May 21 Wednesday – In New York at the Murray Hill Hotel, Sam wrote to Livy that he’d just received both her letters, which suggests he’d been in the city perhaps earlier than Monday the 19th. Estimated here, the prior Thursday, or May 15.

I telegraphed you a while ago, before going down to get shaved, telling you I am going yachting to-day & to-night with Laffan, up the Hudson river & back. I ought to be starting, now, but I steal a moment to write you this line, & say again, as in the telegram, I like the outlook, & think it promises to accomplish things.

Note: William Mackay Laffan, a longtime friend whom Sam met in 1880 (see Feb. 20, 1880 entry) and the owner of the New York Sun. Sam lobbied the man hard in hopes of his sales and support for the Paige typesetter.

The Boston Daily Globe, p.7, “All Boston Smiles” declared “Samuel L. Clements [sic] (Mark Twain) registered at the Vendome,” and on May 28, p.2. declared “Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) is Right at Home in Boston.” No other evidence of a trip to Boston was found — it is possible that a reservation was made for him there and he was unable to make the trip. Clearly, Sam was in New York on this day, with plans to go yachting up the Hudson with William Laffan Mackay (see above letter to Livy.) He may have made a quick trip to Boston on May 28, however. His last known stop in Bean Town was Apr. 27 for the Max O’Rell dinner.