New York, ix x, Oct., Saturday, [1853.1
My ]Dear Sister:
I have not written to [any of the ]family for some time, from the fact, firstly, that I didn’t know where they were, and secondly, because I have been fooling myself with the idea that I was going to leave New York, every day for the last two weeks. I have taken a liking to the abominable place, and every [time I ]get ready to leave, I put it off a day [or so, from ]some unaccountable cause. It [is just as ]hard on my conscience to leave New [York as it ]was easy to leave Hannibal. I think I shall get off Tuesday, though.
Edwin Forrest has been playing, for the last sixteen days, at the Broadway Theatre, but I never went to see him till last night. The play was the “Gladiator.” I did not like parts of it much, but other portions were really splendid. In the latter part of the last act, where the “Gladiator” (Forrest) dies at his [brother’s ]feet, (in all the fierce pleasure of gratified revenge,) after working the latter’s revenge, the man’s whole soul seems absorbed in the part he is playing; and it is really startling to see him. I am sorry I did not see him play “Damon [and Pythias]”—the former character being his greatest. He appears in Philadelphia on Monday night.2
I have not received a letter from home lately, but got a “Journal” the other day, in which I see the office has been sold. I suppose Ma, Orion and Henry are in St. Louis now. If Orion has no other project in that his head, he ought to take the contract for getting out some weekly paper, if [he cannot ]get a foremanship. Now, [for such ]a paper as the “Presbyterian” [ he cou (containing] about 60,000,) he could get $20 or [$25 per] week, and he and Henry could easily do the work:—nothing to do but set the type and make up the forms. I mean they could easily do the work if $5.00 for 25,000 (per week) could beat a little work [ in to into ](no offence to him) Henry’s lazy bones!3 Orion must get Jim. Wolfe a sit. in St. [Louis. He ]can get 20 cents per 1.000.4 The foreman of Gray’s office5 has taken a great fancy to go to St. [Louis, ]and has got everything out of me [that I ]know about the place, and I shouldn’t be surprised if he should [go. there.]
If my letters do not come often, you need not bother [yourself about ]me; for if you have a brother nearly eighteen years of age, who is not able to take care of [himself a ]few miles from home, such a [brother is not ]worth one’s thoughts: and if I don’t manage to take care of No. 1., be assured you will never know it. I am not afraid, however: I shall [ b ask ]favors from no one, and endeavor to be, (and shall be,) as “[independent as ]a [wood-sawyer’s ]clerk.”6
I never saw such a place for military companies, as New York. Go on the street when you will, you are sure to meet a company in full uniform, with all the usual [appendages ]of drums, fifes, &c. I saw a large [company ]of [ the soldiers ]of the war of 1812, the other day, with a ’76 [veteran scattered here ]and there in the ranks. [And when I passed through one ]of the parks lately, I came upon a company of boys on parade. Their uniforms were neat, and their muskets about half the common size. Some of them were not more than seven or [eight years ]of age; but had evidently been [well drilled.7
Passage ]to [Albany ](160 [miles) in the finest ]steamers that ply the Hudson, is now 25 cents—cheap enough, but is generally cheaper than that in the summer.8
I want you to write as soon as [I tell you ]where to direct your letter. I [would let you ]know now, if I knew [myself]. [I may ]perhaps be here a week longer; but I cannot tell. When you [ r write ]tell me the whereabouts of the family. My love to Mr. Moffett and Ella.9 Tell Ella I intend to write to her soon, whether she wants me to or not.
Truly your Brother,
Saml. L. Clemens.
Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary
Notice to the Public. Notice is hereby given that I have this day sold the
“Journal” office, with its patronage to Wm
T. League, Esq., Proprietor of the “Whig
Messenger.” The “Hannibal
Journal” will therefore after this date cease to be
published. (OC 1853, 3)
Source text(s):Previous publication:
L1, 16–18; MTB, 1:97, excerpts; and MTL, 1:23–25, with minor omissions indicated by ellipses.
Collation shows that both printings derive from a common source with the
same errors, presumably Paine’s transcription of the original.
