I am My whole interest, now, is centred in the task of hunting up, capturing, & sending to the penitentiary a drunken ruffian who has been a trouble to our neighboring farmers for a couple of years & who threat drew a revolver on Susie & Clara last Wednesday when they were down the road a piece & without a protector. So if you will write that speech, I shall hold myself infinitely obliged, seeing I couldn’t do it myself at this time to save my neck—couldn’t get my mind on it. But I know it is a shame to put it on you; & therefore, if you’d rather leave it for me to tackle when I get home & calm, a fortnight hence, I will then make it my first business.

Of course we couldn’t re-write that play—it wouldn’t pay at all to do that.