December 18 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Thomas Bailey Aldrich. After complimenting Aldrich on “Cloth of Gold,” a book of poetry, Sam talked of ice-skating:

“I’ve been skating around the place all day with some girls, with Mrs. Clemens in the window to do the applause. There would be a power of fun in skating if you could do it with somebody else’s muscles” [MTL 6: 321].

Sam also wrote to Howells about a planned trip he and Howells might take to New Orleans. Sam feared his No.3 pilot article had been tossed in the fire by Susy. Sam also included some light-hearted talk about his gift from Howells and Aldrich of two neckties, and included a quote from John Hay praising him for having “the two greatest gifts of the writer, memory & imagination” [MTL 6: 324-5].