Elmira, Aug. 14.
Dear Ticknor—
I’ll suggest one point for the circular—to-wit: that you don’t forget to glorify the illustrations; & also that you call attention to the historical accuracy of the costumes.
The more I examine the pictures, the more I am enchanted with them. If it is going to be too extravagantly costly to make 20 books of them on India paper—the e—a large I item of the expense is the mounting, doubtless—maybe we can print them on a heavy, tinted paper & survive the outlay. Let us talk of this when I am in Boston August 26th. But I don’t know but I shall have to borrow enough money to get one set printed on India paper, anyway. Merrill probably thinks he originated his exquisite boys himself, but I was ahead of him there!—in these pictures they look & dress exactly as I used to see them in my mind two years ago. It is a vast pleasure to see them cast in the flesh, so to speak.—they were of but perishable dream-stuff, before. /over
I hain’t got no proofs, yet—but there may be some in the post office now.
The Great Seal wasn’t to be engraved—ole Brer Osgood forgot that, I reckon. I’m afraid to put it in—we will talk about that, August 26.
What is that new
Truly Yours
S. L. Clemens
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