March 19 Friday – Susy Clemens’ fourteenth birthday. From Susy Clemens’ diary entry of Mar. 23:

The other day was my birthday, and I had a little birthday parting in the evening and papa acted some very funny Charades, with Mr. Gherhardt, Mr. Jesse Grant (who had come up from New York and was spending the evening with us), — and Mr. Frank Warner. — One of them was “on his knees” honys-sneeze.

There were a good many other funny ones, all, of which I don’t remember.

Mr. Grant was very pleasant, and began playing the charades in the most delightful way [Papa 210].

Note: This segment was published in the North American Review of June 7, 1907 [MTNJ 3: 222n117; Salsbury 221].

In Hartford Sam wrote to Howells in Washington, answering his note of Mar. 17. He agreed to any day in April except 2-4 and wanted them to stay a few days, not a few hours between trains.

I have nearly about decided to go to West Point & read to the Cadets Saturday Apl 3d. ….

Susie is fourteen to-day! Lord, but I do feel old!

Come, all & every one of you, ye will be most welcome. Then we will talk. I perceive I can’t write; I am trying a new fountain pen — the “Yale” — & am weak from loss of profanity [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Charles Webster on four business matters. He didn’t think it “good policy” to allow anybody (in this case, Alfred P. Burbank) to perform Sellers as Scientist, which he felt might bring them “under a fire of newspaper criticism this year.” The books in the pipeline, Pope Leo XIII’s, and the late General George McClellan’s, were too valuable to risk.

Burbank is a personal friend and a first rate fellow, but I won’t allow that play to be played this year or next, upon ANY terms.

Sam also asked if the $10,000 had been paid to William C. Prime for McClellan’s book. He suggested issuing that book on Dec. 1 and beginning the canvass for the Pope’s book on the same date.

PS. Jesse Grant is to call on me at the Normandie at 9 or 10 A.M., Wednesday, March 24. It will be necessary that I see you first and take your opinion on the propositions. So look in a little before 9, he can wait till I have talked with you [MTLTP 196].

Note: Sam wanted to take Webster’s temperature on allowing Jesse Grant into the firm. See Webster’s Mar. 20 reply.

Jere F. Arringdale of Atlanta wrote to Sam wanting to buy “Mark Twain’s Address to the Mormons.” She was with the Temperance Advocate and solicited items for publication. Sam wrote on the envelope: “Nonsense” [MTP].

Sam’s reply (not listed in the MTP outgoing letters) to General Wesley Merritt at West Point probably was sent this day or the next, as Merritt wrote again on Mar. 22 about the “good prospects” for Sam coming. Evidently this was not an unequivocal acceptance. See Mar. 30 from Merritt.