Details
[CLEMENS, SAMUEL LANGHORNE]. LOWELL, JAMES RUSSELL. Letters. Edited by Charles Eliot Norton. New York: Harper [1893]. 2 vols., 8vo, original black cloth, t.e.g., slight staining at heels of spines, inner hinges of vol. 1 cracked, a leaf loose; in two half morocco folding cases. FROM MARK TWAIN'S LIBRARY, signed by him in black ink on each inside front cover: "SL. Clemens 1909"; WITH 39 ANNOTATIONS BY CLEMENS -- INCLUDING AN IMPORTANT ONE ON SUICIDE-- totalling 629 words in his hand (nearly all in vol. I, about a third in ink, the rest in pencil) on 35 pages; in addition Twain has deleted the printed word "that" (he found its use excessive) some 43 times on 30 pages (mostly in pencil), and there are grammatical correction markings by him on 14 pages, and marginal markings by him on 17.
The most important annotation, about 113 words in ink around three margins of page 375 of vol. I, refers to Clemens's suicide attempt in 1866 (this comment is dated 21 April 1909 -- a few other annotations are also dated the same month). Lowell had written: "I suppose scarce a young man of sensibility ever grew his shell who didn't, during the process, meditate suicide a great many times. I remember in '39 putting a cocked pistol to my fore-head -- and being afraid to pull the trigger, of which I was heartily ashamed, and am still whenever I think of it..." Clemens has responded in the margins: "3 a.m., Apl. 21/09. Down to 'trigger' I am with him, but no further. It is odd that I should stumble upon this now, for it is only two days ago since something called to my mind my experience of 1866 & I told it at dinner. I put the pistol to my head but wasn't man enough to pull the trigger. Many times I have been sorry I did not succeed, but I was never ashamed of having tried. Suicide is the only really sane thing the young or old ever do in this life. 'Feeble Jerusalems' [Lowell's phrase] never kill themselves; they survive the attempt. Lowell & I are instances."
A few of Twain's other annotations in vol. I: "He is much too thatful. It annoys a body" (while crossing out a Norton "that" on p. 302); "Young friend! I like that! You ought to see him now. (April, 1909.)" (next to a letter of 1860) on p. 305 from Lowell to William Dean Howells addressing him as "My dear young Friend"); "...In my own case the Muse comes, but laziness won't let her in" (bedside Lowell remark on p. 354 "that the Muse doesn't come often to Professors!"); "How early he is old! [next to a 1866 letter on p. 369 in which Lowell goes on about belonging to an "older generation"] But he is on a treadmill & it probably makes all the difference in the world. Still, Howells has been on the treadmill 40 years, & is not old yet. It's transparent, I guess, in both cases." Gribben, pp. 425-26 (discussing other documentation of Twain's reading of these volumes).
Provenance: "Mark Twain Library Auction," Los Angeles, 10 April 1951, lot 14a (purchased by the Hollywood director Samuel Fuller, according to Gribben) -- With John F. Fleming in 1972 (according to Gribben, where the volumes where examined) -- New York City collector (sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 25 February 1976, lot 16). (2)
The most important annotation, about 113 words in ink around three margins of page 375 of vol. I, refers to Clemens's suicide attempt in 1866 (this comment is dated 21 April 1909 -- a few other annotations are also dated the same month). Lowell had written: "I suppose scarce a young man of sensibility ever grew his shell who didn't, during the process, meditate suicide a great many times. I remember in '39 putting a cocked pistol to my fore-head -- and being afraid to pull the trigger, of which I was heartily ashamed, and am still whenever I think of it..." Clemens has responded in the margins: "3 a.m., Apl. 21/09. Down to 'trigger' I am with him, but no further. It is odd that I should stumble upon this now, for it is only two days ago since something called to my mind my experience of 1866 & I told it at dinner. I put the pistol to my head but wasn't man enough to pull the trigger. Many times I have been sorry I did not succeed, but I was never ashamed of having tried. Suicide is the only really sane thing the young or old ever do in this life. 'Feeble Jerusalems' [Lowell's phrase] never kill themselves; they survive the attempt. Lowell & I are instances."
A few of Twain's other annotations in vol. I: "He is much too thatful. It annoys a body" (while crossing out a Norton "that" on p. 302); "Young friend! I like that! You ought to see him now. (April, 1909.)" (next to a letter of 1860) on p. 305 from Lowell to William Dean Howells addressing him as "My dear young Friend"); "...In my own case the Muse comes, but laziness won't let her in" (bedside Lowell remark on p. 354 "that the Muse doesn't come often to Professors!"); "How early he is old! [next to a 1866 letter on p. 369 in which Lowell goes on about belonging to an "older generation"] But he is on a treadmill & it probably makes all the difference in the world. Still, Howells has been on the treadmill 40 years, & is not old yet. It's transparent, I guess, in both cases." Gribben, pp. 425-26 (discussing other documentation of Twain's reading of these volumes).
Provenance: "Mark Twain Library Auction," Los Angeles, 10 April 1951, lot 14a (purchased by the Hollywood director Samuel Fuller, according to Gribben) -- With John F. Fleming in 1972 (according to Gribben, where the volumes where examined) -- New York City collector (sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 25 February 1976, lot 16). (2)