February 1 Wednesday – Sam arrived in New York City and stopped at the Grand Hotel to meet with Frank Church and probably Isaac E. Sheldon at 11 AM to work out his planned withdrawal from the Galaxy.
February – In the Galaxy for this month – MARK TWAIN’S MEMORANDA – Included:
“The Coming Man”
“A Book Review”
“The Tone-Imparting Committee”
“The Danger of Lying in Bed”
“One of Mankind’s Bores”
“A Falsehood”
“The Indignity Put Upon the Remains of George Holland by the Rev. Mr. Sabine” [Schmidt].
January 31 Tuesday – Sam left Buffalo for Washington, D.C. via New York City. He telegraphed Elisha Bliss: “Have an appointment at Grand Hotel eleven tomorrow can you be there at noon.” Sam’s earlier appointment was with Isaac E. Sheldon or Francis P. Church of the Galaxy.
January 30 Monday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to James Redpath. Sam asked if his article on Rev. William Sabine in the Feb. issue of Galaxy (“The Indignity Put Upon the Remains of George Holland by the Rev. Mr. Sabine”) would bring damage.
January 29 Sunday – Sam’s article, “The Danger of Lying in Bed,” which also appeared in the Feb. 1871 issue of the Galaxy, was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 281]. This was the last known article Sam published in the Buffalo Express.
January 28 Saturday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Willard McKinstry (1815-1899), publisher and editor of the Fredonia Censor since 1842, declining to attend a dinner at the Censor’s 50th anniversary.
January 27 Friday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Thomas Bailey Aldrich concerning the Bret Harte plagiarism claim and Sam’s subsequent denial that the Carl Byng verses were his.
“No, indeed, don’t take back the apology! Hang it, I don’t want to abuse a man’s civility merely because he gives me the chance.”
Sam also gave credit to Harte for changing him:
January 26 Thursday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Mary Mason Fairbanks.
“Remembering the hatchet, I am your own moral son, which cannot tell a lie, when a body is looking straight at him…make the bride & groom be sure to stop…” —that is, Alice and William Gaylord on their honeymoon [MTL 4: 314].
January 25 Wednesday – Livy and Sam (mostly Livy) wrote to Alice Hooker Day from a Buffalo hospital where Livy took Langdon for a wet nurse. Sam added an apology for an “absurdly curt dispatch” he had sent, probably canceling Isabella Beecher Hooker’s visit [MTL 4: 313-4]. Haughty Isabella was not one of Sam’s favorites.
January 24 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss.