Home at Hartford: Day By Day

June 14 Saturday – In Washington Sam wrote Livy about the stay in New York with Joe Goodman, the trip down the day before; Joe “has gone to call at Senator Jones’s & make a business appointment” [LLMT 256-7].

James B. Pond wrote from Liverpool, England to Sam:

You have doubtless seen by the papers that I have engaged Stanley, & will begin in N.Y. about Nov. 11, and Boston to follow. Don’t you want to bring Mrs. Clemens to Boston & meet the charming Mrs. Stanley (to be) & introduce Stanley again? [MTP].

June 15 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Franklin Whitmore in Branford, Conn.

June 15 Thursday – From Hartford, Sam typed a letter to Charles Webster about pictures done by the Moss Engineering Co. (possibly for LM); about Osgood buying a shop; about the Bank Note stock certificate arriving safely; and about another letter received from Clarence E. Buckland that Sam referred to Webster [MTP].

June 15 Friday – The Clemens family left New York City and traveled by special sleeping car to Elmira [MTBus 214].

Twichell noted in his journal, “our eighth child and fourth son was b. about 11 AM” [Yale, copy at MTP]. The boy was named Joseph Hooker Twichell.

Joe Twichell wrote to Livy with news of #8—a son—Joseph Hooker Twichell [MTP].

June 15 Monday – The New York Times ran a short note on page 3 under “Literary Notes” that volume one of Grant’s memoirs would not be out till December and the second volume about March, 1885.

C.L. Webster…will go to Europe to arrange simultaneous issues in several other languages, besides French, German, and Italian.

In Hartford, Sam inscribed a copy of Huck Finn to an unidentified person [MTP].

June 15 Tuesday – The Clemens family and governess Rosa Hay (a party of six) left Hartford for Elmira and spent the night at the [Sam to Orion June 2] Gedney House at 40th Street and Broadway in New York [Hotel stationery on Sam to Whitmore this date; Salsbury 230].

June 15 Wednesday – Joseph Jefferson wrote to Sam asking for his MS and Sam’s opinion [MTP].

June 15 Friday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam about progress on Philip Sheridan’s Memoirs, and “the importance of getting a short manuscript preface from the General,” who was dying at the time. The preface written was dated Aug. 2, 1888 but the first draft was done in Washington on May 13, and revised on Aug. 3. Philip Sheridan died on Aug. 5, 1888 [MTNJ 3: 303].

June 15 Saturday – In Elmira †, Sam wrote a short note to Franklin G. Whitmore in Hartford, advising that he would have all the money needed on July 1. He instructed that the Bissell bank account be allowed to

…overrun a trifle. But if they make any objections let me know & I will get a note discounted that falls due July 8, & forward fill up the tank [MTP].

June 15 Sunday – H.E. Harrington for Mutual Life Ins., N.Y. wrote an estimate to Sam for an “investment policy” [MTP].

Orion Clemens wrote below Ma’s June 10 delusional paragraph to her parents:

Ma wrote this on the 10th. She was excited, nearly crying with joy once the expected reunion of the family. / She is very weak, this afternoon, drooping to the left, and staggering [MTP].

June 16 Wednesday – After spending the night in New York City, the Clemens family left in their special “sleeping-car” for Elmira. It was a ten-hour trip. Sam’s letter of the previous day gave planned departure and arrival times of 9:15 AM and 6:30 PM [MTLE 5: 127]. They initially stayed at the Langdon home, as was their custom [131].

June 16 Thursday – Sam wrote a short note from Branford, Conn. to Frank Bliss requesting unbound copies of each of his books to be delivered to Charles Clark of the Hartford Courant [MTP].

June 16 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Howells, who was making ready to travel to Europe.

We leave here the 22d, D.V., —for Mrs. Clemens never alters a schedule: once decided, always decided, with her. Pity we can’t see you folks again, but evidently these families are too busy with journey-preparations to allow of any present visitings.

June 16 Saturday – Charles Webster wrote about business: Bliss, sales of old books, etc. [MTP].

June 16 Tuesday – General Grant left New York City a little after 8 AM and took a five-hour train ride to Saratoga, New York. From there he boarded a smaller-gauge train for the final twelve miles to Mt. McGregor, where a welcoming committee waited. It had been the doctor’s recommendation that Grant spend time in the Adirondacks, where the air was clean and much cooler than New York in the summer.

June 16 Wednesday – The Clemens family spent the day in New York City; Sam most likely met with Frederick J. Hall and the Webster & Co. Staff, probably discussing Webster’s impending trip to Italy, the Pope book, and other matters. It was Sam’s usual plan when traveling to and from Elmira with Livy, to allow her a day’s rest in New York.

June 16 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Charles Webster. He thought Webster’s settlement with J.M. Stoddart .was “quite fortunate” (see June 14 from Webster). He’d written William L. Alden as Webster requested, declining the Garibaldi autobiography.

June 16 Saturday – Budd reports that the “short-lived, now scarce Literature: An Illustrated Weekly Magazine” ran a biographical sketch by Charles Hopkins Clark “respected political editor of the Hartford Courant,” “Samuel Langhorne Clemens,” followed by reprintings of four other Mark Twain items.

June 16 Sunday – W. Delancey Howe wrote from Cambridge, Mass. Commenting on Sam’s Apr. 1887 article, “English As She Is Taught.” Howe claimed to be the author of the composition “Girls” mentioned in Sam’s article, and was curious how Sam got hold of his composition. Howe wrote he hoped to “call upon you for a recommendation in English for Harvard College” [MTP].

June 16 Monday – Orion Clemens finished the June 15 letter:

When I offered to bring Ma down to breakfast this morning she found herself too weak on the left side, and liable to fall. She said she had not use of her left side, from her hip down [MTP].

June 17 Thursday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Charles Warren Stoddard, who evidently had asked if Sam’s inquiry about where an article appeared meant that he was angry.

“Now what the hell should I get mad about? Am I become an ass in mine old age? Don’t talk such nonsense. I had a curiosity to know whose album it was—not a solitary damn did I care else about the matter” [MTLE 5: 128].

Sam added: “Lord, but I would like to see San Francisco once more!” (Of course, he never did.)

June 17 Saturday – Sam telegraphed from Hartford to Charles Webster about buying stock for him [MTP].

A brief description of The Stolen White Elephant appeared in the “Minor Notices” of Critic [Tenney 11].

Charles S. Fairchild wrote a notecard from Boston, hoping Sam & Livy would “review your decision and still find it possible to join us the 22nd” [MTP].

June 17 Sunday – Under the headline “ENGLISH BADLY FLAYED” The New York Times, p.10 ran an article about Sam’s introduction to The New Guide of the Conversation in Portuguese and English by J. Osgood & Co.

June 17 Tuesday – The Clemens family’s annual trek to Elmira and Quarry Farm began. They left Hartford and traveled to New York City, where they spent the night [MTNJ 3: 55n124].

June 17 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam sent a short note to W. Minor.

“I believe if I were you I would continue to sort beans & sand sugar, & not stray out of my God-appointed beat & strain my capacities” [MTP]. Note: This implies the recipient is a grocer, but not much else.