2 Pembroke Gardens
London May 6, ’76
My dear Clemens,
The last revise of the last proof of ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, By Mark Twain’, passed out of my hands three days ago and it cannot be long before that hero walks into my study in a dress neat enough to excite the Huckleberrian disgust.
Chatto & Windus are convinced that they can make no use of the American letter-press in this country. It is true that the shape of your Sketchbook is not unknown in this country, but only in connection with ‘toybooks’ or 2d class things like Cassell’s. From my recollection of the Tom Sawyer pictures which you showed me they are much the same in size as those of your Sketchbook; and we have examined the latter very closely, and discover that there is not a single picture in it—initial or other—which we could not file down to suit our normal English shape without impairing the subject of the picture in the East [i.e., least]. If in the Sawyer series there be any such sketch it ought not to cost much to photograph it so that we can have it engraved &c on this side.
Let us therefore know by letter how many pictures there are, and what electroes of the same without letter press will cost. Let the letter press be dismissed from consideration altogether.
Your little preface reads excellently: it would have been impertinent for me to write any introduction or preface. I shall send you earliest copy. I am preparing some notices of the press, at whose criticisms I expect to be much surprised, and for whose authors I shall inquire diligently among my literary friends.
Wish you could have heard Professor Clifford sing ‘Punch in the presence’ at a dinner party Wednesday, (at the piano—tune composed by himself.) It was real fun.
Atlantic Monthly is reprinted here: notice good, but ‘A Bad Boy’ is not to be mentioned on the same day with Tom S.
Ever yours
M D Conway
