May 28 Monday – Sam attended a reception honoring Joseph Hopkins Twichell’s 50th birthday. After Mr. Allen (possibly Frederick B. Allen, Joe’s Boston friend) spoke of the world’s progress during Joe’s 50 years, Sam spoke. The Hartford Courant covered the event in an article of May 29:
MR. TWICHELL’S BIRTHDAY
THE GIFT OF A HOME Last Evening’s Anniversary — Exercises at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church — The Addresses The Presentation Address The next Speaker was Dr. E. M. Gallaudet
The Rev. Joseph H. Twichell, Pastor of the Asylum Hill Congregational church, was tendered a reception by his people last evening [May 28], the occasion being in recognition of Mr. Twichell‘s fiftieth birthday. The event possessed peculiar interest in view of the gift to Mr. Twichell the day before by his parish toners of the house which he has so long [resided in]. …
Mr. S.L. Clemens, who followed, said that he supposed he had been called partly because he was a considerable portion of the congregation. He stood as evidence of what Mr. Twichell had been able to construct. He was glad to learn from the first speaker, Mr. Allen, that Mr. Twichell was largely accountable for the progress the world has made during the past 50 years. Until he had spoken he had never realized that the telegraph and the telephone and all those things were due to the influence of this man — the handsomest man that ever lived. We all feel alike, continued Mr. Clemens, about the limitless degree of affection expressed in the paper read by Mr. Morris and hope it will be kept up so long as Mr. Twichell continues to do so well. Mr. Clemens then related an absurd incident which had occurred in Switzerland, showing how great an influence Mr. Twichell had exerted upon him during their sojourn in that country, and closed by reading the following poem, which, he said, reminded him so strongly of his pastor: Days of my youth, Ye have glided away; …
Sam also wrote to John Habberton for the N.Y. Herald, letter not extant; referred to in Habberton’s May 30 letter [MTP].
Orion Clemens thanked Sam for the monthly $155 check; Ma had been calling for her sister Patsy (Quarles) who had been dead 35 years. “I think by some curious trick of nature scenes of 70 years ago are presented to her mind as recent” [MTP].