22–28 January 1863
On 31 January 1863 the Santa Cruz (Calif.) Sentinel reprinted this item from the now lost Virginia City Territorial Enterprise under the title “Territorial Sweets.” The Sentinel editor supplied a brief explanatory preface: “The local of the Enterprise dropped early one morning upon a loose missive which he thus publicly notices.” Clemens was, of course, the Enterprise local at this time. On Wednesday, January 28, he sat up all night to take the stage to Carson City, where he would spend the first week of February. Therefore the piece probably appeared sometime between January 22 and 28.
The love-stricken Madeline in this sketch seems to have been born of the same impulse that, in two weeks' time, would produce “Ye Sentimental Law Student” (no. 44). She also bears some resemblance to “A Lady at the Lick House” in “Mark Twain—More of Him” (no. 64), as well as to Arabella in “A Notable Conundrum” (no. 91).
The Ⓐemendation following, which will do to sweeten some bachelor's coffee with, was picked up in front of the International:
“Darling Ⓐemendation: I have not had time to write you to-day—I have worked hard entertaining company. Do come and see your little pet. I yearn for the silvery cadence of your voice—I thirst for the bubbling stream of your affection.
Your Madeline.”Ⓐemendation
WeⒶemendation feel for that girl. The water privilege which she pines for so lovingly has probably dried up and departed, else her sweet note would not have been floating around the streets without a claimant. We feel for her deeply—and if it will afford her any relief, if it will conduce to her comfort, if it will satisfy her yearning even in the smallest degree, we will cheerfully call around and “bubble”Ⓐemendation awhile for her ourself, if she will send us her address.Ⓐemendation
The first printing in the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, probably sometime between 22 and 28 January 1863, is not extant. The sketch survives in the only known contemporary reprinting of the Enterprise, the Santa Cruz (Calif.) Sentinel for 31 January 1863 (p. 1), which is copy-text. Copy: PH from Bancroft. The Sentinel placed the entire piece within quotation marks and altered internal quotation marks accordingly. We have emended back to the original form in the Enterprise. There are no textual notes.