10 July 1871 • (3rd of 3) • Elmira, N.Y. (MS: Bentley, UCCL 00636)
P. S.—
The title is: “Reminiscences of Some un-CommonplaceⒶemendation P Characters I have Chanced to Meet.”
Is it too long? I fear it is, but don’t know how to better it.
I have no MS sketch that is good. Shall I send you an old re-print one that is choice? If so, how long a one?1explanatory note
letter docketed: boston lyceum bureau, redpath & fall. jul 15 1871 and Twain Mark | Title of Lecture | July 10
Redpath was evidently planning a “Lyceum Circular” that would give the new title of Clemens’s lectureⒶemendation and print a short literary piece as well as, presumably, reviews from his previous lecture tour (in 1869–70). The Boston Lyceum Bureau regularly issued such circulars for its clients. None has been found for Mark Twain in 1871, but a mid-season circular, dated 1 January 1872, contained reviews of the season to date, and announced still further changes in his lecture title (see Boston Lyceum Bureau Advertising Circularclick to open link).
References
- Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Fred D. Bentley, Sr.
- 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
MS facsimile. The editors have not seen the MS, which is in the collection of Fred D. Bentley, who provided a photocopy in 1983.
L4 , 435–435; Swann Auction Galleries, lot 61.
Sold by Swann in 1942, the MS was eventually acquired by Bentley.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.