July 15 Wednesday – Livy wrote in her diary that she and her children were “reading together” Grace Aguilar’s (1816-1847) The Days of Bruce; A Story from Scottish History (1834). Livy added the girls enjoyed it “very much,” and Clara Clemens later remembered it as one of their favorite books. Sam may have read this to his girls also. During this summer the Clemens girls named their Quarry Farm playhouse “Ellerslie” from the novel [Gribben 13].

Susan E. Dickinson wrote from W. Pittston, Pa.—a begging letter for an unnamed girl (Sade E. Bond) to finish her education [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the letter, “I’m to give $50 if she raises the other $160”