That is perfectly lovely, & it came with its reviving breath just at the right moment—for I had just laid down a long letter from Orion & was feeling haggard.,—a letter which actually contains these following propositions & statements:

Having reached 20th chapter of his work whose purpose is to destroy Christianity, sent eleven pages of it (under assumed name,) to the publishers of “The Bible for Learners,” & inquired if they desired the rest? MS. returned without comment. Whereupon, he enclo abandoned the work, &—on the same day—began “The Autobiography of an Ass,” & encloses Chapter 1 to me for revision, opinion, & suggestion; will send me one chapter evrery day, & wishes it sent immediately back, for the work is to be driven night & day to completion. Afterthought—sent the 11 pages to the Investigator, Boston, (assumed name again) with application for editorial position—if none open, editor please let him know of any vacancy on any republican or independent paper. If favorably answered will go to Boston at once—has begun preparations to that end. Been down town & to newspaper office, & brought home armfull of exchanges—has written to a Worcester, Mass., paper, a Colorado paper, & to one in West Virginia & one in Alabama, asking editorial position. Also has subscribed 6 months to a New York advertising journal, & means to watch it for notices of “editors wanted.” In Colorado exchanges, he is fired by some rich silver strikes, & proposes that I send him out there, to with enough money to buy furniture & fit up a house; he will prospect, & give me half he finds, though thinks it quicker & richer work if I furnish a moderate sum monthly & he watch the market warily, & speculate—always being careful to “buy on a rising market & sell on a falling one”—is sees, now, that the reason he did not succeed in Nevada was because he followed the opposite course. Will give me any share of the profits “(if any)” that I require. Please answer “immediately,” & he will be off the same day. Will make preparations at once. Has just written to an old printer-friend in St Louis for “subbing”—if favorable answer returned, will telegraph me his St Louis address. Hias written to three country papers, inquiring upon what terms he can buy in—in case of favorable answer, what amount can I let him have, “at 8 per cent—the property to be bought in your name & held by you, so as to secure you utterly from loss.” Proposes to set up a correspondence-bureau in New York, & mail 12 copies of the same letter daily to 12 widely-scattered papers “at $1 each—or less, if they will not pay that.” “This could be made to grow into something enormous, by careful work & strict & unwavering attention to the business.” Will need a little capital till the thing “gets to running smoothly.”

Well, let the rest go. I thought I could give the whole list, but I see I have got only half way down. Three of his daily batches of Autobiography of an Ass have arrived in a bunch—but it will stop there—he is at another “work” before this.

Your most generous review has saved me; if I could have a new book & a new review every time Orion assaults me, I could defy him & tell him to do his worst. Last year—aged 54—he proposed to learn German, go to Germany, & get rich teaching English.

Mrs. Clemens says we leave for Boston “Monday after next, or the Monday after that.” I never knew her mind to be thus shackly before; never knew her to stick the adverb or in, before—hereftofore she has always known her dates with a grisly & awful exactness.

With a world of sincere thanks,

(over)

Dear Mr Howells

We do thank you most heartily for your notice of Mr Clemens book—I have wondered so many times why some of the one did not take note of certain things in Mr Clemens which seemed to me his strong points, and now you have spoken of them so of course I am peculiarly pleased—

We do want to see you and Mrs Howells here—your last visit here was to the Warners we must take possession of you next time

With love to Mrs Howells, I am with sincere regards

Olivia L. Clemens