December 27 Friday – In Hartford, Sam & Livy thanked Olivia Lewis Langdon for books sent and for her usual generous Christmas check:

]Sam:] Mother Dear, accept my very best thanks for the noble volumes. The valuable part of our library is complete now.

[Olivia:] With your check I bought the gold beads for Clara that I told you I should buy. I bought a very dainty little gold comb for Susy’s hair. It was almost a pin, yet it was a little too broad for that. A pair of skates for Jean which was precisely her hearts desire, for myself the lions share, I bought myself a narrow gold comb wider than Susy’s but less than half the width of the other one that you gave me. Katy declared it to be just what I needed because it fills a little bare spot on the top of my head. I intend to wear it every afternoon and I shall take great pleasure in it. I also bought myself, but for all the family to enjoy, a small silver jardinière for ferns, it is lovely for the center of the dining room table. I do thank you so much. Samuel will send you his thanks for his books [MTP; Salsbury 273]. Note: This was given in error as Dec. 22; is this date according to MTP.

Sylvester Baxter and Edward Bellamy telegraphed Sam accepting his invitation for a visit on Jan. 3. [MTHL 2: 622n2]. Note: It would be Sam’s first meeting with Bellamy.