January 17 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Belle C. Greene of Nashua N.H. about her book.

In my judgment the Sketches are pretty good, but not very good. But mind, now, don’t make the mistake of overvaluing my opinion; for I am the oyster who said (& continues to say) that “Helen’s Babies” was the very worst & most witless book the great & good God Almighty ever permitted to go to press in the world — & behold, it has sold 200,000 copies, & is far from dead yet [MTP].

Note: Greene is listed as “Miss” in the MTP’s file, but her maiden name was Colton; she was a Mrs. who began writing humorous sketches in 1881. A copy of her A New England Conscience (1885), a religious novel, was in Mark Twain’s library [Gribben 275]. A biographical sketch on her may be found in Fifteen Hundred Biographies (1897), when Greene was still kicking.

Capt. Philip M. Price wrote from New York to Sam inquiring about Gen. Grant’s book for Gen. Wesley Merritt, as he had no copy and was reading one from West Point’s library [MTP].