P. S. 
Windsor Hotel.
Nov. 28—Evening. On the piano, (I think) you will find Parkman’s “The Old Regime” [or “New France Under Louis XIV”][—can’t remember the title, exactly,] [but I think it is a double title & I am quite sure that at least the words “under Louis XIV” form part of it.] Well, won’t you direct it to this hotel & send Patrick immediately to the post office with it? I brought away 3 volumes of Parkman, but by day after tomorrow I shall have finished them. These three begin with 1498 & sketch French, Spanish, & English & Dutch occupation in America down to 1701——fourteen years before Louis XIVs death. I suppose the “Old Regime” treats of Canada under Louis XV—& I suppose also that the next volume in the series will still be within that reign. Maybe you can tell which is the next volume, by the order of the dates—for if you will look in the table of chapters in the beginning of the volume, you will find a date over each chapter. If by this means you can discover which volume follows The Old Regime, I would like to have it also. I’m giving you a good deal of trouble, Livy dear, but I’ve had my eye on a very bully Xmas present, to-day, & if I find a specimen to suit me, here or in Quebec, it will cost cash enough to make up for your trouble—but mind you it won’t leave you any money to squander in Xmas presents—& don’t you forget it.
Is them Cranes with you yet? I hope so; & I hope they won’t hurry away. Give them my love. Been to the top of the mountain to-day in a sleigh, through dead, still, bl nipping cold, & mighty enjoyable. It made me hunger to spend a winter at the farm. We looked out upon a wide world blanketed in snow, with the stately St Laurence gliding silent between. This kind of winter is winter, & mighty nice. Yesterday morning the ground was bare—now it is good honest sleighing, & ap
⟦20 minutes later.⟧ I sent him away. He came to try to persuade me to lecture. ‸He didn’t succeed.‸ He is the second one.
Lovingly,
Samℓ.
Mrs. S. L. Clemens | Hartford | Conn [return address:] windsor hotel montreal. [postmarked:] montreal canada no 29 5 pm [and] rec’d. hartford conn nov 30 8am
Textual Commentary
Source text(s):Previous publication:
MicroPUL, reel 2; MicroML, reel 4.
Provenance:
See Samossoud Collection in Description of Provenance.
Emendations and textual notes:
or . . . Louis XIV” • [circled and heavily canceled]
—can’t . . . exactly, • [canceled with large wavy lines]
but . . . “under Louis XIV ” . . . it. • [circled and canceled with large wavy lines, except for the quoted words, which are heavily canceled]
