April 30 Sunday – In N.Y. at Dr. Rice’s home, Sam wrote to Annie E. Trumbull, directing her to send a book she wished him to have to Elmira, in care of Charles J. Langdon.

I mean to get out of this bed & strike for that town day after tomorrow, early in the morning. I have been in bed for 17 days, now, & in a little while longer I shall be tired of it. George Warner asked me to come to Hartford & go to bed in his house, & I gratefully & gleefully accepted; but that was because I thought I should be abed only about a day; since then I have lost confidence, & I’m going to folks who have got to bed me & put up with me whether they like it or not; for I don’t believe I am going to be firm on my hind legs for a week yet.

Sam wrote he still expected to visit Hartford since he’d put off his departure for Europe to May 13 [MTP].

Sam then wrote to Susan Warner in Hartford. He’d been moved by Dr. & Mrs. Rice to their home on Apr. 28, and had “prospered ever since.” So much so that he would leave the next day or the day after for Elmira, and then if he got “straightened out all right” he would visit Hartford before May 13 [MTP].

In Florence Livy wrote one last letter to Sam before he would sail:

Youth Darling: I am going to venture one more line in the hope that it may reach you. I want to say that I think in fact I am sure that you need pay no attention to my word about the telegrams. I am sure we shall be very well at that time. It would be terrible for you to lose a train by waiting for me to answer your dispatch [from Genoa] and as we are so far out that would surely be the case. You will not reach here before the 25th. …

…Mr and Mrs. Hutton and Mr. and Mrs. Earnest Longfellow called yesterday.

We now have so many roses that we really do not know what to do with them. Some of them have to lie around on the tables and wilt for we have not vases enough to take care of them.

I feel so uncertain about your getting this that I will not write more. Yours always with deepest love, Livy L.C. April 30th evening [The Twainian Nov-Dec 1977 p.4].