Wednesday.
slcDr Bro—If I write all the books that lie planned in my head, I shall see the middle of the next century. I
can’t add another, until after that. I couldn’t write from another man’s idea, anyway.
But go ahead & [MS page 2] write it yourself—that is, if you can drop other things.1 Your law is not in your
way; but if you write a book worth reading it will only be by eschewing temperance, amateur theatricals, religion,
& other dissipations., & giving your entire mind to the one thing.2 Don’t
think of it as a book—think of it as an amusement, a thing with no object, a thing
done
[unknown amount of text missing]
Orion Clemens, Esq | Keokuk | Iowa [return address:] if not delivered within 10 days, to be returned to [postmarked:] hartford conn. dec 21 12m
