November 8 Monday — In Redding, Conn. Sam replied to the Oct. 29 from Miss Helen Roberts.
Dear Miss Roberts: / I am not sure I understand the question, but it seems to be Am I jesting, or am I in earnest in believing Shakespeare did not write Shakspeare? If that is it, I am in earnest, & not jesting.
Indeed yes, I find the world delightful, & its inhabitants—entertaining. (That dash is not profanity, it is a pause, for time to think of the right word.) Of course the inhabitants are the world. Taking myself as a just & fair average, & thus as being in my own person the entire human race concentrated, I have examined the race daily, carefully, earnestly, honestly, for 30 years—with this result: I do not think much of myself.
Still, in some particular I do think rather well of myself, & complacently regard myself as superior to the rest of the race. For instance—however, this is a letter, not a book. I have a “philosophy”—(you used the word), but I don’t know that I have exposed it anywhere—that is, intentionally. I printed it some years ago, anonymously, then suppressed it; it will never be published. I have handed it confidentially to a couple of dozen prudent friends. Three of four of them understood it & believed in it, the others did not understand it, & couldn't be made to understand it; still, they had opinions about it just the same, & the opinions were not complimentary to me. "What is Man?" I think I will send it to you.
It doesn't say "........"
No, it doesn't say it. but it leads straight up to it. I did say it, in the closing chapter, but I struck it out, My courage failed me. /
Sincerely Yours /… [MTP]. Note: strikeouts left in here. Evidently Clemens thought twice about advertising he had shared his “philosophy” with friends, and/or sending a copy to Miss Roberts.
Sam received a copy of Oscar Garrett Wall's Recollections of the Sioux Massacre and offered a letter of endorsement, this date.
Mr O G Wall— Dear Sir: I find your history of the Great Massacre blood-curdlingly & most pathetically interesting. I am able to endorse General Hubbard's compliment & highly commend the literary excellence of the book. Very truly yours SL. Clemens [Kevin Mac Donnell MT Forum post Apr. 24, 2011]. Note Mac Donnell adds, “This letter was reprinted in facsimile in blood red ink as an advertising flyer for Wall’s book.” Oscar Garrett Wall (1844-1911), was disabled early in the Civil War, and served as a state legislator in the Minnesota House of Representatives (1885-1886), Not in Gribben.