December 1 Tuesday – Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, Vol. 1 was officially published [MTNJ 3: 210n81]. Note: Powers [504] and Perry [233] each give the publication date as Dec. 10. However, the Library of America edition of Grant’s Memoirs gives these statistics: “The first volume was published December 1, 1885, in five bindings: cloth at $7.00 a set; sheep, $9.00; half-morocco, $11.00; full-morocco, $18.00; and tree calf, $25.00.”

December – Sam wrote from Hartford to an unidentified person:

“There is not a copy to be had. I bought the plates & stock 4 years ago & destroyed them” [MTP]. Note: Sam may have referred to The Jumping Frog book or Mark Twain’s Burlesque Autobiography.

November 30 Monday – Sam’s 50th birthday. Two volumes of Francis Parkman’s Montcalm and Wolfe (1885) were inscribed: “Saml. L. Clemens/ Hartford/ Conn./ Nov. 30th 1885” [Gribben 534].

Frederick D. Grant wrote that “two mistakes have been made in the placing of maps and notes in the II volume” [MTP].

E.J. Hamersley wrote birthday wishes [MTP].

November 29 Sunday – Sam wrote to Frank R. Stockton, thanking him for his good wishes [AMT 2: 576].

The Critic ran affectionate essays by Charles Dudley Warner, Oliver Wendell Holmes (a poem), Joel Chandler Harris, and Frank P. Stockton on the eve of Sam’s 50th birthday. These were reprinted in many newspapers, even in the London Pall Mall Gazette of Dec. 12, 1885.

November 28 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Orion, enclosing letters he had received from and for Mary Timberman, asking him to use his influence in gaining her a position with the Boston Museum Theatre or any other theatre, as she wanted to early a “livelihood” in the “dramatic profession.”

November 27 Friday ­– Livy‘s 40th birthday. Sam wrote Livy his sentiments on her 40th:

We have reached another milestone, my darling, & a very very remote one from the place whence we have started; but we look back over a pleasant landscape…And here we have company on the journey—ah, such precious company, such inspiring, such lovely & gracious company!…our old love grows & never diminishes…Your husband [MTP].

From Livy‘s diary:

November 26 Thursday – Thanksgiving – Sam returned to Hartford. 

Twichell’s journal:

“We dined—nine of us –ie all but the two youngest children with our dear friends Mr & Mrs C. D. Warner. / In the evening we passed a couple of delightful hours at M.T’s. where there was dancing and charade actings for the young folks” [Yale, copy at MTP].

Livy’s diary entry:

November 25 Wednesday – Sam wrote from New York City to Livy, describing the “wild day” he’d had the day before (see Nov. 24 entry) [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Ross R. Winans, letter not extant but referred to in Winan’s Nov. 27 reply.

Joseph Jefferson scrawled awfully that he’d telegraphed Sam yesterday that they would not come till late in the day; he could see him from 4 to 5 pm. He’d be at the US Hotel at 3 [MTP].

November 24 Tuesday – Sam read proofs early and made the rounds of newspaper offices, talking up the Paige typesetter. He called it a “wild day” in a letter to Livy the next day. He accompanied Charles A. Dana, editor of the New York Sun home…

November 23 Monday – While Sam was in New York on business he ran an errand for Livy’s friend, Fiedele Brooks (Mrs. Henry Brooks); he inquired about curtains from Candace Wheeler for Mrs. Brooks [MTNJ 3: 212n85]. Candace “at once telegraphed Mrs. Brooks to come & get the curtains & instructions” [Nov. 25 to Livy; MTP].