The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Letters Of Mark Twain, Volume 4,
1886-1900, by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Letters Of Mark Twain, Volume 4, 1886-1900

Author: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Last Updated: February 17, 2009
Release Date: August 21, 2006 [EBook #3196]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWAIN LETTERS, VOL. 4 ***

Produced by David Widger

MARK TWAIN'S LETTERS 1886-1900

VOLUME IV.

By Mark Twain

ARRANGED WITH COMMENT BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE

XXVI. LETTERS, 1886-87. JANE CLEMENS'S ROMANCE. UNMAILED LETTERS, ETC.

When Clemens had been platforming with Cable and returned to
Hartford for his Christmas vacation, the Warner and Clemens families
had joined in preparing for him a surprise performance of The Prince
and the Pauper. The Clemens household was always given to
theatricals, and it was about this time that scenery and a stage
were prepared--mainly by the sculptor Gerhardt--for these home
performances, after which productions of The Prince and the Pauper
were given with considerable regularity to audiences consisting of
parents and invited friends. The subject is a fascinating one, but
it has been dwelt upon elsewhere.--[In Mark Twain: A on***n,
chaps. cliii and clx.]--We get a glimpse of one of these occasions
as well as of Mark Twain's financial progress in the next brief

*****

To W. D. Howells; in Boston:

Jan. 3, '86.

MY DEAR HOWELLS,--The date set for the Prince and Pauper play is ten
days hence--Jan. 13. I hope you and Pilla can take a train that arrives
here during the day; the one that leaves Boston toward the end of the
afternoon would be a trifle late; the performance would have already
begun when you reached the house.

I'm out of the woods. On the last day of the year I had paid out
$182,000 on the Grant book and it was totally free from debt.

Yrs ever

MARK.

Mark Twain's mother was a woman of sturdy characte