9 November 1874 • Hartford, Conn. (Hartford Courant, 12 Nov 74, UCCL 01145)
Dear RedpathⒶemendation:—Rev. J. H. Twichell & Ⓐemendation I expect to start at 8 o’clock Thursday morning, to walk to Boston in 24 hours—or more.1explanatory note We shall telegraph Young’s hotel2explanatory note for rooms for Saturday night, in order to allow for a low average of pedestrianism.
In 1908, Clemens recalled this “memorable excursion,” a projected walk of over one hundred miles, claiming that “Twichell proposed it, and I thoughtlessly said yes” (see 20 Nov 74 to Howells [1st], n. 7click to open letter). Redpath evidently did not yet know Twichell, although he had recently attempted to meet him: on 27 October he had called on Twichell, bearing a note of introduction from Joseph Hawley. Redpath wanted Twichell to introduce Henry Ward Beecher’s lecture “Upper and Under,” about American social classes, at Roberts Opera House that evening. Twichell was not home when Redpath called, however, and another commitment kept him from introducing Beecher (Twichell, 1:6–7; Hartford Courant: “Amusements,” 27 Oct 74, 1; “Mr. Beecher’s Lecture,” 28 Oct 74, 2).
One of Boston’s best small hotels (see L3 , 395 n. 4).
The Hartford Courant—one of several newspapers to print a version of this letter—noted: “The following letter was received in Boston yesterday at Redpath’s Lyceum Bureau” (“Hartford Pedestrians,” 12 Nov 74, 2; see the textual commentary).
“Hartford Pedestrians,” Hartford Courant, 12 Nov 74, 2, clipping in Twichell, 1:14, Joseph H. Twichell Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University (CtY-BR). Although it seems likely that this letter first appeared in a Boston newspaper, no earlier Boston printing has been found, nor one that includes the dateline. The Courant text is therefore preferred, despite the likelihood that it is a reprinting.
L6 , 275; “About Town,” Boston Advertiser, 12 Nov 74, 1; “Mark Twain,” Boston Evening Transcript, 12 Nov 74, 2; “City and Suburbs,” Boston Globe, 12 Nov 74, paraphrase; “Local Varieties,” Boston Herald (evening edition), 12 Nov 74, 4; “Minor Items,” Hartford Times, 12 Nov 74, 2; “Brief Jottings,” Boston Evening Transcript, 13 Nov 74, 4, brief excerpt; MTB , 1:527; MTL , 1:231.
Twichell’s papers were passed on to his children. Although CtY received some items in 1951 from Joseph H. Twichell and Mrs. Charles Ives, his son and daughter, the main collection was donated in 1967 by Charles P. Twichell, his grandson.