December 30 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster. Sam sent a bill for Portfolio, a magazine he’d subscribed to that wouldn’t stop arriving. He also sent deeds and papers from the Archer County Texas land that Livy owned.
December 29 Friday – In he morning Sam went to his copyist’s house to obtain the missing batch of his manuscript for LM. He discovered she’d had scarlet fever, and they’d had to disinfect the pages. Sam wrote from Hartford to James R.
December 28 Thursday – Sam shipped all but the “8th batch” of LM manuscript to Osgood [MTLTP 160].
Sam signed a power of attorney allowing Charles Webster to transact business in his name [ViU].
Arthur Von Rapp wrote from Painesville, Ohio asking for a loan of $200, which would “be barely sufficient to pull us out of the mire at present” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Begging letter”
December 26 Tuesday – Hattie J. Gerhardt wrote to Sam and Livy, photo enclosed marked “Karl 6 years old” on the back. She related Christmas and gifts [MTP]. Note: this photo in file.
December 25 Monday – Christmas – Sam gave Livy a copy of Robert Herrick’s (1591-1674) Selections from the Poetry of Robert Herrick (1882) and inscribed it: “Livy L. Clemens / from / S. L. Clemens / Xmas 1882” [Gribben 311].
December 23 Saturday – The New York Times reported on p.1 the banquet and Sam’s speech of the previous night:
[Mark Twain delivered] an address which kept the tables in a roar for a quarter of an hour. The speaker brought his words out in an indescribable drawl, and puffed a cloud of smoke from his cigar between every two sentences [MTNJ 2: 505n240].
This day or shortly after, Sam returned home to Hartford.
December 22 Friday – Sam had a list of errands to attend to during the day, probably meeting with Webster among other things [Dec.
December 21 Thursday – Sam went to New York in the evening [Dec. 14 letter to Woodford, MTP]. He stayed at the Hotel Brunswick [N.Y. Times, PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE, p.5 Dec. 23, 1882].
December 18 Monday – Grace Meyer wrote from New Paris, Indiana to Sam, with a pathetic story of her life. A fan, but she didn’t seem to ask for anything except that the letter not be made public [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Poor devil!”
December 16 Saturday – Sam typed a short note from Hartford to John Brown Jr. thanking him for the picture sent “of a room whose aspect was so familiar to us and with which we have so many loving associations.” Sam sent another picture of little Jean, saying “two pictures of Jean Clemens” were much better “than none at all” [MTP].