November 2 Sunday – The Batavia reached port in New York City at dusk. Livy’s mother and brother, and also Orion (who was in the city looking for work) met the Clemens family at the pier. Charles Langdon had reserved rooms at the new Windsor Hotel, where the party spent the night.

November 3 Monday – The Clemens family attended Edwin Booth’s NY performance of Hamlet [MTL 5: 460]. Note: Booth (1833-1893). Paine [MTB 495] attributes to Orion a detail not in his letter to Mollie:

November 4 Tuesday – The Clemens family returned to Hartford with Mrs. Langdon, who planned to visit there a few days [MTL 5: 461].

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.

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 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].