This transcription may have been made when the MS was in a less damaged
state, for the paper had not cracked when Paine penciled an x following ‘revenge,)’
(16.16), but nothing in Paine’s texts establishes that he was
able literally to copy anything that must now be wholly conjectured.
Consequently, for the now missing portions of the MS, Paine’s
texts must be regarded as without authority. The few cases in which their
readings differ from the present text and are not clearly refuted by the
surviving manuscript evidence are reported in the record of emendation.
Provenance:In about 1880, Orion Clemens incorporated this letter MS in the draft of his
autobiography then in progress: his page numbers appear in purple ink atop
each page. The penciled notations are by Paine, probably added when he had
the letter transcribed for publication. The circled
‘2’ canceled at the top of the first page probably
refers to the position of this letter in MTB or MTL, in both of which it is the second letter printed. On the first page
the note ‘3½″ wide’ and the xs inserted before ‘Edwin’
(16.11) and after ‘revenge,)’ (16.16) suggest that
Paine may have been planning to publish a facsimile of part of the letter;
both MTB and MTL are printed with a type line 3½ inches wide. No such
facsimile is known to exist, however. On the last page Paine wrote
‘(An early M. T. letter)’. The MS may have been in the
Mark Twain Papers since Paine’s service as literary executor of
the Mark Twain Estate (1910–37). It is more probable, however,
that it is part of the Moffett Collection; see p. 462.
Emendations and textual notes:
1853. [¶] My •
18[
]
|
[¶] My [torn]
any of the •
any [f]
|the [torn]
time I •
tim[]
|I [torn]
or so, from •
o[ ]
|from [torn;
possibly ‘or two from’]
is just as •
is []
|as [MTL reads ‘is
as’. Although the paper is now torn away
following ‘is’, there
was space at the end of the line for about three or four characters.
(The character now partly visible after ‘is’ is not part of the inscription
at this point; see the next entry.) Clemens must have written
something in this space, for he was obliged to put the next word,
‘as’, at the
beginning of the next line.]
York as it •
York [a]
|it [During the
process of silking, the letter ‘a’ on a small, detached fragment of
paper was mistakenly placed following ‘is’ (16.8) on the line above its
proper place, which is probably here as part of the missing word ‘as’.]
brother’s •
br[t]er’s [torn]
and Pythias •
and |
[y]thias [torn]
he cannot •
he |
[ca]not [torn]
for such •
for |
[c]h [torn]
he cou (containing •
he cou (con-|
[]ning [torn; ‘con-’ over ‘he
cou’]
$25 per •
$25 |
[p]r [torn]
in to into • [‘in to’ marked by Clemens to close up]
Louis. He • Louis.—|He
Louis, •
Lo[], [torn]
that I • tha[t] I [torn]
go. there. • go. there. [deletion implied]
yourself about • yourseflf abotut [‘l’ over ‘f’; ‘u’ over ‘t’]
himself a •
him[s]
|a [torn]
brother is not •
brother []
|not [torn]
b ask • [‘a’ over ‘b’]
independent as • independen[t] as [torn]
wood-|sawyer’s • wood-|sawyer’s [i.e., ‘wood-sawyer’s’]
appendages • appe[n-] |dages [torn]
company •
co[m]
|pany [torn]
the soldiers • [‘so’ over ‘the’]
veteran scattered here •
vetera[]
scatt[d] here [torn]
And when I passed through one •
[An
]assed throug[h] one [torn; MTL reads ‘And
as I passed through one’]
eight years •
eigh[t y]ars [torn]
well drilled. [¶] Passage •
well [rilld]
[¶] Passage [torn; MTL reads ‘well-drilled.
[¶] Passage’]
Albany • A[l]bany [torn]
miles) in the finest •
mile[
]
|finest [torn;
MTL reads ‘miles on the finest’]
I tell you •
I [] you
[torn]
would let you •
would |
[] you [torn]
myself • myseflf [‘l’ over ‘f’]
I may •
I |
[]ay [torn]
r write • [‘w’ over ‘r’]
