Hartford, Oct. 24/81.
My Dear Osgood—
I am going to enclose House’s letter, because it may [become] useful to you & him, it is so full & explicit.
[I kind of wanted to use both ‸A,‸ ‸both‸ B, and C; because I like the immediate foot-note., and would also like to it to further refer to an elaborate note in the Appendix, such as House could so admirably furnish from his researches. But I did not suggest the combining of the two Forms, because, as House said, the larger note might be unable to drop into its right place in the Appendix.]
Yes, I wanted to use both ‸A,‸ ‸both‸ B & C, but some instinct or other makes me pretty confident that Forms B & ‸A & C‸ B is peculiarly the right one to use. For this reason: it effectually checkmates the criticaster, & at the same time it doesn’t furnish him detailed information for him to spread out on; whereas, if we furnished him these details in an elaborate Appendix-note, it is ammunition which he would try to find a way to use against us—just to show his learning. Damn him, he doesn’t know where to look for it, now.
And then again, Form B mightily pleases me because it sufficiently protects us, & at the same time suggests that this matter is not an important one in our eyes, & so we don’t dwell on us. it.
House’s letter enumerates the various alterations, here & there in the book, required by B—therefore make them accordingly, & without sending the sheets to me (for that would consume time.) I’ll be security that House has not overlooked any.
Keep House’s letter as long as you want it, but preserve & return it to me when done with it.
Cable Chatto at any length required, & charge to
Ys Truly
S. L. Clemens
Textual Commentary
Source text(s):Previous publication:
American Art Association catalog, 24 and 25 November 1924, lot 105, partial publication; American Art Association/Anderson Galleries catalog, 29 and 30 January 1936, no. 4228, lot 123, partial publication; Heritage Miscellany catalog, March 1982, lot 195, paraphrase; MicroPUL, reel 2.
Provenance:
Offered for sale in 1936 from the collection of Irving S. Underhill.
Emendations and textual notes:
become • be | come
I kind . . . Appendix. • [canceled with crisscrossing lines]
