From Olivia L. and
Samuel L. Clemens to
Olivia Lewis Langdon
14 March 1875 • Hartford, Conn.
(MS: CtHMTH, UCCL 01207)
slc
Hartford March 14th. 75
Darling Mother
Clara’s beautiful silver set came yesterday— It is just as exquisitely ha as it can be. When Susie’s and Langdon’s came we thought that nothing could be prettier, 1 but Clara’s I think is— The mug is such a rare, unusual shape— Clara was exceedingly pleased when we showed it to her, she handled it and was very much inclined to bang the mug with the spoon but of course that she was not allowed to do— Susie too was very much interested— I had to get out her silver set so that she could look at hers at the same time—her napkin ring she has not seen yet I shall keep it until her birthday—
Today Susie [s‸tood‸at] by one of the book cases shelves— I said “Susie “do you want a book?”—she said “yes mamma, but I don’t know which one I want” It sounded as if she was about twenty years old, and was looking for a book to read—
Mr and Mrs Howells came Thursday noon, and left us yesterday (Saturday) noon—we had an exceedingly pleasant time with them—Thursday I invited Mr and Mrs Perkins, and Mammie 2 —Mr and Mrs Twichell and Mr and Mrs G. Warner to dine with them—we had a good time— 3 Friday evening we were invited to Mr Perkins— Mrs Howells is not a bit like Mrs Aldrich, she is exceedingly simple in her dress—she reminds me in her manners a good deal of cousin Anna Brown, 4 and a little of the Mrs Shipman that you met in Fenwick— 5 She is exceedingly bright—very intellectual, but—sensible and nice, I liked her—she is almost common in her dress— She went into raptures over the table cover that Charlie brought from Turkey. 6
Thought the house was the most delightful one that she was ever in— We had a very satisfactory visit and hope that it will be often repeated— 7
Will Gillette may go to Elmira when Mr Raymond does, to play in “Gilded Age”— I wish if he does Charlie would hunt him up and have him call at the house, perhaps he will call any way I invited him too 8
Good night—mother dear— Youth is going to add a word. I am so sorry that Ida does not get well faster—do make her be very careful— 9
Mother dear, the silver is exquisite beyond expression. I do not think I ever saw any before that was so beautiful. I was so [acggravated] to think the Howellses could have seen it if their train had been the 1.45 instead of the 12.30.10
Ever
S L. C
Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary
We had a really charming visit, not marred by
anything. The Clemenses are whole-souled hosts, with
inextinguishable money, and a palace of a house, to which, by the
way I really prefer ours,—and we met all the pleasant
people whose acquaintance I made last year, except the Warners, who
are now up the Nile. (14 Mar 75, MH-H, in MTHL, 1:70 n. 1) For the Warners’ travels, see 3 Oct
74 to Howells, n. 3.
The Sellers play was given in Hartford, in
January (1875), to as many people as could crowd into the Opera
House. Raymond had reached the perfection of his art by that time,
and the townsmen of Mark Twain saw the play and the actor at their
best. Kate Field played the part of Laura Hawkins, and there was a
Hartford girl in the company; also a Hartford young man, who would
one day be about as well known to playgoers as any playwright or
actor that America has produced. His name was William Gillette, and
it was largely due to Mark Twain that the author of Secret Service and of the dramatic
“Sherlock Holmes” got a fair public start.
Clemens and his wife loaned Gillette the three thousand dollars
which tided him through his period of dramatic education. Their
faith in his ability was justified. (MTB, 1:539) If Gillette appeared in the 11 and 12 January Hartford
performances, neither the Hartford Courant nor
the Hartford Times mentioned him or “a
Hartford girl.” The troupe performed in Elmira on 31 March,
and again on 15 May. Gillette received no mention on either occasion,
but he may have been in the cast. He played the counsel for the defense
during the run at the Globe Theatre in Boston from 19 April to 1 May,
and on 6 May, when the play returned to Hartford, he again,
“very creditably,” played that role
(“Col. Sellers,” Hartford Courant, 7 May 75, 2). On 7 May, Twichell noted in his
journal: Will Gillette, one of our boys and one of our best
was missing last winter i.e all we knew was that he was in New
York—“studying”—they
said. It finally transpired that he had been on the stage all that
time acting in “The Gilded
Age”—M.T’s play. (Geo. Warner told
me that for the first part of the time he was foreman of the jury in
the Trial Scene, and all he had to say—every
word—was “not
Guilty.”) (Twichell, 1:96) Gillette played still a different part in New York in
August (see 12 May 75 to Raymond, n. 1; Cook, 3, 7–8, 10–13, 87, 90;
Elmira Advertiser: “The Gilded
Age,” 30 Mar 75, 4; “John T. Raymond as Col.
Sellers,” 1 Apr 75, 4; “The Gilded
Age,” 15 May 75, 4; Boston Advertiser:
“Music and the Drama,” 19 Apr 75, 2;
“Amusements,” 1 May 75, 1).
Source text(s):Previous publication:
L6, 411–414.
Provenance:The Jervis Langdon Collection was donated in 1963 by Ida Langdon.
Emendations and textual notes:
s‸tood‸ at • s‸tood‸ at stood [double canceled ‘t’ partly formed; rewritten for clarity]
acggravated • [‘c’ doubtful]
