I do most sincerely wish we could do the thing you propose: for my own sake, because the connection would be an honor to me; & for your sake, because two healthy horses can always pull more people along than can one by himself. But there is an bar objection to the enterprise which I perceive you have observed though you perhaps do not see all its bearings. It is this. It would not be right for me to say “By G. MacDonald & S. L. Clemens,” for that would be only another way of saying, “Each of these has written one-half of the book.” In America it would have that exact meaning.

But suppose it did not have that meaning, but on the contrary conveyed the fact that I had written a little portion & you the book. The public would say: “This has a purpose; that purpose is, to get around a law of the land; to observe the law in the letter, but violate its ◊ spirit; the thing is an evasion.” And you & I would answer: “This is all true; but the law is an iniquitiousⒶemendation one.” And they would retort, “But it is the law.” And we should rejoin, “But some of you held it righteous to evade the Fugitive Slave Law.”And they would answer, “You have us there—but that slave villainy was near our hearts; & literature isn’t.”

Which would be a truth—a truth which has been a truth in all lands from the beginning of time, & will remain a truth to the end of it.

You & I would be handsomely reviled, there is not the slightest question about that. This would cost me nothing; for although (& this is confidential) I am a person of honest & upright character, the world outside my crircle of near friends has never once suspected it; but you could not afford it, for you bear a stainless name wherever English is spoken, & it is a name which the people love, too, as well as honor; & so you cannot ever withhold any part of the strength of your arm or the might of your voice from the support, in its full integrity, of any law, be it a good one or a bad one. Forgive me my sermon, especially if I am in error; but we all preach, we all must preach. All good citizens are policemen (you see I am fulfilling that function as toward you!) & all citizens are preachers. Yes, even red-handed desperadoes are; for one of these, on in the silver mines, took me privately aside, once, & said, “Drop that duel which you are proposing.” I said, “Why, you fight duels.” “Yes—& I have nothing to lose by it; but you cannot afford it.” The very argument I am using with you—it being my turn, at last, after all these years. I took the wise desperado’s aledvice. I wrongly rank as a moral desperado, but still I can give good advice to better men., you see.

I wish with all my heart I could think of some way to secure to you the money which your American public ought to pay you; but I have cudgelled my brains in vain; for, whenever the ghost of an idea occurs to me, it is knocked on the head at once with the thought, “Mr. Watt has thought of that, long ago, & has tried it—he knows all the ins & outs of this business.” But if you or he can suggest anything to me, command me freely & I will gladly do everything I can.

If my begun-books were all finished & my decks cleared for action, so that you & I could get together & write “The Great Scottish-American novel,” each doing his full half, that would be gorgeously satisfactory—to me, at least. And yet—who knows?—it might turn out like the “Gilded Age,” of which CharlesⒶemendation Dudley Warner wrote half, (less 3 chapters,) & I the other half & 3 chapters over: the ingredients refused to mix, & the book consisted of two novels—& remained so, incurably & vexatiously, spite of all we could do to make them contents blend.Ⓐemendation

My new book is being printed (“Life on the Mississippi”) & will issue May 15, when I shallⒶemendation send you a copy, care of Mr. Watt.

I thank you in advance for the North Wind which is coming; & Susy & I thank you heartily for your most kind letter to her, though I had another sharp pang when it came, remembering that I was a party to the crime of making a busy man write it.—a pang which was only softened, not banished, by her eloquent gratitude for the letter.

Mrs. Clemens joins me in warmest regards to you & Mrs. MacDonald & your family, & in the strong hope that both your ill health & your perplexities can be cured & will be.