For Parsloe see 11 Oct 1876 to Howells, n. 4. After the 7 May debut performance of Ah Sin at Washington’s National Theatre, Parsloe and Edwin Varrey, who had played the part of “Judge Tempest, a retired lawyer,” came before the curtain, and Varrey read Clemens’s telegram, the source of the present text. According to the Washington National Republican, when he asked for the vote, “The large audience, with a roaring aye, declared that ‘Ah Sin’ was a success.” After the performance Parsloe sent Clemens the following telegram: “Telegraph read from stage at close of performance. The audience unanimously pronounced in favor of glorifying speech. Charles T. Parsloe.” Bret Harte was present for the performance and along with the absent Clemens was called for by the audience, but “his modesty forbade him making any exhibition of himself” (“Ah Sin,” Washington National Republican, 8 May 1877, 1; “‘Ah Sin’ in Washington,” Hartford Courant, 9 May 1877, 2, reprinting the New York World). On 8 May, John T. Ford, owner and manager of the National Theatre, informed Clemens that audience response to the play, which was to remain in Washington for a week, was “liberal and sincere,” although Parsloe was “not strong but well individualized in the character, nervous to timidity and evidently greatly missed you as he needed backing up,—advice—bolstering.” He urged Clemens to come to Washington (CU-MARK):

Clemens did not go to Washington, but Harte stayed on, promising Parsloe that he would fix the weak final act, but became instead an irritant. On 11 May Parsloe complained to Clemens: “The excitement of a first night is bad enough but to have the annoyance with Harte that I have [is] too much for a new beginner. I aint used to it” (CU-MARK).