Having just come from the great Fancy-Martha-Washington-Costume-Centennial ball at the Opera House, wherewith the Queen City is tonight doing homage to G. W. and the Eagle,—I sit down simply to put in an envelope the enclosed letter received by my wife from Chatto & Windus, & forwarded by her to me. If there be anything further that pressing time suggests shd be done before we meet (on March 9th a.m.) you had better write to me to care of W P Conway Esq Fredericksburg Virginia.

We shall be happy to undertake the publication of Mark Twain’s new work upon the terms suggested by you this morning—viz. that he should bear the entire cost of production, and pay us a royalty of 10 per cent upon the entire amount of sales. With the exception of this 10%, we pay over the ent whole proceeds of sales to Mark Twain.

Mark Twain has written a remarkable book called “Tom Sawyer”, about which I wish you to try your hand in preparing the way for negotiations with Chatto & Windus. He (Mark T.) would like to follow our plan—pay for the manufacture of his own book and pay the publisher for each copy sold. You had better arrange by letter to have Andrew Chatto come to see you, as he will be glad to do that if you say in a note addressed to him (with Esq. after it!) that it relates to a new book by Mark Twain. If Chatto wishes to know it you can inform him that Mr Clemens (Mark T) is under no obligation legal or moral to Routledge who for some time has been publishing his works; and that Routledge has no ground whatever upon which he could object to any other publisher being contracted with by the Author. You can also inform Chatto that the story is very important & illustrated with 150 engravings, & that plates can be sent over in at once for the early May publication. You can tell Chatto that I suggested him to Clemens provided his firm is willing to publish on the plan mentioned. And if they incline to that let them state to you to be transmitted to me what they think will be a fair royalty for them—Clemens paying everything in the way of manufacture & advertising. Of course you can go to see Chatto if that strikes you as preferable, by appointment. You must avoid giving to the interview any force beyond a consultation; there should be nothing for the present in the way of a contract or a promise to let Chatto have the book. If Chatto inclines to anything else than the suggested arrangement, you will listen, take down what he says, and let me know at once. When I come over in March I shall bring the Manuscript (of which two copies exist) with me. It is probable that two editions will have to be issued, one cheap. Address as usual at the Literary Bureau

I have been for some days haunted by paragraphs in the papers saying that Mark Twain is about to take a blue trip ship—alas, what am I writing, that you mean to go to England, to “lecture in London in May and June,” etc. Is there real substance in this rumour?

—Have you not an influential acquaintance in Elmira, New York, who would find it convenient in passing the imposing and imposturing rooms of the Young Men’s Christian Association and find out whether they really do mean to defraud me out of the $25 which they owe me? The contract was to lecture for $125; it is not denied; but they said they had embarrassments, and being one to three I could not get out of them more than $100. They are now coming the dodge of not answering letters. If they do not pay I shall certainly sue them if only to publish their meanness.

Heartiness to Mrs Clemens & the young ones.