June 16/82.
My Dear Howells—
I have enveloped it & prepared it to go to the Century, after Mrs. Clemens shall have had a perusal of it. Of course it pleases me—that goes without say‸ing‸—& I hope the public will be willing to see me with your eyes. I shouldn’t ask anything better than that. Well, I am mighty gla◊d you had time & the disposition to write it.
We leave here the 22d, D. V.,—for Mrs. Clemens never alters a schedule: once decided, always decided, with her. Pity we can’t see you folks again, but evidently both these families are too busy with journey-preparations to allow of any present visitings.
I don’t think I ever knew Mrs. Clemens to take such a strong liking for anybody on a first acquaintance as she took to Col. Fairchild; so you can assure him that if we could have got to Boston for his dinner, it would most surely have been done. We both wanted to go, badly enough.
Ever Yrs
Mark.
Source text(s):
Previous publication:
MTHL, 1:405.
Provenance:
See Howells Letters in Description of Provenance.