Barbara informs me that while unsuccessfully looking for her source for
her art lesson query, she found in a Jan. 30, 1850 letter from Jane to
Orion, "Pamela . . . is in the dining room giving Margaret Blesser a
lesson on the Guitar" (_M.T. Business Man_,15-16).

So we do have a guitar and guitar player in young Sam's family.  Now if
we can only get the guitar in his hands . . .

larry marshburne                  larrym@unity,ncsu.edu