June 23 Friday – In Boston, Howells wrote to Sam:
I hope all fear of scarlet fever in the case of your little ones is past, and that you soon will be on your hill-top at Elmira….A composer [George Henschel] who can get the Ideals to produce his opera wants me to write his libretto. Will you kindly let me know just what terms you made with Raymond for production of Col. Sellers? [MTHL 1: 409].
June 24 Saturday – Charles Webster wrote to Sam having rec’d his (no date specified). “I hope Jean is not going to have a hard time of it.” Also a request for $1000 and some expenses listed [MTP].
June 25 or June 26, 1882 Monday
June 25 or June 26 Monday – In Belmont, Howells wrote a short note to Sam, saying “Hurrah” for the fact that Sam’s children were well at last; and asking if Sam had sent on his “Mark Twain biography” to the Century Magazine. Howells ended with “We are off to-morrow. Good bye”—leaving for Toronto and then Europe” [MTHL 1: 409-10].
June 26 Monday – Sam wrote a short note from Hartford to Charles Webster, “From force of habit” Sam had sent a check for $500 instead of $1,000. “The child is doing first rate, at present” [MTP].
Orion Clemens wrote to Sam: “I wish you would set me at work soliciting orders for the Kaolatype in some city.” A long letter of various topics, typical of Orion [MTP].
June 28 Wednesday – Charles Webster reported to Sam that Frank Bliss had agreed to allow an auditor to examine the records of the American Publishing Co. Sam felt he’d been cheated out of thousands by inaccurate reporting of book sales [MTNJ 2: 496n209].
June 29 Thursday – George W. Cable wrote to Sam: “Your letter of 20th keeps me anxious. Is it scarlet fever or is it prickly heat. The white elephant was rec’d by us through the mail—many thanks. I took it with me on the cars on my way to Oxford, Miss. day before yesterday and read it with laughter and prolonged applause.” He related the success of his “annual oration” in Oxford [MTP; Cardwell 83].
June 30 Friday – Karl Gerhardt wrote to Sam and Livy about a dinner enjoyed though he was intimidated somewhat by men of “world wide fame.” More on his art progress [MTP].
July – Sam inscribed P&P to Ellen C. Taft, wife of Dr. Cincinnatus A. Taft: “This is the book which I had intended to give my friend Mrs. Taft, but the book agent arrived first. / S.L. Clemens / (Mark Twain) / Hartford July 1882” [MTP].
July 2 Sunday – Hattie J. Gerhardt wrote to Sam and Livy, clipping enclosed listing Karl as “Mentions honorables” for the Beau-Arts, Lettres school. Hattie told about the dinner to M. Jouffroy that they’d attended [MTP]. Note: François Jouffroy (1806–1882) was a French sculptor and teacher at the school Gerhardt attended but he died on June 25. M. Jouffroy was likely “Monsieur Jouffroy"
July 3 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to his Hannibal host on the recent trip West, John Garth, responding to his letter.
Next, I myself was stretched on the bed with three diseases at once, and all of them fatal. But I never did care for fatal diseases if I could only have privacy and room to express myself concerning them.
July 4 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to R. Christie, who evidently had asked Sam what his first book was. He answered that his first was now out of print, The Jumping Frog, and that it was “sharply criticised” [MTP]. Sam’s remark fits with his continued belief that the book had not sold (see Apr. 29 to May 2, 1867 entries for Webb’s swindle).
July 5 Wednesday – From Hartford, Sam typed a letter to Frank Fuller.
“WE HAVE SCARLET FEVER PATIENTS TO TAKE CARE OF, AND THE HOUSE WILL BE UNDER STRICT QUARANTINE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS YET…WILL NOT BE ALLOWED OUTSIDE THE NURSERY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS…I HAVN’T ANY LITERARY INSPIRATION” [MTP].
July 6 Thursday – James R. Osgood wrote to Sam: “I am glad to learn that you are likely to get off so easy. . If possible I will go down…Monday or Tuesday and see you” [MTP].
July 7 Friday – Sam sent a telegram to James R. Osgood in Cohasset, Mass. not extant but referred to in Osgood’s July 8 reply.
Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co. bill of July 31 shows a telegram sent this day to Cohassett, Mass., recipient not specified but Osgood was in Cohassett (see entry for other telegrams) [MTP].
July 8 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, perplexed how the American Publishing Co. could have declared $7,500 in three dividends when they’d only sold “10 or 15,000 books” after he’d dumped his stock, when in “over nine years they paid no dividend; in which time they sold” 300,000 books total.
July 9 Sunday – In Toronto, Canada, Howells wrote to Sam asking for a line about the health of the Clemens family while he still had a week left visiting his father [MTHL 1: 410].
July 10 Monday – Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co. bill of July 31 shows a telegram sent this day to Hoboken, N.J., recipient not specified (see entry for others) [MTP].
Karl Gerhardt wrote to Sam and Livy that they’d seen Twichell and daughter Julia “and what a cordial heartfelt greeting we had from them” [MTP]. Note: Twichell and daughter were in Europe.
July 11 Tuesday – Sam wrote (typed) from Hartford to Charles Webster about a bill on the remodeling work for the Farmington Avenue house. The Clemens family would leave for New York “Thursday [July 13] evening, and leave for Elmira after a very early breakfast” [MTBus 190].
July 12 Wednesday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam suggesting he might be of some use to Webster in NY, at least “by saving him from yielding to temptation, and to you by saving you from the results of such yielding.” (transcript of Orion to Webster July 11 enclosed) [MTP].
Fox & Co., Hartford grocers, billed Sam “To Mdse as per Pass Book” $35.04 [MTP].
July 13 Thursday – Sam wrote to William H. Gillette, letter not extant but referred to in Gillette’s July 18 reply.
The Clemens family was finally able to leave Hartford for Elmira. They made the first leg to New York, and, as was their custom, stayed the night [MTNJ 2: 90n198].
July 14 Friday – The Clemens family boarded a special railroad car and left New York for the ten-hour trip to Elmira [MTNJ 2: 490n198]. They had to make a “hurried & abrupt” meeting with Charles and Annie Webster at the hotel before leaving, due to Jean’s needs and Livy’s backache [July 16 letter to Webster].
July 16 Sunday – Sam wrote from Elmira to E.R. Holden of the Erie, Lackawanna Railroad
“I & my family wish to thank you after a limitless fashion for your good offices in our behalf. Mr. Reasoner furnished us a new sleeping car which was the perfection of comfort & cleanliness. (I wore a white Irish-linen suit all day, & did not smut it.)” [MTP].
July 17 Monday – Jane Clemens wrote to Sam and Livy: “Dear Children / Sam said I was going to bury Jean before she was dead. I was just as near burying Sam as I was Jean, for I thought lumbago & other diseases were very dangerous. The Dr’s have dismissed me, some time ago. I am taking towel baths at night” which gave red splotches. She sent love to the children [MTP].
July 18 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Charles Webster.
DEAR CHARLEY —
Don’t forget to send me Bliss’s check
Please send me ½ dozen of my small scrap-books—size of this page or somewhat larger.
Mrs Moffett offers me her Watch stock at par. I suppose it is well enough to take it, isn’t it? [MTBus 191].
July 19 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to James R. Osgood: