April 12 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, in a rather scolding tone:

“The book is to be issued when a big edition has been sold—& not before…Now write it up somewhere, & keep it in mind; & let us consider that question settled, and done with…Write it up, & don’t forget it any more” [MTBus 248].

Sam sent the Huck Finn manuscript and wrote, “Let Kemble rush—time is already growing short.” He warned that Osgood had:

“fooled away no end of time on his canvassing book, & then got out one that was eminently calculated to destroy the sale (for LM)” [248]. Note: Canvassing books were pre-publication mock-ups of the finished book, with some illustrations and excerpts, used by subscription salesmen.