From Olivia L. and
Samuel L. Clemens
to Jervis Langdon
13 May 1870 • Buffalo, N.Y.
(MS: CtHMTH, UCCL 00464)
c
Buffalo May 13th 1870
Dear Father
There is no end to surprizes to this young woman, when I opened the [check ] I expected to see five hundred dollars at the most, when I saw the one, I thought it was one hundred, and could scarcely believe my eyes when I saw that it was one thousand dollars— I felt as if I had suddenly discovered a fathomless mine—as if I had all the money that I could ever need— I thought Father that you were going to economize this year, you have not shown much economy in your dealings with me.
Well all I can say is that I thank you very much and feel as if I have all the money that I could can possibly want to spend was immensely rich—
I was glad to learn by Theodores letter that you were ‸more‸ comfortable yesterday morning— I do hope that you will improve and I do wish that it might be rapidly— We do want to see you and Mother here—
We found Mrs Moffett here when we arrived., we We came through very comfortably— 1
I bought today a beautiful plated [syrup ] cup, I had none, and once when we had syrup on the table it was put on in my japanes Japanese pitcher and Mr C. did not think that was in keeping—
I wish we could know just how you are feeling tonight— I enclose a cure for dyspepsia which Mrs Moffett was very anxious to have me send—
Samuel will finish this letter are not you glad? he is splendid.
Lovingly Livy
(No, that isn’t so.) Livy is delighted with her check, & I am as delighted as she is, to see her enjoy it so, and besides it is a real pleasure to see father give, because he does it so ungrudgingly. (There, I have written that as if I were talking it to Livy instead of writing it to you, father—for I am so dreamy tonight, & so seemingly dazed, that I think & talk & write in reverie. Have been awake since 5.30 AM.) But we did enjoy the check father, just exactly as much as if we had found the money buried in a pot in the backyard, because a present from you never frets, or humiliates or loads wi one with a sense of having contracted a debt & given an invisible note for it secured by a lien on the [ rece recipient’s ] pride & peace of mind. till
C. C. Converse has written to s Selkirk to ‸send‸ him a lot of those Expresses with the Talmage article in it (I happened to see the package & inquired about it.) The congregation probably find it interesting.2
[We’ll ] shall not send for my brother. We have editorial help enough already, & we are going to discontinue the Evening paper & let the job office to two printers on a per centage. Moreover, Joe is going we have a chance to sell the Evening telegraphic franchise, if we find upon examination that when one buys that sort of property he owns it. The Evening paper & the job office were leaks from the start, & these boys did not know it. That is the sort of business man Selkirk is. Now we’ll have a little better income.3
I am beginning to yearn to furnish the billiard-room & make it lovely—& just as soon as I break down Livy’s sensible prejudices about one’s spending money while one is still in debt you will hear of the upholsterers & carpenters being at work in the sky parlor.
Were those flowers to be planted with the roots up—or just in the old way? It is Livy’s question. I think their peculiarity, if they have any, is probably in their fragrance, & not in the [fanciful ] fashion of planting them, but Livy says she knows different.
Love & warm good wishes to all of you.
With strong affection,
Yr Son
Samℓ.
Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary
Messrs Louis Hansman and William McK. Gatchell have
become associates with the Express Printing Company in the Job
Department of the Express printing
establishment, the business of which will hereafter be conducted by
them. Both these gentlemen have been connected with this
establishment for several years, Mr. Hansman, as the foreman of the
Job Department, and Mr. Gatchell, in a like capacity in the
Newspaper Department. Both are thorough printers of the first class,
and possessed of all the qualifications which ensure success in such
a business. (“The Express Job Printing
Office,” 4) An evening edition called the Buffalo Bee and Evening Express, begun in January, ceased on 30 May
(Buffalo Express: “The Bee and Evening
Express,” 4 Jan 70, 4; “The Express,”
28 May, 30 May 70, 2). It is not known how the telegraphic franchise was
disposed of. “These boys” were
Clemens’s partners, Larned and Selkirk.
Source text(s):Previous publication:
L4, 129–131.
Provenance:donated to CtHMTH in 1963 by Ida Langdon.
Emendations and textual notes:
check • chectk
syrup • syrutp
rece recipient’s • receipient’s
We’ll • [deletion of apostrophe implied]
fanciful • fan-| ficiful
