To George K. Warren
12 December 1874 • Hartford, Conn.
(MS: Warren, UCCL 03806)

Hartford, Dec 12.

Dear Sir:

Be sure & s◇◇◇◇ preserve the dark negative—the one that looks to the right. [Everyboody ] prefers it to the other one with the high forehead. I wouldn’t have it destroyed for anything. It will require no retouching. It cannot be improved, ◇◇ it being perfect already.1

Ys Truly

Samℓ. L. Clemens

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

Editorial Signs

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1 For the preferred photograph, taken at Warren’s Boston studio in mid-November, see 2? Dec 74 to Miller. No copy has been found of the “one with the high forehead,” which may have looked to the left.

Description of Texts and Provenance

Source text(s):

MS facsimile. The editors have not seen the MS. In 1981 Yankee Magazine located a photocopy in its files and provided a photocopy to the Mark Twain Papers.

Previous publication: L6, 314; Yankee Magazine, June 1970, 78, excerpt.

Provenance: Yankee Magazine’s 1970 excerpt appeared “courtesy of Florence Thompson Howe”; the photocopy sent in 1981 was labeled “courtesy Nancy Warren.”

Emendations and textual notes:

Everyboody • [sic]