September 15 Monday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Charles Webster. John T. Raymond had backed out of doing the new Sellers play. The heliotype was acceptable to Sam at a cost of two cents each. Livy had been:

“…sick—is sick—& will not be able to travel for a week or ten days yet. Keep the Sellers play in your safe until I am done with the platform—then I will send for it & turn it into a novel” [MTP].

Sam also answered Howells’ “bad luck” letter of Sept. 12:

Well, isn’t the devil in the luck? Raymond backs out at last—I wish to thunder you hadn’t had the trouble of writing the speech for nothing. Then your manager had to go & get killed. That is your share of the ill luck. Mrs. Clemens has fallen sick, & our return home is frustrated, just as we were nearly ready to start. And that miscreant who drew the revolver escaped from the jailor & has got away into Pennsylvania. That is my share [MTP].

In Boston, Howells wrote to Sam, saying “Never mind about the play. We had fun writing it, anyway” [MTHL 2: 507].

E.M. Ormsby wrote from Springfield, Mass. to demand an autograph [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Some ass or other”