December 17 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Edward H. House, who was still ailing, along with his adopted daughter, Koto House. Sam suggested that House think about writing an adaptation for P&P for the stage, something he was reminded House had spoken of once.

That would be nice; but I can’t dramatize it. The reason I say this is because I did dramatize it, & made a bad botch of it. But you could do it. And if you will, for ½ or 2/3 of the proceeds, I wish you would. Shan’t I send you the book? The work might afford you good amusement when the pains mercifully retire at times [MTP]. Note: This letter and House’s reply would wind up in a court case in 1890, with House arguing that the letters constituted a contract of offer and acceptance [Fatout, “MT Litigant” 34].

In Keokuk, Orion Clemens mistakenly took ammonia water, thinking it was cough medicine. Mollie rushed him to a pharmacy four blocks away where he took “ascid.” By then he was spitting blood and could not speak. Mollie later wrote that for six days and nights Orion got no rest from the pain, and was unable to eat. He lost weight as a result. Orion was concerned he could not continue the research for Sam’s history game, and it would be April until he recovered enough to put in four hours a day doing so [Fanning 205-6]. (See also Orion and Mollie’s letters of Dec. 29 and 30, and Feb. 3, 1887.)