March 29 Friday – In Hartford, Sam and each member of the family including the youngest, Jean Clemens, inscribed an album to their German governess, Marie Koerner, who was leaving their employ. Sam wrote:
You leave a great many behind you, here, Marie, who will always rejoice to know you prosper & sorrow to know the world does not go well with you; & of these I am one. S.L. Clemens. Hartford, Mch 29/89. [MTP].
March 28 Thursday – Annie Brown wrote to Sam acknowledging his positive response to give a reading at her home in New York on Apr. 13 [MTNJ 3: 468n211].
Sam’s notebook:
Mch. 28/89. Told Paige of my talk with Hamersley, & he expressed his hearty willingness to let us raise the capital by selling the English patents for $10,000,000 — either outright, or we to retain 4/10 of the English stock [3: 468].
March 27 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Abraham G. Mills about his upcoming stay in New York and speech at the Baseball event at Delmonico’s. Sam answered that he would stay at the Murray Hill Hotel and so would
March 25 Monday – Daniel Whitford for Alexander & Green forwarded the draft of a new contract for the dramatization of P&P. The new agreement included Daniel Frohman as well as Abby Sage Richardson, and gave Sam and Abby half-shares of a sliding scale of receipts. Whitford offered that it was impossible “to make a more advantageous agreement.” The new contract was in force on May 13 [MTNJ 3: 466].
March 24 Sunday – Livy wrote to her mother:
It is a wonderful day…. Clara and I have been to church. Susy staid at home, she has not been feeling quite well, having had quite a sore throat….
Of course the children are full of their lessons and very busy with their studying. I feel very unsettled about what I shall do with them, nothing in the way of a school seems to be exactly what I want.
I think Susy and Clara are both doing very well with their music this year [Salsbury 258].
March 23 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Hamlin Garland (1860-1940), American poet, novelist and short story writer, best known for his portrayals of Midwestern farmers. Sam did not have the time to give “the subject” Garland spoke of in his Mar. 21 letter “the proper thought so as to venture the least advice.” Sam hoped “in the near future we may run across each other; and talk the matter over” [MTP].
March 22 Friday – Richard W. Gilder for Century Magazine wrote to Sam: “Our next Fellowcraft dinner is Wednesday, April 10th? I am after you again…” Sam noted, “Tell him I can’t” on the env. [MTP].
March 21 Thursday – L.P. di Cesnola for Metro. Museum of Art wrote that Sam had been nominated as an “annual member” [MTP].
March 20 Wednesday – Reading in Volume 1 of The Poetic and Dramatic Works of Robert Browning, Sam recorded his progress along the margin on p.81: “Finished here March 20/89 I declare! What time it is!” [Gribben 105]. (See Mar. 27 for next notation.)
An unidentified person (signed, “A Bostonian”) wrote to Sam asking for an autograph [MTP].
March 19 Tuesday – Susy Clemens’ seventeenth birthday.
In Hartford, Sam wrote a long letter of explanation to Edward H. House about contracting P&P for the stage with Abby Sage Richardson. Here in part:
I was not at home when your letter of a few days ago arrived [not extant]: it followed me, but has not yet over taken me; so I get its substance at second — hand.