October 12 Wednesday – In Belmont, Mass., Howells wrote to Sam, sending some pages of P&P with his questions inserted while reading the work for review. He found a few things he felt seemed “rather strong milk for babes—more like milk-punch in fact.” He’d noted about twenty words that he felt didn’t fit the work; he didn’t care for the ballad Miles Hendon sang (the same one Sam sang on his honeymoon train trip to Buffalo) and the words “devil,” “hick” (for person) and “basting” (for beating) [MTHL 1: 375].

Stephen C. Massett wrote to Sam: “All right my boy! Nuf sed—shake! How stoopid I was, in my ignorantz I thought you was the first punster of the age!” [MTP]. See Oct. 7, 9, 10