March 19 Friday – Susy Clemens’ third birthday; in a letter to her mother, Livy told of the presents that Susy shared with her baby sister “Bay” (Clara): dolls, candy, a silver setting, a gold ring, silver thimble, a Bible from the servants, and from her father a Noah’s ark with 200 wooden animals [Willis 97].

Sam replied to the Mar. 18 from James Martin, and typed a letter to Densmore, Yost & Co., typewriter manufacturer of his machine:

GENTLEMEN,—Please do not use my name in any way. Please do not even divulge the fact that I own a machine. I have entirely stopped using the TYPE-WRITER, for the reason that I could never write a letter with it to anybody without receiving a request by return mail that I would not only describe the machine, but state what progress I had made in the use of it, etc., etc. I don’t like to write letters, and so I don’t want people to know I own this curiosity-breeding little joker. Yours truly, SAML. L. CLEMENS [MTL 6: 419].

Sam also wrote to Charley Langdon about the morning family fun and Susy’s gifts, which included:

“a ranting mob of Sunday-clad dolls from Livy & Annie [Moffett], & a Noah’s Ark from me containing 200 wooden animals such as only a human being could create & only God call by name without referring to the passenger list” [MTL 6: 420-1].