Private & Confidential.
Hartford Feb. 9/84.
Dear Howells:
If you still have the Library of Humor in your possession, keep it there, until I tell you otherwise. I will explain when I see you.
Osgood & I have not quarreled, but I think we are pretty completely dissatisfied with each other; & if we are destined to fall out, I will not deliver that book into his hands until the clause in the contract which requires me to pay two-thirds of all losses shall be stricken out. I think that if he were given the copyright on the [Bible], [he his] gang are stupid enough to publish it [an in] such a way as to lose money on it.
Mr. Mallory’s proposition for the Sellers play is delicious!
Ys Ever
Mark.
Cable will not be at large for a week, yet.
Textual Commentary
Source text(s):Previous publication:
MTHL, 2:468–69.
Provenance:
see Howells Letters in Description of Provenance.
Emendations and textual notes:
Bible • Bibbe‸le‸ [corrected miswriting]
he his • he‸is‸
an in • ain
