February 2 and 4 Sunday – Livy and Sam wrote from Hartford to Olivia Lewis Langdon, who sent them a set of spirits glassware and a finger bowl for their seventh wedding anniversary (Feb. 2). Livy noted that it had been eight years since her engagement to Sam.

Your lovely, exquisite gift came today! I never was more surprised or more delighted in my life—Mother, how did you come to do it? I never dreamed of your giving me a gift on my wedding day…Mr Clemens and I drank a little wine out of the glasses for diner, he using the claret glass, I the sherry—Then I had the finger bowl and Susy and Clara both had their dear little fingers washed in it too…

I am wonderfully happy, but these days are sad because I am so full of Father—Seven years ago today you left the Buffalo house and all returned to Elmira—[after the gift of the Buffalo house].

Sam added his thanks for the “lovliest glassware I ever saw.”

Long may we continue to deserve & receive! Long may we receive more than we deserve! And long may it be left to us to estimate our deserving, & to you the ability & the inclination to square the rewards with it! [MTLE 2: 13].

Willis writes that the anniversaries of Livy’s engagement always depressed her, “for they made her think of her father” [108].

Sam and Livy discussed a trip to Germany. Sam wanted to go that summer, Livy the next [Willis 108]. Livy won out; they went in 1878.

About this time Sam paid a Feb. 1 bill from American Publishing Co. for books of Warner’s ordered on Aug. 1, 1876 [Gribben 746].