December 5 Tuesday – Sam was back in Hartford. He dictated a letter through Fanny C. Hesse to George Bentley of the London literary magazine, Temple Bar. Sam sent a “charming little love story” by Bret Harte asking that Bentley “pay him whatever was fair for such use of it” [MTLE 1: 150]. Note: the story was “Thankful Blossom: A Romance of the Jerseys, 1779,” and the Temple Bar did not publish it. In his 1904 autobiographical dictations Sam referred to the writing and sale of the story to Charles A. Dana of the New York Sun. See MTPO notes with this letter.

Sam also sent a short letter to Dr. John Brown of Scotland, recommending Dean Sage to call upon them. Sam sent Christmas wishes from the family [MTLE 1: 151].

Sam also sent a post card to Howells, asking if there was another magazine in Toronto or Montreal he could give advanced sheets to, because Belford Brothers: “…the miserable thieves couldn’t buy a sentence from me for any money” [MTLE 1: 152].