November 1 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Jacob H. Burrough, Sam’s St. Louis roommate at the Pavey’s in 1854, who had written about Will Bowen being remarried. Burrough had recently traveled through New York, and his letter to Sam recalled a young Sam Clemens. Sam responded:

As you describe me I can picture myself as I was, 22 years ago. The portrait is correct. You think I have grown some; upon my word there was room for it. You have described a callow fool, a self-sufficient ass, a mere human tumble-bug, stern in the air, heaving at his bit of dung & imagining he is re-modeling the world & is entirely capable of doing it right….That is what I was at 19-20 [MTB: 103].

Note: Paine misidentifies this Burrough as Frank E. Burrough, Frank was Jacob’s son, who Sam wrote to in 1900 (see Aug. 7, 1854 entry).

Sam confessed he had scalded Will Bowen in his last letter and had not received a reply, but had done it for Will’s sake, to shake him out of his “sham sentimentality” which gave Sam “the bowel complaint” [MTLE 1: 139].

Sam also sent a correspondence card to Charles J. Langdon, explaining why he had not granted the favor requested; he also extended family greetings. The writing was not Sam’s but the signature was, so Sam no doubt dictated it to a secretary [MTLE 1: 140].