17 February 1873 • Hartford, Conn. (MS: CtHMTH, UCCL 00879)
slc
Mother dear
Why don’t we hear from Clara? I do hope she is not going to disapoint us— I wish some of you could see her and persuade her to write us—
I shall be dreadfully disapointed if she does not go—
Does Mrs Spaulding go next month?— 1explanatory note
I am hungry to see you when are you coming? So many things that I want to talk with you about—
I hope Sue will not get sick in her fair work—yet I am afraid of it—I wish she could come on again— 2explanatory note
I think it would be pleasant to have cousin Ed come if Anna comes with you and Hattie, but after all, I don’t know where I could put him— 3explanatory note
Love to all—
Susie 4explanatory note has had a cold for two days and feels rather fretful.
With deepest love
The baby & I send love to you, mother. I would like to write & tell you all about her—& I sat down here intending to do it—but it isn’t any use; I can’t write; been mooning alone along all day forcing myself to write, & now byⒶemendation head is thicker & muddier than ever. If I were to d have an idea at such a time as this it would overstrain my intellect. So for fear I should have one by accident, I will say good by mother, & go out & walk off some of this accumulating imbecility.
By early December, Clara Spaulding had agreed to accompany the Clemenses to England, but had evidently not yet written to confirm those plans. Clara’s mother, Mrs. Henry C. Spaulding, preceded her daughter to Europe, leaving New York on 22 March. Clara left with the Clemenses on 17 May (30 Dec 72 to Langdon, n. 3; “There will be . . . ,” Elmira Advertiser, 22 Mar 73, 4).
Susan Crane was preparing for the Orphans’ Home Fair, sponsored by several churches in Elmira, which raised over five thousand dollars from the sale of food, handicrafts, books, and household items, and the display of art works loaned by local residents. Olivia obviously wrote this letter before the fair began its four-day run on 18 February. The “Hartford Monday” of her dateline might therefore have been 3, 10, or 17 February. But Clemens was in New York on 3 and 10 February, and thus could not have added his paragraph on either of those days, leaving 17 February as the most likely date of joint composition. The Cranes had visited the Clemenses in December (“Orphans’ Home Fair,” Elmira Advertiser, 18, 19, 21, 22 Feb 73, 4; 3 Dec 72 to Langdonclick to open link).
Olivia’s first cousins Edward L. Marsh and Anna Marsh Brown were the children of Mrs. Langdon’s twin sister, Louisa Lewis (Mrs. Sheppard) Marsh. Harriet Lewis (later Paff), the daughter of Mrs. Langdon’s brother Huron, and an intimate friend of Olivia’s, was visiting Elmira at this time, and helped with the Orphans’ Home Fair. She and Mrs. Langdon went to stay with the Clemenses in Hartford during the last week of March, remaining until 24 April ( L4 , 43; “Lewis Genealogy’ L3 , 23 n. 2; “Orphans’ Home Fair,” Elmira Advertiser, 19 Feb 73, 4; 22 Apr 73 to Reid 3rd, n. 1click to open link). In 1897 Lewis recalled this visit:
I spent a month with them at the time Mr C. and Mr. Warner were writing Gilded Age together— Each would write during the day in his own study, and in the early twilight Mr. W. would come over and he & Mr C. with no light save that given by the glowing grate would talk about the book, and later when the lights were brought in, each would read what he had written, so that I heard nearly all of that book before it went to the printers. After the reading we would all go home with Mr. Warner, and his wife—a fine musician—would play for us until the lateness of the hour compelled us to return home. (Paff, 9)
Susy Clemens.
MS, Mark Twain House, Hartford (CtHMTH).
L5 , 298–299.
donated to CtHMTH in 1962 or 1963 by Ida Langdon.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.