To Orion Clemens
31 August 1871 • Elmira, N.Y.
(MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 00649)

My Dear Brother—

We have scarcely any hope of the baby’s recovery.

Livy takes neither sleep nor rest.

We have 3 old experienced nurses.1

Three months of [overfeeding] & surreptitious poisoning with laudanum & other sleeping potions is what the child is dying of.2

Yrs affl’y

Sam.

O. Clemens Esq | 149 Asylum st | Hartford | Conn [return address:] return to mcintyre coal company, elmira, n. y., if not delivered within 10 days. [postmarked:] elmira n. y. aug 31 [rubber stamped:] mrs. orion clemens

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

Editorial Signs

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1 All are unidentified, although one of them might have been the much trusted Margaret (21 June 71 to OC and MEC, n. 3).

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2 Langdon lived until 2 June 1872.

Description of Texts and Provenance

Source text(s):

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

Previous publication: L4, 452–453.

Provenance:see Mark Twain Papers in Description of Provenance.

Emendations and textual notes:

overfeeding • over-|feeding