May 22 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to L.W. Bartlett for Putnam Phalanx, a Hartford military organization that had conferred a life honorary membership upon him. The Hartford Courant ran the full text of the letter on June 3, p.3 under “The Putnam Phalanx” article.
Hartford, May 22, 1886
Mr. L.W. Bartlett, Secretary.
May 21 Friday – Charles J. Langdon wrote his sister Livy, mostly about business matters and the “encouraging outlook” financially [MTP].
May 20 Thursday – Pamela Moffett ended her visit at the Clemenses, and returned to New York where she again stayed with her daughter Annie Webster and her son-in-law, Charles Webster until mid-June [MTNJ 3:236n33].
May 19 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam responded to William Dean Howells’ of May 18. Sam’s tone was much more conciliatory and resigned.
May 18 Tuesday – Having received Sam’s angry letter, Howells responded:
Your indictment is perfect, but the trodden work remembers details that escape the recollection of the boot-heel.
Howells related how he’d advised Sam to give up on the play on May 2, after Burbank had left the Clemens house unenthusiastic. And he quoted Sam’s words back to him that “there were 9 chances out of ten that it would fail.”
May 17 Monday – In Hartford Sam finished and mailed his scorcher to Howells, begun on May 13 and added to on May 15.
We are the lessees of the theatre for a week, beginning May 24, for that $1000; Frank Mayo has taken it, at half gross receipts. That may reduce the $1000 a trifle, but I don’t expect it [MTHL 2: 562].
May 16 Sunday – In Boston, Howells had expected more details on the compromise. He’d not yet received the scorcher letter from Sam, heaping all the blame on him.
I suppose you got my note of Wednesday [May 12] acknowledging your dispatch. I’ve been expecting a letter giving some details of the way you found out of our hobble. I don’t feel content to let you bear the brunt of the whole thing. Do write [MTHL 2: 563] Note: Sam did write!
May 15 Saturday – Sam added to his May 13 scorcher to Howells:
Been interrupted for a day or two. [Probably by Pamela’s visit]
May 14 Friday – Alfred P. Burbank wrote to Sam on Lotos Club stationery advising that Frank Mayo “comes into the Lyceum May 24th on ½ gross receipts.” He thought they might “recoup” some of their expenses on the aborted Sellers play [MTP].
Karl Gerhardt wrote that the Beecher bust was “receiving its just deserts [sic] in way of flattering criticism from the New York papers” [MTP].
May 13 Thursday – Back in Hartford in a rare show of ill-will to Howells, Sam vented, beginning a letter which he added to on May 15 and 17:
No, no, sir — I’m not going to let you shoulder a solitary ounce of the “folly” onto me! Observe:
L.. It was I who had written Webster that no terms in the world would induce me, etc., etc; it was you who said “Why not let Burbank have it?”