September 28 Sunday – The Clemens family arrived back in Hartford either this day or the day before. Sam wrote from Hartford to Karl Gerhardt, reminding him to:

“…thank Mr. Childs & Mr. Gowen cordially for me for the kindnesses which they have shown you. I shall be in Philadelphia within a month or two, & shall go to them & make my personal acknowledgments” [MTP].

**William Mackay Laffan wrote from NYC, back from a Canada vacation and feeling good about beating Osgood at billiards; he offered Sam a challenge [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Laffan / answered him”

James B. Pond wrote to Clemens, having reassured Cable that Sam did not have hard feelings over waiting an hour for him; he asked if Sam had any notions about programs for the tour [MTP].

September, late–October, early – The earliest copies of the first edition of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were printed, though official publication did not take place until Feb. 18, 1885 [Hirst, “A Note on the Text” Oxford edition, 1996].