January 21 Monday – Sam gave a reading at Smith College, Northampton, Mass. that included the segments, “Lucerne Girl,” “Tar Baby,” “Andrea del Sarto,” “German Lesson,” “Interviewer,” “Bluejay,” “Baker’s Cat,” and “Golden Arm.” Fatout writes, “Mark Twain admitted to his notebook that this program was too long by at least a half hour”[658]. This reading was one of several Sam gave to support charitable causes; in this case he raised $200.59 for the school’s gymnasium fund [MTNJ 3: 444n120].

January 20 Sunday – The New York Press responded to a question whether Sam was “still writing” the “Funny Side” column, that he was “mostly confined to writing on checks” [Budd, Our MT 84].

Elizabeth K. Boyesen wrote to Sam inviting him to dine with them on his next visit to New York [MTP].

January 19 Saturday – Mrs. T.C. Sylvis wrote from Olathe, Kansas to Sam. “I have just received your incomprehensible letter, in reply to mine [not extant], asking you for a souvenir. I am almost heart broken — I cannot believe that you would poke fun at me, by addressing me as ‘my dear baroness.’” [MTP].

Webster & Co. wrote to Sam: “We enclose herewith as requested duplicates of the Daily Report both of the Subscription Department and the Book-keeping Department” [MTP].

January 18 Friday – London’s Pall Mall Gazette reported:

…the genial humorist who is famous throughout the civilized world as “Mark Twain” is a mechanician of no ordinary kind. For several years he has been engaged in perfecting a type-setting machine of his own invention, and at last his patient toil has been, as he declares, crowned with success [MTNJ 3: 440n112].

January 17 Thursday – According to Sam’s Jan. 4 to Johnston, he left New York for Baltimore, Maryland at 10 a.m. He may have left Hartford on an early train, or may have gone there a day or more before. Because Webster & Co. wrote to him on Jan. 16, it’s likely he left Hartford early and continued on to Baltimore.

January 16 Wednesday – Webster & Co. notified Sam that the stock of several old volumes had been sold to Watson Gill; also, that Gill had included an order for 50 of Mrs. Custer’s book, Tenting on the Plains [MTLTP 252n1,n3]. Hall added, “We have the daily report system running now & so far it works finely. We know precisely where we stand now daily [MTP].

January 15 Tuesday – Webster & Co. wrote to Sam proposing to sell the rights to the bio of Henry Ward Beecher to Bromfield & Co., “a small but reliable publishing firm” in N.Y. The book had been a loser to about $2,000 and the proposal was to ask that amount [MTP].

January 14 Monday – William Dean Howells sent a note to Sam that they were “all expecting you at our Moretti dinner, Friday night of this week. Come directly on your return from Baltimore” [MTP].

January 12 Saturday – Frederick J. Hall for Webster & Co. wrote to thank Sam for the kind note — his approval gave him “new energy and determination.” A signed contract was enclosed [MTP].

January 11 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall, happy with the change in partnership.

The substitution of brains for guesswork was accomplished when you took Webster’s place last February, and I see by your letter that the use of brains in place of guesswork is to remain the policy of your administration. I cordially approve, detail by detail, of what you have done, & of what you have planned to do. You & I will never have any trouble.