November 18 Tuesday – Sam arrived in Liverpool. Either Sam got a hotel room that night or took a train to London [MTL 5: 476; Powers, MT A Life 339].

November 17 Monday – The City of Chester arrived at Queenstown, Ireland at 6 PM. Sam telegraphed Livy [MTL 5: 476].

November 15 Saturday – Harper’s Weekly ran an engraving, 11×15 entitled, “THE LYCEUM COMMITTEEMAN’S DREAM—SOME POPULAR LECTURERS IN CHARACTER,” which featured nineteen lecturers, including Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain in a jester’s outfit [eBay Oct. 6, 2009 by nls, Item 360061792731]. See insert.

November 14 Friday – Sam wrote aboard the SS City of Chester en route to Livy—“7 day out.” Sam wrote of a half-gale and some rolling of the ship, an injury or two to passengers, a leaky dead-light in his cabin and of repairs to his clothing. “I have read all night during this [rough] weather—sleep would only tire me.”

November 10 and 17 Monday – Sam wrote aboard the SS City of Chester en route to Livy—“3 days out from N.Y.” After a long description of how wonderfully the ship was appointed, Sam referred to Livy’s pregnancy (she was two months along) and expressed some guilt that he had left her “at a time when you cannot exert yourself without peril.” Sam promised to telegraph as soon as he reached Queenstown and look for an answer in Liverpool or London.

November 8 Saturday – In the morning, Sam sailed alone on the City of Chester for England, where he would await publication by Routledge and continue lecturing [MTL 5: 472].

On board, Sam wrote to Livy:

November 7 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Will Bowen. Will’s wife of sixteen years had died and Sam had received the news in London. He told Will of his plan to start back to New York the next day, and invited Will to visit them in Hartford after their home was done in May. “We will talk over old times and tell my wife about them” [MTL 5: 472].

November 6 Thursday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Jane Clemens with a proposition for Orion, who had been struggling to find work in New York. If Orion would stay in Fredonia but not live under the same roof with his mother, and sister, then Sam would pay him up to twenty dollars a week pension, as long as he is idle or can make no more than ten dollars a week on his own.

November 5 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Elisha Bliss directing books be sent to personal friends and journalists in London, Edinburgh, Ireland, France, and various places in America—two dozen or so. Among this list were Sam’s old friends in Nevada, Chicago and San Francisco, as well as those he had made acquaintance with in England.