Explanatory Notes        Apparatus Notes ()

Source: Harvard University, Houghton Library, Cambridge, Mass ([MH-H])

Cue: "Slash away, with"

Source format: "MS"

Letter type: "[standard letter]"

Notes:

Last modified:

Revision History: Larson, Brian

MTPDocEd
To William Dean Howells
15 October 1881 • Hartford, Conn. (MS: MH-H, UCCL 02053)
My Dear Howells—

Slash away, with entire freedom; & the more you slash, the better I shall like it & the more I shall be cordially obliged to you. Alter any and everything you choose—don’t hesitate.

The news from Winny is most acceptable & welcome. I do hope w she will go straight on, now, to sound health, without an interruption.

I am hard at work on Capt. Ned Wakeman’s adventures in heaven— merely for the love of it; for laws bless you, it can’t ever be published. At least not unless I trim it like everything & then father it on some good man—say Osgood. This is my purpose at present.

Twichell & I walked out to the Tower & back, yesterday. Hee mentioned that a Yale scientist believes we shall contrive away a wayemendation to communicate with the people in other planets by & by—(by my system of Mental Telegraphy, maybe.) No other way will be possible, because they only thoughts could be transmitted—not language, since neither of us could understand the other. As for myself, I have no difficulty in believing that our newspapers will by & by will contain news, not 24 hours old, from Jupiter et al—mainly astronomical corrections & weather indications; with now & then an irritating a sarcastic fling at the only true religion.

Ys Ever
Mark
Textual Commentary
Source text(s):

MS, MH-H (shelf mark bMS Am 1784 [98], 94).

Previous Publication:

MTHL, 1:376–77.

Provenance:

See Howells Letters in Description of Provenanceclick to open letter.

Emendations and Textual Notes
 away a way • away “a#way ” marked to be two words with a hatchmark to indicate space
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