28 January 1876 • Hartford, Conn. (MS: VtMiM, UCCL 06254)
One’s sins are bound to come home to roost, Miss Higgins! Every mail brings me letters of kindly abuse from the stricken ones—this morning the troubles proves to have reached West to Wisconsin. But Well, I’m resolved I’ll never, never do so any more!1explanatory note
P. S. Will you kindly make my peace with Mr. J. Lawrence Kearny, & tell him I have truly repented & now take nothing but sack-cloth & ashes for dinner?2explanatory note
Clemens’s sin was “A Literary Nightmare,” which appeared in the Atlantic Monthly for February 1876 (SLC 1876f). Its hypnotic “Punch, brothers! punch” jingle (which Clemens did not write but merely quoted) captured many readers (see 29 Jan 76 to Twichell and 27 Oct 1875 to Howells, L6 , 577 n. 1). Neither the letter from Higgins that Clemens answered nor the letter of friendly abuse from Wisconsin has been found.
James Lawrence Kearny (1846-1921) was a wealthy descendent of a prominent Perth Amboy, New Jersey, family and a sometime magazine and newspaper contributor. No details of his acquaintance with Higgins or his possible acquaintance with Clemens have been discovered (“J. L. Kearny Is Called to Rest,” Perth Amboy [N.J.] Evening News, 17 Dec 1921, 1, 5, TS in CU-MARK, courtesy of Eleanor McGuire, Kearny Cottage Historical Association). James Lawrence Kearny (1846–1921), was a journalist and author. No details of his acquaintance with Clemens and the unidentified Higgins have been discovered (“J. L. Kearny Is Called to Rest,” Perth Amboy [N.J.] Evening News, 17 Dec 1921, 1, 5).
MS, VtMiM.
MicroPUL, reel 1.
Acquired by VtMiM on 4 October 1938.