4? December 1882 • Hartford, Conn.
(MS, draft, in pencil, and MS, copy sent, in ink: CU-MARK, UCCL 02302)
Dear Mr & Mrs. G.
When you have feared that something was wrong & that it was being kept from you, we have hastened to assure you that we swould have no concealments, but would be always frank, & speak out whenever anything needed seemed to be as it ought not to be. Several months ago I reluctantly ventured to suggest k that one must keep a watchful eye on upon finances & economies, or the idea being that otherwise they might get disordered unmanageable.
If you live beyond a proper cost, who is hurt by it? Not [ourselves], but you. Th [new page:] selves, mainly, but you. [rest of leaf blank, except for these notes on the verso:]
Get rent in Hartford.
Price set of 2d-hand furniture for 3 rooms.
What can live on & do their own work?
[new page:]
I have often had it in mind to place you upon the same footing that ‸as‸ many others standing in the same relation to us—that is, a specific annual sum; but I have not known how to estimate it. It is very necessary that this be done; otherwise we can keep no order in our household accounts. It is also necessary for you; otherwise your expenses will grow upon you in spite of all you can do. The lowest estimate which the artists made for me was $400 a year; but I could not set the figure at that, for it might be too small. The highest estimate was $600; but I did not wish to set it for ‸at‸ that, if you could live comfortably for less. By living comfortably, I mean living as you lived in Hartford—no better, no worse. There has never been a time when I could make a satisfactory estimate, on anything because of expenses in the nature of on anything but “restaurant.” That has been quite regular—the others irregular & not estim easy to estimate. (I will remark in parentheses, that the restaurant was bad economy, I should think; you would have found it so in Hartford—still it may not be so in Paris—you should know best, & be governed accordingly.) “Rent 200” I take to mean 3 months. So I guess things out thus:;—per month:
Rent —––––– $10.
Washing - - - 1.8570
Concierge - - -1.20
Restaurant - - 28.
Coal - -- -1.
Drawing lessons 10.
—–––
$51.00
This comes up to the highest estimates made by the artists. It yet lacks two very necessary [items]—clothing & extras.
Now sit down with pencil & paper & figure out as exactly as you can, what it ought to cost you per year to live, including clothing & necessary extras, & let me know the result. We are assisting a number of friends, & are adding to the list. We must go carefully, & know beforehand what the sum required for each is going to be for the year. This is “business.” By any other method our affairs would fall into confusion.
[new page, in ink:]
P. S. My conversation concerning the $3,000-limit, was with Mrs. Josie, before Mr. Gerhardt came in. To her I stated the results of conversation (as to estimates of cost of living in Parsis) with Mr. Ward & the artists. (See my last letter.) I placed the limit ast the highest figure contemplated by those estimates. And I added (in substance,) this:
“This is not sentiment. It The thing proposed is a purely business transaction, & has no suggestion of charity about it. The money is borrowed—honorably borrowed—money to be repaid when Mr. Gerhardt can do it without inconvenience—& not till then—& not then he will have to repay it of his own motion, & without hint from us. It is an honorable transaction, & Mr. G. can hold his head as high as if it were money gained by merchandize or labor.”
I think I mentioned that the case was similar to Mr. Gillette’s:—to-wit: [(]Mr. Gillette needed a start; we believed in him & in his abilities; we lent him $3,000, to be repaid if ever convenient, & not otherwise.[)]
I do not know that any part of this talk was repeated in Mr. Gerhardt’s presence. Most likely, it was not; for I would not be likely to say over again a thing which had already been sufficiently said.
In that talk with Mrs. Josie, I emphasized the fact that a careful & intelligent economy was desirable, to the end that Mr. G. might come out, finally, as lightly saddled with debt as possible; for althought that debt would never intrude upon our thoughts or disturb us for a moment, it would disturb him, assuredly, notwithstanding the unbinding & unhampering nature of the terms.
I have made a rather long postscript. I had judged it best to not say anything, I being the one mainly in the wrong, but Mrs. Clemens thought I ought to clear myself, as well as I might. I hope nothing will occur, any more, to trouble or grieve any of us, & I believe nothing will. So I add my love to you both, & my happiness in the little child that is comeing—for all homes are barren that have in them no little child.
S L C
Textual Commentary
Source text(s):
Previous publication:
MicroML, reel 1.
Emendations and textual notes:
ourselves • our- | selves
items • item items [corrected miswriting]
( • [insertion in pencil]
) • [insertion in pencil]