To Benjamin H. Ticknor
14 March 1883 • Hartford, Conn.
(MS, typewritten, from dictation: DLC, UCCL 11153)
hartford, march 14th. 1883.
dear ticknor:—
i telegraphed you about that scene in church, because i wanted to make sure to rectify the thing before you got to printing it. you can fill up that space with any kind of cut you please, provided it does not refer in any way to any part of the text, and is utterly without humorous suggestion. i care nothing about what the subject of the cut is so long as it bears no hint of the text, and is not funny. a land-scape is a good thing, and can be called scene in the adirondacks or [palestine] or somewhere. the reader can put in such idle time as he may have in trying to arrive at the connection between the picture and the reading matter. this will give him pleasant occupation for an idle week, and will cost us nothing.
you make mention again of the cuts that are already printed. let them go. cuts that are already printed must stay so and take their chance. we will only try to rectify those not already printed.
truly yours,
s. l. clemens.
[letter docketed:] james r. osgood & co. boston. mar 16 1883
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