February 23 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss, responding to his two letters (one now lost; see Feb. 15 for the other).

Friend Bliss—

Why bless your soul, I never have time to write letters these days—takes all my time to carry on the honey-moon. I would like to talk to Mrs Bliss [Amelia Bliss] two or three or four hours about my wife now, if she could stand it——she used to stand it very well when I was at your house.

Express gets along well. I have a strong notion to write a——

Well, never mind, I’ll tell you about it another time.

I am glad Mrs. Barstow has retrieved her credit—I was about to write you to charge her $150 to me, when your second letter came. I am very glad, more simply for her own sake, that she has kept up her credit.

6,000 & upwards, in 16 days, is splendid—Splendid, isn’t it? [IA sales]

I don’t go near the Express office more than twice a week—& then only for an hour. I am just as good [as] other men—& other men take honey-moons I reckon.

Hello!—there’s the bell—my wife is taking a nap & I am receiving calls [MTL 4: 77; MTPO].

Anson Burlingame, American lawyer, diplomat and mentor to Sam since the Sandwich Islands trip, died suddenly in St. Petersburg, Russia.