December 24 Sunday – Returning from Chicago, Sam and H.H. Rogers “insisted on leaving the car at Philadelphia so that our waiter & cook (to whom Mr. R gave $10 apiece), could have their Christmas-eve at home.” Rogers’ carriage was waiting for the men at Jersey City. Sam was “deposited” at the Players Club “close upon midnight” [Dec. 25 to Livy].

Sam found four letters from Livy waiting for him: Dec. 9, 10, 11, 12, and a letter each from daughters Jean and Clara [Dec. 25 to Livy].

This squib led off a misc. article in the Brooklyn Eagle, Dec. 24, 1893 p.6:

Mark Twain has contributed so much to the merriment of the American public that it is a pity to perceive a touch of pessimism in his latter day utterances. “Whoever,” he says, “has lived long enough to find out what life is knows how deep a debt a gratitude we owe to Adam, the first great benefactor of our race. He brought death into the world.” Yet Adam couldn’t help it. It was Eve’s fault.