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Add to My Citations To James Redpath
9? December 1871 • ?Fredonia, N.Y.
(John Anderson, Jr., 1903, lot 51, and
Anderson Auction Company, 1903, lot 125, UCCL 09706)
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[

. . . .

I] [like this lecture first rate,—better than any I have ever had except the [“Vandal”]—three years ago. It is in the style of the Vandal.] 1

[. . . You] [can tell the societies they need feel no call whatever to change the advertised lecture. I simply get some fun out of changing it myself on the platform.] People [ won’t ] fill a house half [so] readily to hear about Artemus [Ward,] as they will to hear about any other [subject.] 2

. . . .

[Mark.]

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

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1 “The American Vandal Abroad,” based on The Innocents Abroad, was the lecture that Clemens delivered in the season of 1868–69.

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2 Earlier Clemens had insisted that societies be advised of changes in his advertised lecture (15 Sept 71 to Redpath). Fearing that the bad press received by the Artemus Ward lecture might discourage audiences from attending and discovering the replacement, Redpath and Fall ignored his present instruction (see the previous letter, n. 2).



glyphglyphSource text(s):glyph
No copy-text. The text is based on two partial transcripts, each of which derives directly from the MS.
P1 John Anderson, Jr., 1903, lot 51
P2 Anderson Auction Company 1903, lot 125
P1 describes the MS as “A. L. S. 2pp. 8vo. 1871”; P2 repeats the description, but misdates the letter 1877. Neither catalog identifies the addressee.

glyphglyphPrevious publication:glyph L4, 512.

glyphglyphEmendations, adopted readings, and textual notes:glyph

No copy-text. The text is based on two partial transcripts, each of which derives directly from the MS.

P1 describes the MS as “A. L. S. 2pp. 8vo. 1871”; P2 repeats the description, but misdates the letter 1877. Neither catalog identifies the addressee.


. . . . | [] I (C) • [] “* * * I (P1); [not in] (P2)

like . . . Vandal. (P1) • [not in] (P2)

“Vandal” (C) • ‘Vandal’ (P1)

. . . You (P2) • [not in] (P1)

can . . . platform. (P2) • [not in] (P1)

won’t (P2) • won’t (P1)

so (P2) • as (P1)

Ward, (P2) • Ward‸ (P1)

subject. (C) • subject.” Etc. (P1); subject,” etc. (P2)

Mark. (P2) • [not in] (P1)