February 15 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Howells, who wrote on Feb. 13. He was through dealing with George Gebbie, since the man had not shown for his Feb. 11 appointment; Sam would only deal with him through Osgood. He commiserated about Winny Howells’ condition, and expressed he was “Mighty glad you are out of that cussed mill, that gilded slavery,” meaning Howells’ Atlantic editorialship, which he resigned Feb. 2. Howells’ regular salary was enough to write novels for a living. Sam announced he would come to Boston on Feb. 23 [MTHL 1: 348-50].

Western Union bill of Feb. 28 shows a message sent to New York, recipient unspecified.

Charles Dudley Warner wrote to Sam, who wrote on it to Joe Twichell as below [MTP].

February 15 or 16 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Twichell: 

“Dear Joe—All right, I’ll do your lecture-humbug for you the 25th. Keep it quiet, you know; no printer’s ink. The way we did it before was right / Yrs Ever (in dreadful haste—just leaving for New York—both of us—couple of days. I told Howells send you the pen—did he?” [MTP].

Sam wrote the note on one from Charles Warner that referred to the “same such lecture humbug as Joe gets up in his [church].” Sam was in haste leaving for New York with Livy for a “couple of days.”