March 4 Sunday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Richard Watson Gilder about the up-coming Washington hearings on international copyright legislation, and on the authors reception given by President Cleveland on Mar. 19. Sam wanted to take Livy but Mother Nature would intervene.

I am trying to get Mrs. Clemens to take a few days holiday from house-keeping & go down to Washington with me & be there Saturday the 16th. She says she will go that far “to see Mrs. President” & with alacrity, too, but these are the only terms. Now then, if there is to be a kind of reception of the authors on Saturday by the President, & if the wives can go along, & if Mrs. Cleveland will be present, that will meet this emergency first rate.

Sam then asked Gilder to lie for him and write saying that all of that would be going on, ostensibly to show Livy in order to convince her to go with him! [MTP].