To
Charles J. Langdon
19 March 1875 • Hartford, Conn.
(Transcripts: MTL, 1:251–52, and CU-MARK, UCCL 01211)
[Dear Charlie—
Livy, after reading your letter, used her severest form of expression about Mr. Atwater—to-wit: She did not “approve” of his conduct. This made me shudder; for it was equivalent to Allie Spaulding’s saying “Mr. Atwater is a mean thing;” or Rev. Thomas Beecher’s saying “Damn that Atwater,” or my saying “I wish Atwater was three hundred million miles in——!”1
However, Livy does not often get into one of these furies, God be thanked.
In Brooklyn, Baltimore, Washington, Cincinnati, St. Louis [&] Chicago, the play paid me an average of nine hundred dollars a week. In smaller towns the average is $400 to $500.] 2
This is Susie’s [birth-day], Lizzie3 brought her in at 8.30 this [morning (before we were up)] hooded with a blanket, red curl-papers in her hair, a great red japonica in one hand (for Livy) [&] a yellow rose-bud nestled in [violets,] (for my [buttonhole]) in the other—& she looked wonderfully pretty. She delivered her memorials & received her [birth-day kisses.] [Livy] [laid down her japonica] to get a better “holt” for kissing—which Susie presently [perceived] & became thoughtful: then said sorrowfully, turning the great deeps of her eyes upon her [mother] “[Don’t] you care [for you] wow?” [Right] after breakfast we got up a rousing wood fire in the main [hall—](it is a cold morning) illuminated the place with a rich glow [from all] the globes of the [newell-chandelier] spread a bright rug before the fire, set a circling row of [chairs] (pink ones & [dove colored]) & in the midst a low [invalid table,] covered with a fanciful [cloth,] & laden with the presents—a pink [azalia] in lavish [bloom,] from Rosa; a gold inscribed Russia-leather bible from Patrick & [Mary;] a gold ring (inscribed) from [“Maggy Cook;”] 4 a silver thimble [(inscribed with motto & initials)] from Lizzie; a [ranting] mob of [Sunday-clad] dolls from Livy & Annie,5 & a Noah’s Ark from [me] containing 200 wooden animals such as only a human being could create & only God call by name without [referring] to the passenger list. Then the family & the [seven] servants assembled [there] & Susie & the “Bay”6 arrived in state from [above —]the Bay’s head being fearfully & wonderfully decorated with a profusion of blazing red flowers & overflowing cataracts of [lycopodium.] Wee congratulatory notes accompanied the presents of the [servants.] I tell you it was a great occasion & a striking & cheery [group—]taking all the [surroundings] into account & the wintry aspect [outside.]
{. . . .}
Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary
Mr. Langdon never would discharge Atwater, though
young Charley Langdon suggested that course now and then. Young
Charley could not abide Atwater, because of
his provoking dilatoriness and of his comfortable contentment in it.
. . . Young Charley had many and many a time tried to lodge a seed
of unkindness against Atwater in Livy’s heart, but she
was as steadfast in her fidelity as was her father, and
Charley’s efforts always failed. Many and many a time he
brought to her a charge against Atwater which he believed would
bring the longed-for bitter word, and at last he scored a
success—for “all things come to him who
waits.” I was away at the time, but Charley could not
wait for me to get back. He was too glad, too eager. He sat down at
once and wrote to me while his triumph was fresh and his happiness
hot and contenting. He told me how he had laid the whole
exasperating matter before Livy and then had asked her,
“Now what do you
say?” And she said, “Damn Atwater.” Charley knew that there was no need to explain
this to me. He knew I would perfectly understand. He knew that I
would know that he was not quoting, but was translating. He knew that I would know that his
translation was exact, was perfect, that it conveyed the precise
length, breadth, weight, meaning, and force of the words which Livy
had really used. He knew that I would know that the phrase which she
really uttered was, “I disapprove of Atwater.” He was quite right. In her mouth that word
“disapprove” was as blighting and withering
and devastating as another person’s damn. (CU-MARK) Alice (Allie) Spaulding was one of Olivia’s
closest Elmira friends. Thomas K. Beecher was the Langdon
family’s pastor (“Death of Dwight
Atwater,” Elmira Advertiser, 2 Jan 90,
courtesy of the Mark Twain Archives and Center for Mark Twain Studies at
Quarry Farm, Elmira College).
Source text(s):| P1 | MTL, 1:251–52 |
| P2 | Transcript (CU-MARK) |
Previous publication:
L6, 420–422; Paine 1917, 785; Harnsberger, 38–39, excerpt.
Emendations, adopted readings, and textual notes:
No copy-text. The text is based on two transcripts, each of which derives independently from the MS:
The independence of P1 is established by its inclusion of three paragraphs and several words and phrases not in P2 (the rationale for removing the typographic styling is explained in the Description of Texts). P2 is a handwritten transcript made by Susan L. Crane, of undetermined purpose and date, which is headed “From a letter of her Father.” It contains several punctuation and word variants deemed characteristic of Clemens. Both transcripts are incomplete: P1 reads “(Remainder missing.)” at the end; P2 fills four pages of a folder, with the last nine words written sideways in the right margin of page 4.
Adopted readings followed by ‘(C)’ are editorial emendations of the source readings.
Mch. 19, 1875. (C) • Mch. 19, 1875. (P1); Mch 19, 1875 (P2)
Dear Charlie . . . $500. (C) • Dear Charlie . . . $500. (P1); [not in] (P2)
& (C) • and (P1)
birth-day (P1) • birthday (P2)
morning, (before we were up) (C) • morning (before we were up) (P1); morning, (P2)
& (P2) • and (P1)
violets, (P2) • violets‸ (P1)
buttonhole (P1) • button hole (P2)
birth-day kisses. (P1) • birthday kisses— (P2)
Livy (P1) • Livy, (P2)
laid down her japonica (P2) • laid her japonica down (P1)
perceived (P2) • perceived, (P1)
mother (P1) • Mother (P2)
Don’t (P1) • Dont (P2)
for you (P1) • for your (P2)
[no ¶] Right (P2) • [¶] Right (P1)
hall— (P2) • hall‸ (P1)
from all (P1) • from (P2)
newell-chandelier (P2) • newell chandelier (P1)
chairs (P2) • chairs‸ (P1)
dove colored (P2) • dove-colored (P1)
invalid table, (P2) • invalid-table (P1)
cloth, (P2) • cloth‸ (P1)
azalia (P1, P2) • [sic]
bloom, (P2) • bloom‸ (P1)
Mary; (P1) • Mary, (P2)
“Maggy Cook;” (P1) • “Marggy Cook;” (P2)
(inscribed with motto & initials) (C) • (inscribed with motto and initials) (P1); [not in] (P2)
ranting (P2) • rattling (P1)
Sunday-clad (P2) • Sunday clad (P1)
me (P2) • me, (P1)
referring (P1) • refering (P2)
seven (P1) • [not in] (P2)
there (P2) • there, (P1)
above— (P2) • above, (P1)
lycopodium. (P1) • lycopodium— (P2)
servants. (P1) • servants, (P2)
group— (P2) • group, (P1)
surroundings (P1) • surrounding (P2)
outside. (P1) • outside‸ (P2)
