December 21 Friday – In Cambridge, Mass., Howells wrote Sam a note announcing he’d sent him a present of several books. No mention was made of the Whittier birthday dinner [MTHL 1: 211].

Sam wrote from Hartford to Moncure Conway. Sam had received a letter from Routledge & Sons, asking for his Bermuda and “Old Times on the Mississippi” articles. Sam wanted to clarify that Conway was his agent to negotiate with Routledge and Chatto for the same commission paid him for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Sam wanted to confirm that Conway still wanted to act as his agent before he answered Routledge [MTLE 2: 208].