February 6 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Mary Mason Fairbanks, enclosing a picture of their house made by Dan Slote’s engraving process. Sam denied the rumor that he “coveted a seat in Congress.” Livy was “an invalid again in a small way”; the girls were “well & hearty” [MTLE 5: 18].

Rev. Thomas A. Davis wrote to Clemens. In part:

Dear Sir / It is well known among the colored People throughout the country that you have always spoken a word of kindness for them[.] A few weeks ago I called upon you to secure if—Possible your cooperation with other men of Standing in the work of missions which we as a religious denominations are engage in thoughout New-England States we have 24 places called mission fields. they afford religious instruction to our race, for in many places where there is but few or not more than a half dozen persons the access to white churches is easy and Desirable But if there be more than this number they are Timid—and the most of them will imagine thay are not wanting now. Sir the uneducated State of our people and there peculiar religious notions warrant us to secure places of worship, of our own, for the present. Again our People could not get all that they might demand in white Churches more especially where there rented pews—

      Under this Plane truth regarding my race, we call upon Christian friends and all others of the Amarican People throughout good Old New-England to help us bear this burden [MTP]. Note: Davis went on to claim the state Governor and “a large number of your Influenchel Citizens.” Clemens sent this letter on to the Governor the following day to confirm his recommendation of Davis. See entries. File note: “See SLC to Charles B. Andrews, 7 February 1880 & Andrews to SLC 11 February 1880”.

“Colonel” Alexander Curran Walker wrote from McBean, Ga. to Clemens unable to “conceive that Mark Twain can edit a republican paper” [MTP]. Note: see also Aug. 23, 1870 from Walker. Sam wrote on the env., “From an ass”.