Twains Letters vol 3 1876-1885 | Page 7

delay there was going to be, and found that the man had not even
put a canvasser on, or issued an advertisement yet--in fact, that the
electrotypes would not all be done for a month! But of course the main
fact was that no canvassing had been done--because a subscription
harvest is before publication, (not after, when people have discovered
how bad one's book is.)
Well, yesterday I put in the Courant an editorial paragraph stating that
Tam Sawyer is "ready to issue, but publication is put off in order to
secure English copyright by simultaneous publication there and here.
The English edition is unavoidably delayed."
You see, part of that is true. Very well. When I observed that my
"Sketches" had dropped from a sale of 6 or 7000 a month down to 1200
a month, I said "this ain't no time to be publishing books; therefore, let
Tom lie still till Autumn, Mr. Bliss, and make a holiday book of him to
beguile the young people withal."
I shall print items occasionally, still further delaying Tom, till I ease

him down to Autumn without shock to the waiting world.
As to that "Literary Nightmare" proposition. I'm obliged to withhold
consent, for what seems a good reason--to wit: A single page of
horse-car poetry is all that the average reader can stand, without nausea;
now, to stack together all of it that has been written, and then add it to
my article would be to enrage and disgust each and every reader and
win the deathless enmity of the lot.
Even if that reason were insufficient, there would still be a sufficient
reason left, in the fact that Mr. Carlton seems to be the publisher of the
magazine in which it is proposed to publish this horse-car matter.
Carlton insulted me in Feb. 1867, and so when the day arrives that sees
me doing him a civility I shall feel that I am ready for Paradise, since
my list of possible and impossible forgivenesses will then be complete.
Mrs. Clemens says my version of the blindfold novelette "A Murder
and A Marriage" is "good." Pretty strong language--for her.
The Fieldses are coming down to the play tomorrow, and they promise
to get you and Mrs. Howells to come too, but I hope you'll do nothing
of the kind if it will inconvenience you, for I'm not going to play either
strikingly bad enough or well enough to make the journey pay you.
My wife and I think of going to Boston May 7th to see Anna
Dickinson's debut on the 8th. If I find we can go, I'll try to get a stage
box and then you and Mrs. Howells must come to Parker's and go with
us to the crucifixion.
(Is that spelt right?--somehow it doesn't look right.)
With our very kindest regards to the whole family. Yrs ever, MARK.
The mention of Anna Dickinson, at the end of this letter, recalls a
prominent reformer and lecturer of the Civil War period. She had
begun her crusades against temperance and slavery in 1857, when she
was but fifteen years old, when her success as a speaker had been
immediate and extraordinary. Now, in this later period, at the age of
thirty-four, she aspired to the stage--unfortunately for her, as her gifts
lay elsewhere. Clemens and Howells knew Miss Dickinson, and were
anxious for the success which they hardly dared hope for. Clemens
arranged a box party.
To W. D. Howells, in Boston:
May 4, '76. MY DEAR HOWELLS,--I shall reach Boston on Monday
the 8th, either at 4:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. (Which is best?) and go straight to

Parker's. If you and Mrs. Howells cannot be there by half past 4, I'll not
plan to arrive till the later train-time (6,) because I don't want to be
there alone--even a minute. Still, Joe Twichell will doubtless go with
me (forgot that,) he is going to try hard to. Mrs. Clemens has given up
going, because Susy is just recovering from about the savagest assault
of diphtheria a child ever did recover from, and therefore will not be
entirely her healthy self again by the 8th.
Would you and Mrs. Howells like to invite Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich? I
have a large proscenium box--plenty of room. Use your own pleasure
about it --I mainly (that is honest,) suggest it because I am seeking to
make matters pleasant for you and Mrs. Howells. I invited Twichell
because I thought I knew you'd like that. I want you to fix it so that you
and the Madam can remain in Boston all night; for I leave next day and
we can't have a talk, otherwise. I am going to get two rooms and a
parlor; and would like to know what you