February 19 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Washington, D.C. to Anson Burlingame.

“Don’t neglect or refuse to keep a gorgeous secretaryship or a high interpretership for me in your great embassy—for pilgrim as I am, I have not entirely exhausted Europe yet, & may want to get converse with some of those Kings again, by & bye.”

Notes: Burlingame resigned as minister to China in Nov. 1867, accepting a post from the emperor of China as envoy to all “treaty powers.” At this time, Burlingame was leaving Hong Kong for San Francisco and Washington. Sam sent a similar letter on this date by steamship [MTL 2: 186-7]. Sam wished to join the Burlingame delegation when it moved on to Europe, but also wanted to bird dog Bliss and watch over the publication of Innocents Abroad [A. Hoffman 139].

Sam’s MARK TWAIN IN NEW YORK dated Jan. 20 ran in the Enterprise. Not much humor here—the letter told of the squalor and tragedy of New York’s tenement house poor [Schmidt].

Sam’s second LETTER FROM MARK TWAIN, dated Feb.14 from Washington ran in the Chicago Republican and included: DIED; Senator Chandler’s Party; St. Valentine’s Day; Curious Legislation; VINNIE REAM [Schmidt].

Sam’s article, MARK TWAIN IN WASHINGTON, dated Jan. 12, ran in the San Francisco California Alta. Subtitles: The Last Sensation; The Banquet; Washington Crime; More Washington Morals; Personal. [Schmidt].