January 1-7? Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Andrew Dawson about being interrupted from attending “at the honors of the 26th.” This is the same “stranger” whose invites Sam had expressed frustration with late in 1879. Sam intended to “attack one position of that poet [Burns]—though not in an irreverent way.” Man wasn’t made to mourn, Sam said, and ended his letter abruptly with talk of his interruption [MTLE 5: 7]. Note: this was dated Jan. 24, but by then Sam and Livy were in Elmira, so Sam must have post-dated it to send right before the event of Jan. 26.