February 6 Wednesday – Sam telegraphed from Hartford to James B. Pond:
“Medicines are about discarded food has taken their place further telegraphing not worth while” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Milicent W. Shinn (See Oct. 27, 1882 entry):
February 5 Tuesday – Livy telegraphed from Hartford to James B. Pond: “Mr Cable is improving and feels much better today” [MTP].
February 4 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Laurence Hutton about a campaign for a new copyright law he’d discussed with Warner on Feb. 2 and thought about since (see Feb. 3 entry).
February 3 Sunday – Sam wrote a one liner to Charles Webster, asking for his pen or “a carefully-selected one like it” [MTBus 233].
Sam also wrote a note to James B. Pond in Cable’s behalf, following up on his telegram of Feb. 2:
“He is in no danger, but I do not believe he will be out of bed for several weeks yet. I am sure he will not stand on a platform again this season” [MTP].
Sam went to the Asylum Hill Congregational Church:
February 2 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to William Dean Howells. George W. Cable was at Sam’s house and down with the mumps. Sam expected Cable to get well in a “couple of weeks.” He related Mallory’s contact the night before at the play. Before Sam would make a decision about doing business with the Mallory brothers on the new Sellers play, he needed:
February 1 Friday – Sam took Livy to a play, Robert M. Bird’s The Gladiator in Robert’s Opera House in Hartford. Marshall Mallory pestered Sam about producing a play, but Sam put him off.
Livy wrote from Hartford to Louise Cable about her husband’s condition.
January 31 Thursday – Sam continued to entertain George W. Cable, down with a case of the mumps, and recovering slowly. Drugged with quinine, Cable had to dictate letters to his wife through either Livy or Lilly Warner. Cable told of enjoying Sam’s company and the:
January 30 Wednesday – Sam telegraphed from Hartford to Louise Cable: “Your husband will be out of bed by tomorrow S.L. Clemens” [Turner, MT & GWC 28].
He also telegraphed James B. Pond twice in Cable’s behalf that he would be unable to read the following night [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Mary Mason Fairbanks.
January 29 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to John Chalmers Blair (1848-1910?), of Huntingdon, Penn. “Your packets are an unspeakable convenience. They make authorship a pastime.” [MTP]. Note: In 1879 Blair started a tablet factory, which grew to a worldwide business, so Sam’s compliment probably had to do with writing tablets. Blair’s wife would name a hospital after him in 1911, which still operates.
January 28 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, again about the proposed play, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Webster was trying to find an actor to play the role of Tom, and Sam had definite (and rather inflexible) ideas about the money angles.
“No, the actor must play Tom Sawyer till it is down to where it pays him only an average of $300 or $400 a month clear & above expenses, for a whole season. It’s important” [MTBus 233].