12 December 1882 • Hartford, Conn. (MS: ViU, UCCL 02314)
Woodford ◊◊ wrote me, & I answered; result, this arrangement:
5th Regular toast:
Woman—God bless her!
Response by Mark Twain.
(You see, I never use any name but my nom de guerre on public occasions.)
Woodford says that if President a Arthur is not on hand, I’ll be No. 5—otherswise I am to be No. 6. It gives me the belly-ache to wait long with a speech in my bowels.
I threw aside all my other subjects—they were too solemn. As this is to be my last speech, with the exception of one next August which is to fulfill a promise 3 years old, I thought I would like to wind up with an obituary with the right amount of nonsense in it.
Judge Horace Russell | Superior Court Chambers | New York return address: return to s. l. clemens, hartford, conn., if not delivered within 10 days. postmarked: hartford conn. dec 12 6pm
MS, Clifton Waller Barrett Library, Alderman Library, ViU.
MicroPUL, reel 2.
The MS was at one time owned by Alexander William Armour of the Nassau Club of Princeton, New Jersey. It was offered for sale by Parke-Bernet Galleries, 15–16 January 1941, no. 248, lot 88. It was deposited at ViU by Clifton Waller Barrett on 15 May 1962.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.