September 15 Wednesday – In Elmira, Sam wrote to Thomas Bailey Aldrich, who had sent him a copy of his book to read—already read by Sam (The Stillwater Tragedy, serialized in the Atlantic Monthly, Apr.-Sept.1880). He wrote about Livy and the baby Jean, and about finishing a story (Prince and the Pauper) the day before.

“I counted up & found it between sixty & eighty thousand words—about the size of your book. It is for boys & girls—been at work at it several years, off and on” [MTLE 5: 161; See Gribben 17].

Sam also wrote to Chester A. Arthur:

Dear Sir: In answer: if I were a political speaker I should be glad enough to assist in this momentous struggle—but I have no strength in that direction.

About the middle of October I may want to make just one little bit of a 15-minute speech at some big gathering in New York, merely to tranquilize the audience & hold them down whilst the real speakers of the evening are getting ready. But it would have to be my only speech during the campaign, & it would not bear repetition—save in print”[MTP]

On or about this day Sam wrote to his attorney, Charles Perkins, trying to resolve a large credit in his bank account with Bissell & Co. [162].