August 2 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Elisha Bliss. Claiming that he’d only allowed Appleton to bid on his book—they bid ten per cent—but did not and would not have agreed regardless of what they bid, Sam wrote:

“You see you can’t get it out of your head that I am sort of a rascal, but I ain’t. I can stick to you just as long as you can stick to me, & give you odds. I made that contract with all my senses about me, & it suits me & I am satisfied with it” [MTL 4: 179].