To William Dean Howells
5 May 1877 • Hartford, Conn.
(MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 01425)

Keokuk, May 2, 1877.

My Dear Brother:—

I enclose a picture of the leech that draws the blood that Col. Sellers makes.1

I went to all the job offices in town this morning, and meant to go to the Gate City (morning paper) but found that three or four subs were watching the Constitution—an evening paper—for a chance, and became discouraged. I left my address to be sent for if there should be a spurt. ‸anywhere.‸2 It seemed like Sunday all round.

In your absorption preparing your new play I suppose you forgot me this quarter. If you can spare me the usual checks I will get Judge Newman at the August term to appoint me to assist in defending some scoundrel for misdemeanor or felony (the latter penitentiary, the former under that degree)3 and see what luck I can have in criminal practice. I see bigger fools than I am sit to be prosecuting or district attorneys and get good wages. It seems improbable, but it is so.

Love to all,
Your Brother,

Orion.

When the papers say anything about your play can’t you send it to me? I hear of things here, vaguely. I never see anything.

Here is as pathetic a conjunction, Howells, as ever was: this forced hilarity & this broken-hearted face.

2½ years civil “practice” has yielded him just one case. He will try criminal law, now, poor fellow.

Mark.

Explanatory Notes

Editorial Signs

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1Orion’s enclosure, a photograph or possibly a caricature of himself to accompany his self-characterization as a leech, is now lost. Howells commented on it in his reply of 9 May: “Your brother’s letter has been a joy forever to Mrs. H. and me—and what a good kind face the poor old fellow has. I ’most hate to send it back” (CU-MARK).

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2Orion was indeed desperate, for as recently as May 1875 he had rejected a suggestion that he try for employment on the Keokuk Gate City (25 Apr 1875 to JLC and PAM, L6, 462–63 n. 8; see also 10 Dec 1877 to OC, n. 3).

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3Clemens underlined this parenthetical remark and commented in the left margin, “the legal instinct to explain.” He wrote his letter to Howells in the top margin of the same page.

Description of Texts and Provenance

Source text(s):

MS, CU-MARK.

Previous publication:

MTHL, 1:176–77.

Provenance:

See Howells Letters in Description of Provenance.