London, Nov. 26.
Livy darling, old sweetheart, tomorrow will be the birth-day of my own sweet wife;1 & I shall think of her over & over & over again, all thro’ the day & till the last thing at night; & shall bless her with all my heart all the whole time & wish that the day may speed along which shall bring me to her again.
The enclosed is from Charles Kingsley.2 I have written & told him how greatly I regret that you did not see him. And I told him not to come all the way here again, but appoint a day & I would go to the Abbey.3 He don’t know what he has missed in not seeing my darling old wife.
Saml.
[enclosure:]
The Cloisters
Nobr 26/73Westminster
My dear Sir
I [tre tried] in vain, when you were last in London, to have the great pleasure of introducing myself to you. I called—hearing that you had returned—at the Langham Hotel today: but was too meek to intrude on you—even had you been at home.
But will you kindly let me know when I may have a chance of seeing you: I shall be absent from Town from next Monday to next Thursday.
Before & after that I am at your service. And may I say, that if you care to make a closer acquaintance than the multitude can make with our English Pantheon the old Abbey here—it would give me—& mine for my ladies 4 are even more fond of your work than I—extreme pleasure to act as cicerones to some strange & remote spots in our great Stone Mausoleum. 5
Believe me with sincere respects
Yours vy truly
Charles Kingsley
Mrs. Samℓ. L. Clemens | Hartford | Conn. [in upper left corner:] America. | [flourish] [postmarked:] [london • w 7 no28 73] [and] l 28 11 1873 [and] new york dec 10 [paid all]
Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary
Many thanks for your cordial letter. Will you & Mr. Stoddard give me
the pleasure of coming to luncheon tomorrow at 1 P.M.? I am sorry—& so will Mrs.
Kingsley be—that she is out of town. After our luncheon & our cigarette—we can look at the Abbey or
not, as you may like. (CU-MARK)
My friend and I, by appointment, were in search of Canon Kingsley at the cloisters, Westminster. We passed
out of the Abbey toward the chapter-house in a kind of dream. . . . With many a turn we come at last to a row of modest dwellings. Entering one of these we were welcomed by Miss
Kingsley, and ushered at once into a pleasant room where the table was laid for dinner. There was a blessed absence of formality, a
simple and hearty welcome. Canon Kingsley’s table-talk sparkled with lively anecdotes, chiefly personal. A man of nervous
organisation, animated, personally interested in the topics of the time, he glowed with enthusiasm and struck fire repeatedly,
though he was then in ill-health and burdened with many cares. He looked forward with delight to his anticipated tour in America;
wondered what sort of lecture the Americans would prefer. . . . After the wholesome English dinner we lighted cigars; Canon Kingsley was confined to the medicated cigarette,
which is supposed to discourage the bronchial disorder from which he was a sufferer. We entered a small garden by the bow-window of
the dining-room. . . . Here we walked up and down, to and fro, under leafless trees—for
it was winter,—smoking placidly, stopping now and again to hear the veritable tale of some monk or abbot who
distinguished himself centuries ago on the very spot where we stood. . . . When we left the cloisters it was sunset. The canon led us again into the Abbey, where the nave was flooded
with that weird light which seems not of the earth and is but momentary. The long, low thunders of the world without broke at the
sacred doors, which were at that moment closed to all save ourselves. We had indeed found sanctuary, but only for a little season.
We hastened forth, and were instantly swallowed up in the eddies of the ceaseless tide of London life. (Stoddard 1903, 152–55, 160) On 17 February 1874 Clemens introduced Kingsley when he lectured on Westminster Abbey to a Boston audience.
Kingsley fondly recalled “wandering through Westminster Abbey” with Clemens the previous fall, and hearing him
speak eloquently of his earlier “night visit there” (Reed, 692–93; and see Mark Twain’s 1872 English
Journals).
Source text(s):Previous publication:
L5, 485–87; LLMT, 364, brief paraphrase of letter only.
Provenance:see Samossoud Collection (letter) and Mark Twain Papers (enclosure) in Description of Provenance.
Emendations and textual notes:
MS, Kingsley to SLC, is copy-text for ‘The
. . . Kingsley’ (485.16–486.9)
MS, SLC to OLC, is copy-text for ‘Mrs. . . . all’
(486.11–13)
tre tried • treied
london • w 7 no28 73 • [l] ondon • w 7 no28 [7]3 [badly inked]
paid all
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[badly inked]
