per Telegraph Operator
28–31 January 1870 • Elmira, N.Y. ( MTBus , 108, UCCL 02796)
I have invited the Blisses.1explanatory note
According to Samuel C. Webster, Annie Moffett’s son:
One of the incidents of the pre-wedding days that my mother remembers is that Uncle Sam received a telegram from Hartford from Mr. Twichell: “You haven’t invited the Blisses.” It was through Mr. Bliss, his publisher, that Mark Twain had met Mr. Twichell, who became a lifelong friend. He immediately sent a telegram to the Blisses with the invitation, and another to Mr. Twichell, which read: “I have invited the Blisses.” ( MTBus , 108)
The exchange of telegrams (none of the originals is known to survive) has not been precisely dated, but Annie probably could not have been on hand to witness it before 28 January. Elisha and Amelia Bliss did not attend the wedding (15 Jan 70 to PAM, n. 3click to open link; 23 Feb 70 to Bliss, n. 1click to open link). For Clemens’s introduction to Twichell by Amelia, see L2 , 269 n. 4.
MTBus , 108.
L4 , 42.
The present location of the telegram, the text of which was reported by Annie Moffett Webster before 1946, is not known.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.