June 6 Tuesday – Sam was back in Elmira and began work on what would be Chapter 54 of Roughing It, which began by referring to a news item of June 3 in the New York Tribune.

“As I write, news comes in that broad daylight in San Francisco, some boys have stoned an inoffensive Chinaman to death, and that although a large crowd witnessed the shameful deed, no one interfered” [Roughing It, Ch.54].

For some reason, Sam put Roughing It aside for three weeks [MTL 4: 395]. It’s possible that upon his return to Elmira, as he wrote Orion and Molly, “Livy is stronger & the baby is flourishing,” so he wanted to spend time with them.