January 21 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to James R. Osgood. Sam had cut the “Whipping-boy’s Story” from P&P and:

“Added over 130 new pages of MS to the prince’s adventures in the rural districts. The number of pages, before, was 734—the number is 870, now—fully as bulky a book as Tom Sawyer, I think. The book is finished, but I expect to add some more pages when I make a final revision—doubtless next week” [MTP]. Note: Sam was talking MS pages, not printed pages. The final book came to 411 pages compared to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at 275 [Oxford edition facsimile count].

Thomas and Anna Fitch wrote to Sam, that if he would be in NY before they “return west (about Feb 1) we would both like ever so much to see you and have you shake us” [MTP].