June 1 Monday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to the Art Society of Hartford, accepting an invitation from the ladies there to give a reading in Unity Hall on the evening of Friday, June 5, and also the afternoon of June 6 [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Charles Warren Stoddard. During this year Stoddard accepted the chair of the English department at Notre Dame College, but soon gave it up due to ill health. When Stoddard confessed discomfort about publishing A Troubled Heart, the story of his religious quest, Sam replied:

I have read it. Yes, I think you were right to print it; for there are all sorts of people, & they require all sorts of comforting; consequently there are those who require this sort—I mean the sort of comfort that is found in what is called religion. Peace of mind is a most valuable thing. The Bible has robbed the majority of the world of it during many centuries…I have found that as perfect a peace is to be found in absolute unbelief…May your belief & my unbelief never more be shaken in this life! [MTP].

Buvva Morgan Smith wrote to Sam.

54 East 11th St / June 1st ’85 / Dear Mr. Clemens:

Communication of Saturday last received. I am much obliged for your courtesy. But, upon my word the idea of writing up our pleasant call never crossed my mind until the next day. I only wish now that it had, for the sake of the many funny things you didn’t say. “Of all sad words of tongue or type-writer” &c. You know the quotation.

Dear Mr. Clemens, I do hope that if in the future I may ever enjoy the honor of a note from you, that your type-writer will have gone to pieces like the “One Hoss Shay.” I prefer your chirography [sic], however bad you may moderately affirm it to be [MTP]. Notes: “our pleasant call” may refer to Sam’s visitors, “Miss Murfree & her sister” recollected in June 5 to Howells. It may be that Buvva accompanied Miss Murfree to Hartford, or was part of the company there before the Clemens family left for Elmira. Since Murfree was a writer, perhaps Sam was concerned the visit would be publicized. MTP gives “daughter of Confed. General Morgan-Smith; first name uncertain”, yet the envelope reads, in Sam’s hand, “Daughter of Rebel General Morgan Smith”. This is probably the daughter of Union general Morgan L. Smith, under Sherman’s command. No record of a hyphenated Morgan-Smith could be found. Also, the MTP in-coming letter lists her as “Bulla,” but the signature is spelled out and is clearly Buvva, perhaps a nickname or stage name; the letter suggests some connection with the stage:

West Hartford Ice & Pressed Brick Co. , billed $24.62 for deliveries Jan. through May, total 9,850 lbs @ 25 cents lb.; paid June 6 [MTP].

Joel Chandler Harris wrote from Atlanta, enclosing a notice of HF contributed to the Editorial columns of the Atlanta Constitution, “less a review of the book than of its critics.” Evidently this was in response to a favor asked by Sam, for Harris wrote it was the best he could do [MTP].