I wrote you some ten days ago, but I discover, now, that I failed to mail the letter. I judge that that is the reason why you have been so dilatory about replying to it. I confess that I have felt a little hurt about it, & said as much to Livy—but I do not feel so much injured, now.

You drove me away from Elmira at last. Your first shot staggered me, & your second “fetched” me. You made me feel meaner & meaner, & finally I absolutely couldn’t stand it—& so I surprised them all by suddenly packing my trunk. Livy spoke right out, & said that to leave was unnecessary, uncalled-for, absurd, & utterly exasperating & foolish—but I smoothed her feathers down at last by insisting that your jug judgment Ⓐemendation in this matter, just as usual, was solid good sense—I smoothed her plumage down but I never convinced her. However, when And I never convinced Mr. Langdon, or Mr. or Mrs. Crane, or Hattie Lewis—but when Livy fancied that her mother did not coincide with the others quite cordially enough, her pride took fire & she spiked her guns & said Go. !——and come back in fourteen days by the watch! Such are her orders. So you see what you have done, Mother. You have filled with sorrow two loving hearts. {Now you weep—& by geeminy you ought to.} But if it will comfort you, I will say that my other mother, there in St Louis, kept writing me to vamos the Langdon ranche Ⓐemendation, too.

I Ⓐemendation So I have vamosed it,—& if it were to do over again I wouldn’t. And now that I am away, Ⓐemendation I am afraid I shall disobey Ⓐemendation Livy’s orders & not return on the 19th. She was in dead earnest about Ⓐemendation it, & so was her mother—but I will write & say I will return if she they Ⓐemendation will pack up & go to Cleveland with me—provided you want us—I believe it is a good while since you said you did.

Have read 500 pages of proof—only about 200 more to read—& so the thing is nearly done. It is gotten up regardless of Ⓐemendationexpense, & the pictures are good, if I do say it myself. There is a multitude of them—among them good portraits of Dan, Duncan, Beach, Sultan of Turkey, Viceroy Ⓐemendation of Egypt, Napoleon (I think,) & a poor picture of Queen of Greece—& above all, a rear view of Jack & his half-soled Ⓐemendation pantaloons.1explanatory note Dan’s & Duncan’s portraits are very good. I was sorry they put Beach in, simply because the letter-press did not seem to call for it—but then he was at a deal of trouble making house-room for the artists while they sketched his foreign pictures, & so they wanted his photograph in. So it is all right.2explanatory note

I wrote Mr. Fairbanks tonight, after many days’ delay. I had hoped that Livy & I would nestle under your wing, some day & have you teach us how to scratch for worms, but fate seems determined that we shall roost elsewhere. I am sorry. But you know, I want to start right—it is the safe way. I want to be permanent. I must feel thou thoroughly Ⓐemendation & completely satisfied when I anchor “for good & all.” Is it not what you would desire of any other son of yours?3explanatory note

I have no news to tell you, except that Livy is no stronger than she was six months ago—& it seems hard, & grieves me to have to say it. I cannot talk about it with her, though, for she is as sensitive about it as I am about my drawling speech & stammerers of their infirmity. She turns crimson when it is mentioned, & it hurts her worse than a blow.

Mrs. Crane seems better from her southern life, but is not. The doctors cut her throat again the other day. paragraph indention deleted Charley Ⓐemendation says, (I do not know his authority,) that her days are numbered, & are few.4explanatory note Charley is just arrived at the St Nicholas to stay a month & be doctored, & Hattie Lewis was to leave to-day Ⓐemendation for her home in Illinois. Livy, Hattie, Charley & I, all gone within Ⓐemendation 5 days of each other5explanatory note—don’t you suppose the house seems a little bit solemn after just such a cleaning out? Mr. Langdon says he ain’t going to say stay Ⓐemendation in any such a place. Livy’s letters are not absolutely gay. Good-bye, & write me. Peace unto you & your household.