To
Edward H. House
31 August and 1 September 1880 • Elmira, N.Y.
(Sales catalog: G. A. Baker and Co., 24 October 1939,
no. 33, lot 54a, UCCL 01828)
54a. CLEMENS (S. L.) Autograph Letter, signed, 7 pages, 12mo. Quarry Farm, near Elmira, August 31, (1880)
**This letter was written while Twain was working on the final chapters of “The Prince and the Pauper.”
“Tell David I wrote the first half of the climax chapter of [‘The Little Prince and the Little Pauper’] three days ago. Another week’s work will finish that book. It would be nearly finished now, but I was stopped by an ear-ache. The story will contain only two thirds as much matter as Tom Sawyer, unless I change my mind and elaborate one portion of it a little more than I have done—but that would be at the expense of the dramatic strength and I judge I won’t do it.”
Twain also refers at length to the arrival of his third daughter, Jean, and to the two other children, Susy and Clara.
The last page of the letter is a postscript, dated September 1.
Textual Commentary
Source text(s):Previous publication:Parke-Bernet catalog, 7 December 1954, no. 1556, lot 23, paraphrase; MicroPUL, reel 1.
Emendations and textual notes:
‘The . . . Pauper’ • “The . . . Pauper”
