – Tiffany & Co. wrote acknowledging receipt of another thousand [MTP].
Murat Halstead for Cincinnati Commercial Gazette wrote a nearly illegible letter, honored here by omitting the few words discerned [MTP].
December 14 Wednesday – Jeannette L. Gilder wrote:
December 15 Thursday – Henry Clay Trumbull for Philadelphia Sunday School wrote: “I am so glad you can come on the 21st. I want a few friends to come in and see you that evening” [MTP].
December 16 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Howells, who had been ill and unable to attend the Montreal dinner honoring Sam as planned.
MY DEAR HOWELLS,—It was a sharp disappointment—your inability to connect, on the Canadian raid. What a gaudy good time we should have had!
Disappointed, again, when I got back to Boston; for I was promising myself half an hour’s look at you, in Belmont; but your note to Osgood showed that that could not be allowed yet.
December 17 Saturday – Livy wrote to Franklin Whitmore saying her “visit with him the other day was too short” and hoped he would come again “soon, very soon.” It’s uncertain the specific day Whitmore visited, but it may have been while Sam was away. Signed, “Always your loving friend” [MTP].
Francis Kenney wrote to Sam, enclosed in Kenney Aug. 1, 1882 [MTP].
December 18 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to the editor of the Springfield Republican regarding the criticism of that paper to his trip to Canada to obtain copyright there.
December 19 Monday – In Cambridge, Mass., where he was staying to be near his doctor, William Dean Howells was recovering from a five-week illness. He wrote to Sam:
December 20 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to his sister Pamela Moffett.
Merry Christmas to you all. I enclose $25. Livy & I desire you to Christmasize it for yourself & Ma. We would do it ourselves, but we are at a loss to select.
Charley is here to-night, & is well. All our tribe are well & flourishing. I go to Philadelphia tomorrow—the last banquet I’m going to attend this year, anyway [MTBus 180].
December 21 Wednesday – Sam left Hartford and traveled to Philadelphia [MTBus 180]. Note: Sam’s Dec. 20 letter to Miss Trowbridge said he left on that day, while his letter of the same date to his sister stated he was going to Philadelphia “tomorrow.”
December 22 Thursday – Sam spoke at the New England Society in Philadelphia. His subject was “Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrims” [Fatout, MT Speaking 162-5]. Sam had been invited by Henry Clay Trumbull, a Congregational clergyman, and brother of James Hammond Trumbull, the Hartford scholar who wrote the multi-lingual chapter headings for The Gilded Age.
December 23 Friday – Livy wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster about shipping Christmas gifts and packages shipped. She added that Sam was gone [MTBus 181]. He returned later this day from Philadelphia since he sent an unidentified person this aphorism: “Never put off till tomorrow what can be done day after tomorrow just as well” [MTP].
December 24 Saturday – A short note “The New England Dinner – Mark Twain’s Regrets” ran on the front page of the Hartford Courant [Courant.com].
Nathaniel J. Burton wrote from Hartford, a heartfelt thanks to Sam for sending his new book [MTP].
December 25 Sunday – Christmas – Sam inscribed P&P books to Clara and Susy Clemens, each reading: “To that good mannered and agreeable child Clara Clemens [or] Susie Clemens this book is affectionately offered by Her Father the Author, Hartford, Xmas, 1881.” The inscriptions were prefaced by notes that the book was “one of six or eight copies that were printed on India paper” [MTP].
December 27 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Edward House, who had evidently written saying that he would arrive for the long-delayed visit on Jan. 2 or 3. Sam hoped that House and daughter Koto could stay until he left for the Mississippi River trip, or about Apr.
December 28 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Rev. Nathaniel J. Burton, longtime member of the Monday Evening Club.
December 29 Thursday – Sam wrote from Hartford to James R. Osgood, enclosing a review of P&P by Rev. E.P. Parker that ran in the Hartford Courant on Dec. 28. Sam wanted Osgood to consider it for “a new and powerful circular” [MTLTP 148].
December 31 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, enclosing a photograph of baby Jean that Sam wanted 100 copies of, or at least he wanted a quote for that many. Sam also included another business idea, to “keep on hand a variety of cuts [type-cuts] for mercantile advertisements in country newspapers” [MTP].
1882 – Sam drew up a list of his investments and domicile expenses since Jan. 1, 1881.
January – Sometime during the month Sam wrote to Will Clemens (no relation, see Nov. 18, 1879 entry) who had asked for a humorous biography of Sam.
“I haven’t any humorous biography—the facts don’t admit of it. I had this sketch from Men of the Time printed on slips to enable me to study my history at my leisure” [Clemens, W. 20].
Will did write a 200-page biography of Sam and published it on July 1, 1892 as “No. 1” in a paperback series called “The Pacific Library.”
Sam also wrote to Whitelaw Reid sometime during January:
January 1 Sunday – Schwartz Bros. (soon to be F.A.O. Schwartz), New York, billed Sam $3.50 for doll parts: “1 head, 1 wig, repackage doll.” Note: stamped on invoice: “bills rendered Jan. May and Oct.”; Park & Tilford, fancy groceries, New York billed Sam $36.88 for two kinds of jelly, “2 doz Glen Whiskey”, paid Jan. 11 [MTP].
January 2 Monday – Edward House and daughter Koto arrived for a visit. Sam inscribed P&P to Koto, House’s adopted Japanese daughter: To / Koto House / With the affectionate regards of / The Author / Hartford Jan.2, 1882 [MTP]. Note: in his Dec. 27 to House Sam announced Koto would get the China paper edition.
Sam also wrote to Charles Webster:
“Dear Charley— Make me a copper stamp. I am on track of a way by which you can harden it afterwards, & make it as hard as brass. I hear this from the head of the Bank Note Co.” [MTP].
January 4 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam inscribed P&P to A.V.S. Anthony: “To / A.V.S. Anthony / With Sentiments of esteem, / appreciation, & tenderness, / from / The Author / Hartford, Jan. 4, 1882” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to James R. Osgood about distribution of P&P to British possessions outside of Canada through McMillan. Sam didn’t care how it was done or how many were sold that way, he simply didn’t want cheaper versions flooding into the U.S. He also saw an opportunity to act in concert with Osgood as agents: