To Olivia L. Langdon
10 November 1869 • Boston, Mass.
(MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 00366)

Boston, Nov. 10.

Livy Darling—

I shall spend New Year’s day at home, if spared—& then I’ll see the dear old face [again.1

Got ]your letter of 7th today—thank you with all my heart, [dearie. Just ]see how Theodore threatens an orphan.2

Talked last night in Providence, R.I., to 1800 people in a house which has regular seats for only 1500. Gave good satisfaction.3 But tonight, my darling—tonight is the rub. Can’t possibly tell how I shall come out.

They want me to talk again in Providence this season—told them had no spare time.

Must hurry, [sweetheart, ]& so, God bless & keep you. Good-bye.

Sam.

Bless your dear heart, my worshipped Livy, I was too much “crowded” to write, during that four days’ hiatus (hiatus is a good word.)4

[enclosure:]

Brother Clemens

If you dont write me oftner (for Livie), I’ll have you “for breakfast” and give her the breast—and use your feathers to reseat her Rocking Chair.

Yours in greif—Theodore.

Nov 7. 2 PM.

[in ink:] Miss Olivia L. Langdon | Elmira | N. Y. [postmarked:] [ boston mass. nov 10 2 p.m.] [docketed by OLL:] 133rd

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

Editorial Signs

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1 Clemens was spared a lecture engagement on 1 January 1870. After an appearance in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on New Year’s Eve, he traveled to Elmira where, except for a 4 January lecture in Owego, New York, about thirty miles to the east, he remained until the evening of 5 January, when he resumed his tour.

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2 Clemens alludes to his enclosure, from Theodore Crane.

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3 See the Providence review enclosed in Clemens’s next letter to Olivia.

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4 The hiatus, which Olivia had questioned in her 7 November letter, was 2–5 November. For a reconstruction of the events that “crowded” Clemens then, see pp. 385–86. The four letters he wrote to Olivia between 6 and 9 November (docket numbers 129–32) are lost.

Description of Texts and Provenance

Source text(s):

MS, Mark Twain Papers, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley (CU-MARK); written on three leaves of the same notebook paper as 30, 31 October, 1 November to Olivia Langdon.

Previous publication: L3, 390–391; LLMT, 360, brief paraphrase.

Provenance:see Samossoud Collection, p. 586.

Emendations and textual notes:

again. [¶] Got • again.—| [¶] Got

dearie. Just • dearie.—|Just

sweetheart • sweet-|heart

boston mass. nov. 10 2 p.m. • [ston m] a [s] s. [no] v. [o] [2 ].m. [badly inked]