Elmira, Aug. 18./81.
Dear Howells—
Your news about Winny is too distressing; & is altogether a surprise, too, for the idea that she has been really an invalid asll these months never took a realizing grip upon my mind. Of course you have our deepest sympathy, it is not necessary to say that; & we do hope a better day will come soon. What can have brought her to this state, I wonder?
If the President remains in this critical state; or if we lose him—which latter is a bitter thing to contemplate, but yet is the disaster in store for us, I seem almost to know—I cannot go to Ashfield, for I should not enjoy a festival of any sort, at such a time, nor be able to help anybody else enjoy it.
I have to see [H] Osgood, however, & shall see him either in N. Y. or Boston. If the latter, you must run into town for a day, if you possibly can; but if you just can’t, I’ll run out there. With love & best hopes to Winny, & the same to the rest,
Yrs Ever
Mark.
[in margin of first page:]
I wrote Clark.
Textual Commentary
Source text(s):Previous publication:
MTHL, 1:366.
Provenance:
See Howells Letters in Description of Provenance.
Emendations and textual notes:
H • [partly formed]
