May 5 Friday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Moncure Conway (answering his May 2 postcard) about Bliss sending The Adventures of Tom Sawyer pictures to Chatto by the end of May. Sam enclosed the new picture of the children and told of Susy’s brush with death from diphtheria. Sam closed with the news that James T. Fields would drop by for a visit before his evening lecture [MTLE 1: 57].

Fields lectured in Hartford’s Seminary Hall on “Literary and Artistic Life in London Twenty-Five Years Ago.” The May 6 page two the Hartford Courant reported:

At the close of the lecture an informal reception was held in the south hall. Mr. Samuel L. Clemens made one of his happy speeches

William Dean Howells wrote from Cambridge, Mass. that he’d meet Clemens and Twichell at Parker House at 5 o’clock on May 7. He wasn’t sure the wife would be well enough. He added he didn’t ask “A” (Aldrich) to the dinner [MTHL 1: 137].

George Barclay wrote from Edinburgh to reassure Sam that now Dr. Brown “was all right again” [MTP].