November 27 Saturday – Olivia Louise Langdon’s 24th birthday, her last as a single woman. Sam wrote her a short note from Boston: “Had a big house last night, as usual. Didn’t make a brilliant success otherwise, though.” The town has not been identified [MTL 3: 410].

“Browsing Around,” an article by Sam which included a humorous spoof on having his fortune told, was printed in the Buffalo Express. Note: Budd reports this as “Getting My Fortune Told” and says it was in later collections as “Lionizing Murderers” [“Collected” 1009].

“At the age of nine you stole sugar. At the age of fifteen you stole money. At twenty you stole horses. At twenty-five you committed arson. At thirty, hardened in crime, you became an editor. Since then your descent has been rapid” [McCullough 98].