November 3 Sunday – In London Sam wrote to James Redpath.
“I am revamping, polishing & otherwise fixing up my lecture on Roughing It & think I will deliver it in London a couple of times about a month from now, just for fun.”
Sam also asked for news of Bret Harte, not knowing about Redpath and Harte’s very public breakup over Harte’s failures to show for scheduled lectures [MTL 5: 208].
November 2 Saturday – Sam wrote from London to Mary Mason Fairbanks:
“I hunted that stag in a wagon—but I didn’t catch him. Neither did the red-coated, pigskin-breeched hunters—but it was fine to see the 250 scour over the hills & fields & sail over the hedges & fences like so many birds” [MTL 5: 205].
Sam was learning about the English:
November 1 Friday – Bill paid to The Farmington Creamery Co. for deliveries made Oct. 4,11,18,25, and Nov. 1 $12.50 [MTP].
Wargrave (/ˈwɔːr.ɡreɪv/) is a historic village and civil parish in Berkshire, England.
October 29 Tuesday and/or November 1 Friday – Sam attended one or both of the stag hunts on these dates near the village of Wargrave, and wrote about the experience to Mary Fairbanks on Nov. 2 [MTL 5: 207n3].
October 26 Saturday – Mary Mason Fairbanks wrote to Sam [MTP]. COPY VIC
October 25 Friday – Sam telegraphed from London to Henry Lee, also in the city.
“Can’t. I am in the family way with 3 weeks undigested dinners in my system, & shall just roost here & diet & purge till I am delivered. Shall I name it after you?” [MTL 5: 198].
October 24 Thursday – Bill paid to Arnold, Constable & Co. New York for cashmere, hat, five bibs $20.75 [MTP].
October 23 Wednesday – In Hartford, Hatch & Tyler delivered coal to the Clemens home [MTP].
October 19 Saturday – Bill paid to Putnam Phalanx Market, Hartford grocers; steak, halibut, oysters, veal, chicken, etc. $15 [MTP].
Sam inscribed copies of “A Curious Dream”(issued this year in a pamphlet) and RI to Henry Lee: “To Henry Lee / From his friend /Mark Twain /Oct. 19, 1872” [MTP].