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Add to My Citations To Elisha Bliss, Jr.
20 March 1872 • Elmira, N.Y.
(MS draft and transcripts: CU-MARK, WU,
and Anderson Galleries 1917, lot 85, UCCL 11848)
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[Private.] 1

Elmira, [Mch. 20/72]

[Friend Bliss—]

[The more I think over our last Tuesday’s talk about my [copyright] or royalty, the better I am satisfied. But I was troubled a good [deal], when I went there, for I had worried myself pretty well into the impression that I was getting a smaller ratio of this book’s profits than the spirit of our contract had authorized me to promise myself; indeed, I was so nearly convinced of it that if you had not been so patient with my [perplexities,] & taken the pains to show me by facts [& figures] & arguments that my present royalty gives me fully half & possibly even more than half the [net] profits of the book, I would probably have come to the settled conviction that such was not the case, & then I should have been dissatisfied. I am glad you convinced me, for I would be sorry indeed to have come away from your house feeling that I had put such entire trust & confidence in you to finally lose by it. But everything is plain & [open,] now. And after thinking it [all over], I feel that, the result being the same, you will readily assent to the altering of our contract in such a way that it shall express that I am to receive half the profits. Any friend of mine can represent me in the matter. Charley Warner will do as well as another. I will ask him to do [it.]

I am at last easy & comfortable about the new book.] I have sufficient [testimony,] [derived through many people’s statements to my friends], to about satisfy me that the general verdict gives “Roughing It” the preference over “Innocents Abroad.” This is rather gratifying than [otherwise] The [ reason ] given is, that they like a book about America because they understand it better. It is pleasant to believe this, because it isn’t a great deal of trouble to write books about one’s own [country.]

[We are well] [&] flourishing—all four of us.

Yrs]

[Clemens

[list missing]]

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

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1 The manuscript of this letter has not been found, but it was undoubtedly a fair copy of Clemens’s original heavily revised draft (the previous letter). The present text is based on that draft and two transcriptions of the fair copy, only one of which (a typescript) is relatively complete. For details about differences in wording and punctuation in the draft and transcriptions, see the textual commentary. Notes on the draft are not repeated here.



glyphglyphSource text(s):glyph
No copy-text. The text is based on three sources:
P1Clemens’s MS draft (CU-MARK)
P2Typescript (WU)
P3 Anderson Galleries 1917, lot 85
P1 is a draft in CU-MARK of the fair copy letter Clemens sent Bliss (see pp. 65–66 and the previous commentary). P2 and P3 each derive independently from the fair copy MS, whose present location is not known. P2 is a typewritten transcript—probably made by George Brownell from a hand transcription of the fair copy by Dana S. Ayer (now lost)—in the Rare Book Department, Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin, Madison (WU). P3 is a partial transcript published in a 1917 catalog, when the MS was offered for sale. The catalog describes the letter as an “A. L. S., 4 pp. 8vo. Elmira, Mar. 20, 1872. Signed ‘Clemens.’ Marked ‘Private.’”

glyphglyphPrevious publication:glyph L5, 68–69.

glyphglyphProvenance:glyphThe MS evidently remained among the American Publishing Company’s files until it was sold (and may have been copied at that time by Ayer; see Brownell Collection in Description of Provenance).

glyphglyphEmendations, adopted readings, and textual notes:glyph

No copy-text. The text is based on three sources:

P1 is a draft in CU-MARK of the fair copy letter Clemens sent Bliss (see pp. 65–66 and the previous commentary). P2 and P3 each derive independently from the fair copy MS, whose present location is not known. P2 is a typewritten transcript—probably made by George Brownell from a hand transcription of the fair copy by Dana S. Ayer (now lost)—in the Rare Book Department, Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin, Madison (WU). P3 is a partial transcript published in a 1917 catalog, when the MS was offered for sale. The catalog describes the letter as an “A. L. S., 4 pp. 8vo. Elmira, Mar. 20, 1872. Signed ‘Clemens.’ Marked ‘Private.’”


Private. (C) • Marked “Private.” [placement inferred from other letters of the period, such as 20 Jan 73 to Pugh and 9 Apr 73 to Reid] (P3); [not in] (P1, P2)

Mch. 20/72 (P1, P2) • Mar. 20, 1872 [reported, not quoted] (P3)

Friend Bliss— (P1) • Friend Bliss:— (P2); To Frank Bliss [reported, not quoted] (P3)

[] The more ... book. (P1, P2) • [not in] (P3)

copyright (P1) • copy-|right (P2)

deal, (P1) • deal‸ (P2)

perplexities, (P1) • perplexities‸ (P2)

& figures (P1) • and figures (P2)

net (P1) • nett (P2)

open, (P1) • open‸ (P2)

all over (P2) • over (P1)

it. (P2) • it. | ‸See page 6.‸ (P1)

testimony, (P1, P2) • testimony‸ (P3)

derived ... friends, (P1, P2) • [not in] (P3)

otherwise (P1, P2) • other-|wise (P3)

reason (P2) • rea- |son (P1); reason (P3)

country. (P2) • country,” etc. (P3); country. Miss Anna Dickinson says the book is unprecedentedly popular—a strong term, but I believe that was it. (P1)

well (P2) • all well (P1) We ... Yrs (P2) • We ... Ys (P1); [not in] (P3)

& (P1) • and (P2)

Clemens | [list missing] (C) • Clemens (P2); Signed “Clemens.” (P3); Clemens. [] (Request added to send 25 23½ morr moroccos to friends of mine named.) [on back as folded:] ½ profit letter to Bliss. | [rule] (P1)