October 13 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Mary Mason Fairbanks, who evidently had written asking about the family (her letter not extant).

Susy is a freshman at Bryn Mawr, poor child; we left her there a week ago, & it’s about the longest week the almanac was ever furnished to this fambly. Livy’s health is rather shabby….Clara decides to stay out of college & devote herself to music….We haven’t forecast Jean’s future yet, but think she is going to be a horse jockey & live in the stable.

Clara was taking piano lessons twice monthly in New York from Miss Jessie Pinney (later Baldwin), and practiced three hours a day. The Clemens family met Pinney at their summer stay in Onteora [MTMF 265-6; MTNJ 3: 580n27]. Sam wrote in his notebook during this period that “Miss Pinney is a ‘Confused Christian’” [n27].

Sam also wrote to James B. Pond that he was going to the Stanley Club dinner on Nov. 8, and was thinking of a trip he would make five years later:

I shall want you to tell me what your plans are for the Pacific coast. One of these days — or years — I’m going out there to read a few nights, & I like to travel in illustrious company [MTP].

Note: this would have been rare bait for Pond, who often and without success, had tried to engage Mark to tour. Now that financial pressures were great, the idea of doing platform performances for money, not charity, was in his thoughts.

Sam also wrote to Candace Wheeler responding to her invitation (also not extant) for a summer stay the next year, and also an offer from Mr. Thurber (probably Candace’s father as Thurber was her maiden name).

It is a lovely offer, a seductive & splendid offer, & it costs us many a a pang to have to decline it.…But we’ve got to let our children clamor as they may for a return to these happy hunting grounds. We must spend next year in Europe; & we are unpractical people who shudder at the base idea of looking further ahead than a year at a time.

Sam added an apology for the delay in answering but they’d been away so much and had been so rushed; he promised to send back some plans Candace had sent, content unknown [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Freidrich Reimer in Germany, thanking him for the German edition of P&P. He was “charmed with the translator’s work,” and thought it “admirably done” [MTP].

Charles E. Flandrau for Flandrau, Squires & Cutcheon wrote to Sam enclosing check for $272.50, a 5% dividend on St. Paul Roller Mill Co. [MTP].

Clara L. Newkirk wrote from Kansas City, Mo to Sam. She had written a book (not named) and would be “glad to have you examine the manuscript.” Sam wrote on the envelope, “You know what to answer, Brer / SLC” [MTP].