December – Sam’s article, dated Nov. 6, 1887, “A Petition to the Queen of England,” ran in the Dec. issue of Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, p.157-8. [Budd, Collected 1: 922].

November 30 Wednesday – Sam’s 52nd birthday.

Orion and Mollie Clemens finished a letter to Sam and Olivia, which they began Nov. 29 [MTP].

November 29 Tuesday – Sam had that unspecified “morning business” meeting in Hartford he wrote about to Fairbanks on Nov. 25.

In the evening the Clemenses gave a dinner party of Senator and Mrs. Joseph Hawley. The guests included the George Warners, Mrs. Charles Dudley Warner (Susan), Koto House, Mary Barton, Ward Foote and Joe Twichell [MTNJ 3: 353&n171].

November 28 Monday – Sam and daughter Clara left Hartford on the 12:30 p.m. train for New York. If he acted on his plan written to Fairbanks on Nov. 25, he then went to his office, did a bit of work and went to his reading (perhaps with Mary Mason Fairbanks).

November 27 Sunday – Livy’s 42nd birthday.

The New York Times, p.5 ran a short announcement of Sam’s reading for the following day:

THE AUTHOR’S READINGS

November 26 Saturday – From Sam’s notebook, another co. bank balance: — 9060.97 [MTNJ 3: 353].

November 25 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Mary Mason Fairbanks in New York that he planned to leave Hartford Monday, Nov. 28 on the 12:30 p.m. train, then go to his office at 3 East 14th Street, and then to Chickering Hall to give a reading at 2 or 2:15 p.m., depending on the office business. After the lecture he intended to take the 4:30 p.m. train home in order to “meet a business engagement next morning (Nov. 29).

November 24 Thursday – Thanksgiving – According to Sam’s Nov. 16 to Fairbanks, Charles J. Langdon’s daughter, Julia Langdon, came up from her New York School for the holiday with the Clemens family.

In Hartford Sam wrote to Laurence Hutton.

November 23 Wednesday –

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

3911  James Quinn  20.00  RR Agent

November 21 Monday – On or about this day Sam returned to New York, probably on business. He wrote of just returning from the City on Nov. 24, Thanksgiving.

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

3909  Meyrowitz Bros  2.56  N.Y. Opticians

3910  J.P Griswold  100.80