April 17 Saturday – In New York City, Sam and Howells met to arrange Howells’ visit to Hartford, which did not occur until May 1-2 weekend. In the evening the Clemens party took in The Mikado, the first American run of the D’Oyly Carte Mikado, at the Fifth Avenue Theatre [MTHL 2: 554n3 from an entry in Susy’s unfinished biography dated Apr.
April 16 Friday – Sam, Livy and “a couple of friends,” went to New York City for the weekend [MTHL 2: 554n3].
April 15 Thursday – Moncure D. Conway wrote to Sam:
We are going to have a good time receiving Howells at our “Authors’ Club” next Thursday [Apr 22]. Can’t you come? … I hope you’ll be able to come Thursday, or the day before, — and we should be delighted if Mrs. Clemens can come (I have a good billiard table by the way) [MTP].
April 14 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Charles Webster, asking him to “stir up” the American Publishing Co., which had not sent Sam his April statement [MTP].
Prudence Crandall Philleo (1803-1890) in Elk Falls, Kansas, wrote to Sam to thank him for his past kindness to her:
April 13 Tuesday – Howells, still in New York, wrote a short note to Sam, responding to his Apr. 12 letter about coming down to see him on Saturday.
We leave this hotel today, for a visit in N. Jersey, but I’ll run in to see you Friday [MTHL 2: 554]
Howells’ Jersey visit was to Elinor Howells’ younger sister, Mrs. Augustus D. Shepard [n2].
April 12 Monday – In Hartford Sam responded to Howells’ Apr. 11 letter:
Good — it’s all right. We were afraid you had escaped to Boston….Well, I shall be down Friday evening, & will look in on you Saturday morning, & we will arrange to visit there [MTHL 2: 553].
April 11 Sunday – At the Murray Hill Hotel in New York, William Dean Howells wrote to Sam.
I got the last of your telegrams and the only one last night. We all want to stop over with you on our way home, but we don’t know when the people are going out of our house, or when we shall get in. Will you let me write you again about the visit, reserving the right to say no to me if it isn’t convenient for you when we propose coming?
April 10 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Lou W. Benjamin, sister to William Wright (Dan De Quille). He was responding to a letter not extant.
Come — & if you are as good as Dan, you can sit by our fire as long as you want to. However, I suppose they don’t put two like Dan in one family. To do that, would be to cheapen miracle [MTP].
April 9 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Henry (Harry) Edwards:
April 8 Thursday –Thomas A. Davis telegraphed Sam, “Our claim sent by letter to you and answer favorably,” or, thank you Mr. Clemens [MTP]. See Apr. 6 entry.