These were the days when the Howells and Clemens families began visiting back and forth between Boston and Hartford, and sometimes Aldrich came, though less frequently, and the gatherings at the homes of Warner and Clemens were full of never-to-be-forgotten happiness.  Of one such visit Howells wrote: 

“In the good-fellowship of that cordial neighborhood we had two such days as the aging sun no longer shines on in his round.  There was constant running in and out of friendly houses, where the lively hosts and guests called one another by their christian names or nicknames, and no such vain ceremony as knocking or ringing at doors.  Clemens was then building the stately mansion in which he satisfied his love of magnificence as if it had been another sealskin coat, and he was at the crest of the prosperity which enabled him to humor every whim or extravagance.”

It was the delight of such a visit that kept Clemens constantly
urging its repetition.  One cannot but feel the genuine affection of
these letters.

To W. D. Howells, in Boston: 

Mch. 1, 1876.  My dear Howells,—­Now you will find us the most reasonable people in the world.  We had thought of precipitating upon you George Warner and wife one day; Twichell and his jewel of a wife another day, and Chas. Perkins and wife another.  Only those—­simply members of our family, they are.  But I’ll close the door against them all—­which will “fix” all of the lot except Twichell, who will no more hesitate to climb in at the back window than nothing.

And you shall go to bed when you please, get up when you please, talk when you please, read when you please.  Mrs. Howells may even go to New York Saturday if she feels that she must, but if some gentle, unannoying coaxing can beguile her into putting that off a few days, we shall be more than glad, for I do wish she and Mrs. Clemens could have a good square chance to get acquainted with each other.  But first and last and all the time, we want you to feel untrammeled and wholly free from restraint, here.

The date suits—­all dates suit. 
                              Yrs ever
          
                              mark.

To W. D. Howells, in Boston: 

Farmington Avenue, Hartford, Mch. 20, 1876.  Dear Howells,—­You or Aldrich or both of you must come to Hartford to live.  Mr. Hall, who lives in the house next to Mrs. Stowe’s (just where we drive in to go to our new house) will sell for $16,000 or $17,000.  The lot is 85 feet front and 150 deep—­long time and easy payments on the purchase?  You can do your work just as well here as in Cambridge, can’t you?  Come, will one of you boys buy that house?  Now say yes.

Mrs. Clemens is an invalid yet, but is getting along pretty fairly.

We send best regards. 
                              Mark.