February 5 Saturday – In Hartford Sam responded to a Mrs. Thornburgh (identity unknown), saying she wasn’t “troubling him too much,” but that he’d been away from journalism some seventeen years and knew only “two newspaper men in all the east” [MTP]. Her request must have had something to do with journalism. (Her earlier letter is not listed in the MTP’s Incoming file.)

February 4 Friday – In Hartford Sam finished the letter begun Feb. 3 to William Smith. He’d received Smith’s books and expressed a desire to visit Morley on his next trip to England. Both he and Livy enjoyed the “beautiful and interesting” books by Smith.

February 3 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote Richard Watson Gilder, editor of Century Magazine:

Say — please send me a couple of proofs of that truck pretty soon in a few days, won’t you? I’m to read it to our Young Girl’s Club here in the house and b’gosh I haven’t got any copy. I’ll see you at the Publishers and Stationers’ Dinner at the Brunswick the 10th if you’re there which I reckon you will be if you are [MTP]. Note: “that Truck” was “English as She is Taught”.

February 2 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote a one-liner to Bruce Weston Munro in Toronto that he had not received an item Munro had sent, probably the novel Munro had written of sending [MTP]. See Oct. 21, 1881 entry for more on Munro [MTP].

February 1 Tuesday ca. – In Hartford Sam responded to a form letter from Mrs. John M. Holcombe for the Darby and Joan Club of Hartford, which had decided to rename itself the Century Club. Sam wrote across the form, “Dear Mrs. Holcombe. The old Clemenses have joined.” Others named on the form were Mrs. J.M. Taylor, Mrs. William Hamersley, Mrs. George Perkins, Mrs. William Matson, and Mrs.

February – “Clemens became an enthusiastic pupil [of Alphonse Loisette (Marcus Dwight Larrowe)] around February 1887, receiving instruction in person and by mail. He provided an endorsement of the method for Loisette’s advertisements and allowed his name to be used in promotional materials in 1887 until the number of inquiries directed to Hartford became intolerable” [MTNJ 3: 277n176]. It was enough to make a man want to forget.

January 31 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Richard Watson Gilder, editor Century Magazine. Did he want a “powerful readable short article (about 5,000 words at a rough guess?)”; Would he pay more than “of yore”? And would Gilder “crowd it into the March No.?” [MTP]. Sam was working on “English As She Is Taught,” which would appear in the Century in the April issue.

January 30 or February 6 Sunday – In Hartford Sam wrote to John C. Kinney, editor Hartford Courant, enclosing a speech, likely for the Stationers Board of Trade dinner on Feb. 10.

Here is the speech. Won’t you please rush it into type & send me a proof? [Note: Feb. 6 seems more likely, given the rush order].

January 27 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Dora Wheeler, answering an inquiry to visit. Livy would like nothing better, Sam answered, but Livy couldn’t.

She came home & fought that cold a day or two, but it laid her by the heels at last. She’s been abed the last few days — & when she goes to bed there’s reason for it, every time.

January 26 Wednesday – Charles Webster wrote to Sam, responding to his request for statistics on the sale of Grant’s Memoirs. Webster wrote that the paper used to make the book, “would make a ribbon…one inch wide which would stretch seven and one third (7 1/3) times around the world” [MTNJ 3: 275n166]. Note: no such ribbon was made.