July 20 Saturday – Sam wrote a short note from New Saybrook to Elisha Bliss, saying he’d been looking for Harte and would let Bliss know when he arrived. Sam also asked about Henry C. Lockwood of Baltimore, and the elastic strap patent [MTL 5: 124].

Sam’s anonymous humorous sketch, “The Secret of Dr. Livingstone’s Continued Voluntary Exile,” was published in the Hartford Courant [Camfield, bibliog.; also in Budd’s Collected, etc. 1852-1890]. In the story, Livingstone is updated with the news of the past five years, and upon learning that Horace Greeley won the Democratic Party’s nomination to run against Grant, Livingstone chose to stay in Africa [MTL 5: 249-50n4].

July 20 or 21 Sunday – Sam and Livy wrote from New Saybrook to Mollie Clemens with a laundry list of things they needed there, from condensed baby milk to bathing suits [MTL 5: 125].

July 20–23 Tuesday – Sam wrote from New Saybrook to Mollie. A prowler had been operating in Nook Farm and Sam advised Mollie & Orion how to deal with the problem. Sam ordered a bell with a wire to bedroom windows be installed. The man was finally arrested Aug. 4 [MTL 5: 127].