14 August 1869 • Buffalo, N.Y. (Merwin-Clayton, lot 127, UCCL 00386)
I feel compelled to beg off & withdraw from the lecture field entirely for this season, certain unforeseen events having conspired to change all my plans. To wit: IⒶemendation have just purchased one-third of the Buffalo Express & Ⓐemendation gone pretty largely in debt to accomplish it. ... Moreover, the party of the second part & myself have decided to be married about the close of December, & I am informed by parties of large experience that one requires two months to get ready to marry & three more to get used to it. This just about covers the entire lecture season & rules me out1explanatory note Ⓐemendation
Clemens repeated his withdrawal request in a second, now missing, letter to Redpath (see 21 Aug 69 to Craneclick to open letter and 21 Aug 69 to OLLclick to open letter).
Merwin-Clayton, lot 127.
L3 , 297–298; none known other than the copy-text.
The present location of the MS (sold at auction in 1906 by the Merwin-Clayton Sales Company) is not known.
The auction catalog describes the MS as an “A. L. S., 2 pages, 8vo, Aug. 14, 1869, to James Redpath.”