February 12 Friday – In Hartford Sam replied to the Feb. 6 from to Hurd & Houghton Co. Sam didn’t see much money in the proposal of this publisher to bring forth a few good American novels “making them cheap, advertising them widely and securing thus popularity…” Houghton wished to make Sam the first author in the series [MTL 6: 379-80].

Sam also wrote to James R. Osgood, Howells’ publisher. Sam wrote the story of Bliss pulling out an old contract after Sam had put together his sketches book and informed Bliss that Osgood would get the book. After some negotiations, Sam got a raise in royalty to 10% on sales over 50,000 copies, and so then wrote Osgood of what had happened. He pressed Osgood to come along on the New Orleans trip.

“But in any case, don’t you want to take a pleasure trip about that time? [March] I wish you would go. Think of the gaudy times you & Howells & I would have on such a bender!” [MTL 6: 380-1].

Osgood replied that it would “be more possible for a rich man (like you) to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than for me to leave home in March or April” [MTL 6: 383].

February 12–28 Sunday – Some time within this period, Sam wrote from Hartford to Bliss, asking him to write to William F. Gill, Boston publisher who’d acquired a copyright on Lotos Leaves, which contained a story by Sam that he wanted for his Sketches book.

Sam also wrote a short note from Hartford to Bliss asking him to hunt up the “horrible translation” of the Jumping Frog story from French that Sam had sent him, as he wanted to include it in his Sketches volume. Sam may have written this note any time from Feb. 12 to Mar. 31 [MTL 6: 384].

February 12–20 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to John Hay inviting him along on the planned Mississippi trip [MTL 6: 404n3].