To James Redpath
17 December 1873 • London, England
(MS: NHi, UCCL 01009)

‸Langham Hotel‸
London, Dec. 17.

My Dear Redpath—

I shall go to the provinces about ten days hence, & lecture 2 or 3 times each in Glasgow, [Edinburgh], Belfast, Dublin, Cork, Manchester, Liverpool, &c—that [is] if we can get halls upon dates that suit us—otherwise we’ll talk in other big towns.

I sail for home in the [Abysinnia ]Jan 17.1 I find I don’t like the idea of buckling in on another long siege in New York after this heavy one. So what I want to do, is, to talk in Steinway Hall on a Thursday, & Friday evenings, Saturday afternoon (& possibly ) Saturday night. Then talk possibly Monday & Tuesday in Boston & retire permanently from the platform—for it is my very last. Any time in February will suit me. How does it strike you?2

Your answer can’t reach me here, I think. Send it to Hartford.

Yrs ever

Samℓ. L. Clemens

[letter docketed:] boston lyceum bureau. james redpath jan 22 1874 [and] Twain Mark | London | Eng. | Dec. 17 1873

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

Editorial Signs

Click to add citation to My Citations.

1 Clemens ultimately changed both his lecture plans and his departure date: see 30 Dec 73 to Fitzgibbon.

Click to add citation to My Citations.

2 Clemens appeared on the platform only once in early 1874, on 5 March in Boston (“Roughing It—Lecture by Mark Twain,” Boston Evening Transcript, 6 Mar 74, 8).

Description of Texts and Provenance

Source text(s):

MS, New York Historical Society, New York City (NHi).

Previous publication: L5, 523.

Emendations and textual notes:

Edinburgh • Edintburgh

Abysinnia • [sic]