Quarry farm 1880: Day By Day

July 14 Wednesday – Sam purchased books from Estes & Lauriat of Boston, including James Freeman Clarke’s Memorial and Biographical Sketches (1878), and Sara Coleridge’s Memoirs and Letters (1874) [Gribben 145; 153]. A bill in MTP shows a total of $50.55 for a list of 21 books.

July 15 Thursday – The Hartford Courant, on page one, ran an excerpt from Sam’s sketch, “Edward Mills and George Benton: A Tale” from the August issue of the Atlantic Monthly.

The new Atlantic contains the tale of Edward Mills and George Benton by Mark Twain, which is as clever a satire on the sentimentality over crime as that sort of gush has ever received.

July 16 Friday – John Milton Hay wrote to thank Sam for TA and also for 1601 [MTP]. A reply is not extant.

July 17 Saturday – Sam paid $5.62 for Young’s History from Estes & Lauriat, booksellers, Boston [MTP].

Joe Twichell wrote a folksy fun letter to Sam about being left alone when his wife and children went off to the Adirondacks; about Dean Sage’s latest adventures, fishing and camping; and gave a hooray for Willard Fiske, whose son was recently married [MTP].

July 18 Sunday – Howells wrote from Boston, chiding Clemens for not writing and urging him to visit Charles Eliot Norton at his summer home in Ashfield, Mass.

“Better do so. Warner is going, and so are Winny and I; and Curtis will be there. We shall have a famous time, and you will enjoy yourself, and make every body else happy. I hope Mrs. Clemens is well—I know you are” [MTHL 1: 317].

July–August – Sam’s manuscript, “A Record of the Small Foolishnesses of Susie & ‘Bay’ Clemens” was added to especially in these months. “No mama I did not miss you—I had Aunt Sue & Rosa & Papa—& Papa read to me—no I did not miss you” [MTNJ 2: 365].

July 19 Monday – Clemens wrote from Quarry Farm, Elmira to Joe Twichell.

Dear old Joe:

July 20 Tuesday – Sam paid a bill to Estes & Lauriat of Boston for 21 books in all, including $3.85 for a three-volume set of Plutarch’s Lives, Marie Sevigne’s Letters of (1878) [Gribben 550, 621-2] three volumes of “Popular Fiction,” two volumes of Adolphe Taine’s History of English Literature (1871); Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen and Epithalamion; 

July 23 Friday – Sam wrote from Elmira to his sister, Pamela Moffett. Sam had lumbago (general lower back pain). Evidently a clergyman named Adams had done something outside the bounds of his church rules and Sam offered that the man would be “worsted in his fight” [MTLE 5: 136].

Sam made a $75 loan to Patrick Francis of Bloomfield Conn., who made his “X” mark on the agreement [MTP, 1880 financial file].

July 24 Saturday – Sophie Degen billed Sam $36.00 for June and July daily milk? Deliveries. Bill marked paid [MTP].

July 26 Monday – Livy gave birth to a seven pound baby girl. They named her Jane Lampton Clemens, after Sam’s mother, but from the first she was called Jean. She was the last child Sam and Livy would have. The delivery was without complications; Livy began to recover in a few days [Powers, MT A Life 444]. Sam wrote to Howells about the new baby:

July 27 Tuesday – Sam paid a July 17 bill from Estes & Lauriat, Boston publishers and book dealers for a five-volume set of Young Folks’ History of England (1879?) [Gribben 793].

Pamela Moffett wrote to Sam.

July 28 Wednesday – Helen Buckingham Mathews (“H.B. Mathers”) wrote to Sam, so “delighted” with TA that she asked if he might “see your way to giving us poor Britishers a mouthful at a time, say in a series of papers or letters …over a few months?” [Vassar]. Note: Mathews (Mathers) was an author in her own right.

July 29 Thursday – Susan L. Warner (Mrs. Charles Dudley Warner) (1831?-1921) sent congratulations on the birth of Jean [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Mrs. Warner re Jean’s birth”.

Roger Marvin Griswold, M.D. (1852-1935) wrote from North Manchester, Conn.

Samuel L. Clements [sic], / Hartford, Conn, / Dear Sir:

July 2? Friday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Haynes & Simmons, boot and shoe merchants, about a paid bill not receipted for [MTLE 5: 134].

July 30 Friday – Mary Keily wrote from the Lancaster Insane Asylum, Penn. “I have written to you at one time by the influence of the stars & now I am writing to you by the influence of the thunder.” Another very long, rambling, often incoherent letter from “the lunatic” as Twain called her [MTP].

July 31 Saturday – Charles E. Perkins wrote an accounting of Sam’s bank account having deposited $18,392.12 from American Publishing Co. and $386.66 from interest. He paid out $906 to Geo. Warner’s note & interest, 619.54 to Taxes for city town & school; church debt subscription 101.50; Insurance on home 234.25; Mrs. Jane Clemens $50 and Orion $50, for total outgoing of $2,961.29 [MTP].

July 4 Sunday – James C. Thomson wrote from Manchester, England. He wanted “a few hints” with his “production” and thanked Sam for prior reply of June 23 [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Drat this bore”; Sam’s of June 23 not extant.

July 5 Monday – Sam paid an undated bill of $1.20 to J.R. Barlow, books, stationer, magazines for “May 10 to Mrs. Brown (no name series); 1 Sir Gibbie”; paid.

July 6 Tuesday – Sam paid an I.O.U. to George H. Warner for $900.00 borrowed on May 24, at six percent interest; paid $906.00 [MTP]. A bill from a Parisian merchant, A. Dusuzeau of 380 [francs?] for a Mar. 9 purchase of goods [illegible – MTP].

The Lotos Club in New York receipted Sam for dues, $6.25 [MTP].

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

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 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 18 Friday – Howells sent Sam a copy of his book, The Undiscovered Country (1880) inscribed: “S.L. Clemens / with ever so much affection, / W. D. Howells. / Belmont, / June 18, 1880” [Gribben 336].

June 19 Saturday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Miss Simon, who evidently requested an autograph [MTLE 5: 130].