To Olivia L. Clemens
31 December 1873 • London, England
(MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 01022)

London
Dec. 31

Livy my darling, I re-enclosed to you, today, the note of some Boston autograph hunter1—because I was in an ill [humor. It ]occurs to me, now, that I have vented the ill humor on you, not on the autograph seeker. Well, never mind, I forgive you.

Thirteen more days in England, & then I sail! If I only do get home safe, & find my darling & the Modoc well, I shall be a grateful soul. And if ever I do have another longing to leave home, even for a week, please dissipate it with a club. Sometimes I get so homesick I don’t know what to do.

Well, by & by it will all come right, no doubt. In the meantime I love you & honor you most sincerely

Samℓ.

Mrs. Samℓ. L. Clemens
Hartford
[Conn.] [in upper left corner:] America. | [rule] [on flap:] slc [postmarked:] london-w zb de 30 732 [and] li [and] [boston jan 14 paid]

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

Editorial Signs

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1 The note is not known to survive, nor has the autograph hunter been identified.

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2 This postmark is probably erroneous; the possibility remains, however, that Clemens misdated his letter.

Description of Texts and Provenance

Source text(s):

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

Previous publication: L5, 542–543; LLMT, 364, brief paraphrase.

Provenance:see Samossoud Collection in Description of Provenance.

Emendations and textual notes:

humor. It • humor.—|It

Conn. • [‘nn’ conflated]

boston jan 14 paid • bo[ 14] pai [] [badly inked]