To Orion Clemens
with a letter to Lucy Hooper
21 January 1882 • Hartford, Conn.
(MS, damage emended: CU-MARK and ViU, UCCL 02153 and 02151)

Hartford Jan. 21/82.

My Dear Bro—

All right, shall look for the MS.

1. I can't give a letter of introduction to a person whom I don't know—only thoughtless people & idiots do such things. 2. Don't let her come here—I would walk our time is too heavily taxed by visitors already. Make an excuse that cannot offend her. The letter I enclose—such as it is—is to the one person in Paris to whom I would send her if I did know her & like her & respect [her.] If Lucy Hooper knows what the young lady ought to do & how she ought to go about it, be sure she will tell her.

Haven't any photographs yet, but they are promised.

All tolerably well & send love.

Yr Bro

Sam

I don't put on the young lady's name because I can't make it out—but it isn't necessary.

Hartford Jan. 21/82.

Dear Mrs. Hooper—

The young lady who bears this is recommended to me by my brother as being of excellent character & position, & as an able & facile translator of French into English & English into French. She desires opportunity to use her pen. If anybody in Paris can tell her whom to apply to, it is you; & if you don't‸can't‸, you are the very person who can tell her so without causing her a pang. That is, if I know you & love you, & I am sure I do. Dear me, it has been a long time since I spread my stilts under your mahogany—(& how old & wicked we are all growing—ain't we?) I shall go all the way to Paris some day to have another high time in your house over the appetizing results of your gas-range; but I'm not ever going to endure a foreign country again for any other purpose.

Mrs. Clemens joins me in warm regards to you & the your husband & daughter.

Sincerely Yours

S. L. Clemens

From S. L. Clemens,

Hartford, Conn.

Mrs. Lucy Hooper

At the Consulate-General of the U. S.

9 rue Scribe,

Paris.

[on the flap:] slc

Orion Clemens, Esq | Keokuk | Iowa [return address:] return to s. l. clemens, hartford, conn., if not delivered within 10 days. [first postmark torn away] [postmarked:] keokuk ioa. jan 23 10pm.

Textual Commentary

Editorial Signs

Description of Texts and Provenance

Source text(s):

MS, CU-MARK, is source text for the letter to Orion Clemens (UCCL 02153); MS, Clifton Waller Barrett Library, Alderman Library, ViU, is source text for the enclosed letter to Lucy Hooper (UCCL 02151).

Previous publication:

MicroML, reel 4; MicroPUL, reel 2.

Provenance:

See Mark Twain Papers for the letter; the enclosure was deposited at ViU by Clifton Waller Barrett on 17 December 1963.

Emendations and textual notes:

her. • [h]◊◊◊ [torn]