To Orion Clemens
2 July 1871 • Elmira, N.Y.
(MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 00630)

Elmira, July 2

Dear Bro—

My MSS? Shall bring it there myself before long. Say 2 to 4 weeks hence. Am just finishing Chapter 56.1 Have already nearly MS enough, but [am still ] st writing—intend to cut & cull liberally.2

Yrs

Sam

Orion Clemens Esq | 149 Asylum st | Hartford | [Conn. ] [postmarked:] elmira n.y. jul 5

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

Editorial Signs

Click to add citation to My Citations.

1 Chapter 59 in the published book. If Clemens was still writing in sequence, he had completed four chapters in three days (29 June 71 to OC, n. 3; RI 1993, 860).

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2 Clemens was in fact only about three-fourths done, lacking about 450 of the 1800 pages he estimated were necessary to complete the book (RI 1993, 860).

Description of Texts and Provenance

Source text(s):

MS, Mark Twain Papers, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley (CU-MARK).

Previous publication: L4, 427; MTLP, 67–68.

Provenance:see Mark Twain Papers in Description of Provenance.

Emendations and textual notes:

am still • ams still [false start]

Conn. • Conn[] [torn]