27 June 1871 • (2nd of 2) • Elmira, N.Y. (MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 00622)
I wrote a third lecture to-day—& tomorrow I go back on the book again. This third lecture is the only one I shall deliver next Ⓐemendation during the coming season.—so it isn’t worth while to mention the others.1explanatory note I call it “Reminiscences of Some Pleasant Characters whom I have Met.” (If “whom” is bad grammar, scratch it out.) “ Ⓐemendation
It covers my whole acquaintance—kings, humorists, lunatics, idiots & all. You might add that, as coming from me.2explanatory note
in ink: Orion Clemens Esq | 149 Asylum st | Hartford | Conn return address: if not delivered within 10 days, to be returned to postmarked: elmira n.y. jun 28 and N.Y. | D.P.O.
Orion replied on 4 July:
I do not see how you could possibly have chosen a better subject for your lecture. . . .
“Whom” is right. I never knew you to make a grammatical error. . . .
I will preserve your letter concerning it (the lecture) and use it in calling attention to the lecture in next issue. (CU-MARK)
The new notice did not appear until the September issue of the American Publisher:
Mark Twain’s Lecture on his acquaintances—kings, humorists, lunatics, idiots, and all—under the title of “Reminiscences of some pleasant characters whom I have met,” will be delivered during the approaching season at the prices of $100 or $110 to $250 per night. (OC 1871)
References
- University of California, Mark Twain Papers, The Bancroft Library, Berkeley
- Machlis, Paul, ed. Union Catalog of Clemens Letters. Edited by Paul Machlis. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press. [In some cases, UCCL catalog numbers cited in this volume supersede those assigned in 1986 and reflect corrections or additions to the catalog since publication. An updated version of the catalog can be consulted via the Letters Search page at MTPO.] 1986
- SLC (Samuel Langhorne Clemens). Mark Twain’s Letters, Volume 4: 1870–1871. Edited by Victor Fischer, Michael B. Frank, and Lin Salamo. The Mark Twain Papers. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Also online at MTPO[bib32371]. 1995
- SLC (Samuel Langhorne Clemens). Mark Twain to Mrs. Fairbanks. Edited by Dixon Wecter. San Marino, Calif.: Huntington Library. 1949
- Clemens, Orion. “Editorial Notes.” American Publisher 1 (September): 4. 1871
MS, Mark Twain Papers, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley (CU-MARK).
L4 , 414–415; MTMF , 154 n. 2, brief excerpt.
see Mark Twain Papers in Description of Provenance.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.