Select Items - 13 - Bauman Rare Books “I Shall Meet Bram Stoker & Must Make Sure About That Photo With Irving’s Autograph”: Extraordinary 26-Page Signed Autograph Letter From Mark To His Wife, Concerning A Christmas Party With Bram Stoker, Negotiations In Chicago Over Paige’s Automatic Typesetting Machine, And His Trip Home On A Luxury Train Car 9. TWAIN, Mark. Autograph letter signed. The Players, New York, 1893. Thirteen sheets of unlined stationery, each measuring 5-1/2 by 8-1/4 inches; pp. 26, with original hand-addressed mailing envelope, custom chemise and full morocco slipcase. $29,500. Splendid 26-page signed autograph letter, written entirely in Mark Twain’s hand, from Twain to his wife, Livy, regarding Twain’s plans for Christmas including meeting Bram Stoker; his meetings in Chicago over Paige’s automatic typesetting machine (which would eventually bankrupt him); and his train trip back to Chicago in a luxury train car, with original hand-addressed envelope to “Mrs. S.L. Clemens.” This 26-page, four-part letter was written to Twain’s wife, Livy, as an apology for Twain’s failure to write for three days. Over the course of their 17-month courtship, Twain wrote Livy 180 letters. Better-educated and more religious than her husband, Livy was a moderating force—both at home and as his primary editor—on the oft-wild Twain, who she nicknamed “Youth.” This letter is a poignant example of their correspondence, reflecting Twain’s love of Livy and their children, as well as his reliance on Livy’s counsel. The letter, written entirely in Twain’s hand (and informally divided into four parts by him), reads in very small part: “The Players, Xmas, 1893. Merry Xmas, my darling, & all my darlings! I arrived from Chicago close upon midnight last night, & wrote & sent down my Xmas cablegram before undressing: ‘Merry Xmas! Promising progress made in Chicago.’ It would go to the telegraph office toward 8 this morning & reach you at luncheon… It is now half-past 10 Xmas morning; I have had my coffee & bread, & shan’t get out of bed till it is time to dress for Mrs. Laffan’s Xmas dinner this evening—where I shall meet Bram Stoker & must make sure about that photo with Irving’s autograph. I will get the picture & he will attend to the rest. In order to remember, & not forget—well, I will go there with my dress coat wrong-side out; it will cause remark & then I shall remember… I tell you it was interesting! The Chicago campaign, I mean. On the way out Mr. Rogers would plan-out the campaign while I walked the floor & smoked and assented. Then he would close it up with a snap & drop it & we would totally change the subject & take up the scenery, etc.…. We had nice trips, going & coming. Mr. Rogers had telegraphed the Pennsylvania Railroad for a couple of sections for us in the fast train leaving at 2 p.m. the 22nd. The Vice President telegraphed back that every berth was engaged (which was not true—it goes without saying) but that he was sending his own car for us. It was mighty nice & comfortable…We insisted on leaving the car at Philadelphia so our waiter & cook (to whomMr. R gave $10 a piece), could have their Christmas-eve at home. Mr. Rogers’s carriage was waiting for us in Jersey City & deposited me at The Players. There—that’s all… I love, dear-heart, I love you all. [signed] Samuel.” Expected postal markings and rough opening to envelope with stamp and possibly return address excised. Autograph address correction to envelope in an unidentified hand. Later pencil notations on envelope. A few pencil markings to letter in an unknown hand.
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