30 March 1869 • Elmira, N.Y. (MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 00279)
I sent the proofs to-day. I could have sent them sooner, but was lazy. I will not delay you next time. I was glad Frank telegraphed.1explanatory note
I have concluded that if you will print the following titles on slips you will like one or the other of them:
“The Innocents Abroad; or, The Modern (New) Pilgrim’s Progress.”ⒶemendationOr this:
“The Exodus of the Innocents; or, The New Pilgrim’s Progress.”ⒶemendationI like “The Innocents Abroad” rather the best.
Trot your proofs along, as fast as you please—& the sooner the book is out, the better for us, no doubt.
letter docketed: ✓ Mark Twain | March 30/69
Before leaving Hartford for Boston, late on the night of 13 March, Clemens had read ninety pages of proof for The Innocents Abroad: from his preface, list of illustrations, and detailed table of contents, up through the end of chapter 9 (page 89) (see 12 Mar 69 to OLLclick to open link, p. 163). He went to Elmira on the evening of 17 March, but probably could not begin reading the next batch of proofs there for another four or five days (see p. 175). Once he did begin, the major cause of delay undoubtedly was his desire to prolong the pleasure of reading with Olivia, whom, moreover, he had given the “prerogative” to “scratch out all that don’t suit her” (9 and 31 Mar 69 to Craneclick to open link, p. 181).
MS, Mark Twain Papers, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley (CU-MARK). A photographic facsimile of the letter is on pp. 530–31. The MS consists of one leaf (torn from a folder) of blue-lined off-white wove paper, 4 by 6 inches, with an embossed “L,” inscribed on both sides in black ink. The right margin of the verso is overlaid with a strip of paper applied when the MS was tipped into a book.
L3 , 178–179; Parke-Bernet 1938, lot 126, excerpt; MTMF , 88, brief quotation; MTLP , 17–18.
see Mendoza Collection, p. 587.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.