Explanatory Notes        Apparatus Notes (Ⓐ)

Source: New York Public Library, Albert A. and Henry W. Berg Collection, New York ([NN-BGC])

Cue: "I want to"

Source format: "TS"

Letter type: "[standard letter]"

Notes:

Last modified:

Revision History: AB

Published on MTPO: 2007

Print Publication: v6

MTPDocEd
To William Dean Howells
9 December 1874 • Hartford, Conn. (TS: NN-B, UCCL 02480)
hartford, dec. 9, 1874.

my dear howells:

i want to add a short paragraph to article no. 1, when the proof comes. merely a line or two1explanatory note, however.

i dont know whether i am going to make this type-writing machine go or nto, ⋮that last word was intendred for n-not⋮ but i guess i shall make some sort of a success of it before i run it very long. i am so thick-fingered that i miss the keys.

you neednt a swer this; i am only practicing to get three ⋮anotherslip-up there-⋮ only practicin?ng to get the hang of the thing. i notice i miss fire & get in a good many unnecessary letters & punctuation marks. i am simply using you for a target to bang at blame my cats but this thing requires genius in order to work it just right.

yours ever,
MarkⒶemendation2explanatory note
Textual Commentary
Source text(s):

TS made by Clemens, Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations (NN-B). It is photographically reproduced.

Previous Publication:

L6, 311–12; Paine 1912, 250, excerpt; MTB, 1:535, excerpt; MTL, 1:238; MTHL, 1:51.

Provenance:

See Howells Letters in Description of Provenance.

More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.

Explanatory Notes
1 

i want to add . . . a line or two] See 11 Dec 74 to Howellsclick to open link.

2 

yours ever] Howells replied (CU-MARK):

UCLC32075

editorial office of the atlantic monthly. the riverside press, cambridge, mass.

Dec. 11, 1874.

My dear Clemens:

Don’t you dare to refuse that invitation to the Atlantic dinner for Tuesday evening. For fear you mayn’t have got it, I’ll just say that it was from the publishers, and asked you to meet Emerson, Aldrich, and all “those boys” at the Parker House at 6 o’clock, Tuesday, Dec. 15. Come!

—This instalment is capital. I’ve just been reading it aloud to Mrs. Howells, who could rival Mrs. Clemens in her ignorance of Western steamboating, and she has enjoyed it every word—but the profane words. These she thinks could be better taken for granted; and in fact I think the sagacious reader could infer them.

I have your printed letter of yesterday. Fire away; and when you get tired of the machine, lend it to me.

With our united regards to Mrs Clemens,

Yours ever
W. D. Howells.

The “printed letter of yesterday” was the present typewritten letter, which Howells meant he received on 10 December. For the profanity in the second installment of “Old Times” see 14 Dec 74 to Howells.click to open link

Emendations and Textual Notes
Ⓐ  Mark ●  ‘M’ and paraph in pencil
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