May 5 Thursday – In Hartford Sam answered Orion’s Apr. 27 and/or May 2 letter. He told his brother to “just peg along” on the research on English kings for the memory game. Orion was recovering from swallowing ammonia water thought to be cold medicine. Sam asked him not to send MS — there was too much company and he always had “a raft of things to do,” so that he would “naturally shirk everything that will stand shirking.” Sam confided, “that thief” (Frank M. Scott) got less than $30,000 but due to two destroyed cashbooks, they couldn’t pinpoint the exact loss. He added that Livy was “a little tuckered out & not altogether well” from their trip to West Point, so that he thanked Mollie Clemens for her letter to Livy. About the girls, Sam wrote:

Susie enters the High School to-day, & Clara next year. Both passed their examinations successfully; but poor Julia Twichell has now failed for the second time [MTP].

Sam also wrote a short note to Edward H. House, congratulating him on his writing about Japan. A visit by House and Koto was in the works, because Sam wrote:

We’re warming up the climate for you, & shoving out the leaves; you’ll find everything shouting when you get here [MTP].

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

3678  Union Adams Agent  44.50

3679  Fox & Co  35.13  Grocers

3680  Eugene Meyer  30.00  Piano Lesson

3681  J.P. Haynes  1.50  Grocer

3682  Patrick McAleer  200.00  Coachman