29 May 1869 • Elmira, N.Y. (MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 00307)
Livy darling, precious little Comforter, you have cast out the devil that possessed me for the present, & all is well. I have kept the promises & obeyed the instructions. All is well—all will be well. I am grateful beyond all power of speech to express, for such a patient, wise, gentle, loving darling to lift me above myself & give me peace. You are the only person that is always master & conqueror of all my moods—& you are this through a persistence that never flags, a patience that never tires & never is disheartened, & a love that is invincible. Sleep in peace, darling—& blessings rest upon you.
Livy | Present.
The tone and content of this letter, which was hand delivered to Olivia in Elmira, suggest 29 May 1869 as the most likely date of composition.
MS, Mark Twain Papers, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley (CU-MARK). Clemens wrote this letter on a strip of paper measuring about 3 by 8½ inches, torn from the endpaper of a ledger book (ruled on one side only in blue with red dividing rules), that shows evidence of having had ink inscription on the missing portion.
L3 , 254; MFMT 237.
see Samossoud Collection, p. 586.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.