Dec. 16.
Livy my darling, we did have a lovely audience tonight, such bright, splendid people, & they sat as still as statues, for fear they might miss a word, but they responded promptly & vigorou[s]ly to every single point. I talked half a column or a column more of stuff than usual.
Then I read Last night a portly lady very richly dressed, sat in the second row & laughed as you never saw a c any creature laugh before except Rev. Mr. Burton1—the tears streamed down her cheeks all the time. Tonight a young English girl sat in the same row, & it seemed to me that she would simply go into convulsions. Bully audiences, these are.
Lunched with Mrs. Owen to-day—two other earl’s daughters were there, & I had a funny & a very queer adventure with [ th ] one of them which I must tell you when I see you. Mrs. Owen was splendid. I am to lunch there again, on Friday, & then we are to go to Westminster Abbey, for she wants to show me the monument to the Owen who built Condover Hall.2
I have a pleasant note from Mr. Tennyson, to whom I sent a ticket. An autograph note from him is a powerful hard thing to get.3
I love you, love you, love, you, Sweetheart.
Samℓ.
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Mrs. Samℓ. L. Clemens
Hartford
Conn. [in upper left corner:] America. |
[flourish]
[on flap:]
slc/mt
[postmarked:] london-w. 07 de[17 ] 73
[and] l 17 12 [1873]
[and] new [ york jan 2 paid all.]
Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary
Clemens noted on the back, “From Alfred Tennyson” (CU-MARK).
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Previous publication:
L5, 521–22; LLMT, 364, brief paraphrase.
Provenance:
see Samossoud Collection in Description of Provenance.
Emendations and textual notes:
th • [‘h’ partly formed]
17
•
[7]
[badly inked]
1873
•
[]873
[badly inked]
york jan 2 paid all. •
[yor] jan [2
a ]ll. [badly inked; ‘2’
doubtful]