August 3 Friday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam wrote to daughter Clara in Norfolk, Conn.
Clärchen dear, I first read it to myself—merely to get the hang of it, for nothing is to be found out about a piece of literature by a mute reading of it. Next day I read it aloud to Lyon, & then the light broke out all over it & we saw that it was fine & strong & deep & moving. You have done well, dearie—very very well indeed. If others fail to see the piece’s merits it will be only because they will read it mutely—people always do that stupid thing. I can’t return it to you yet,—& not for several days—for you must not send any but typed MS. to editors—they won’t look at it. It will be several days before Miss Hobby can type it, for we are driving her hard, just now.
The reason is: To go back a piece,. before leaving New York I finally concluded not to syndicate any of my Autobiography, & sent that definite word to M Clure. Then Col. Harvey arrived from Europe & we straightened out our snarl in five minutes. He next told me of his great plan: to turn the North American Review into a fortnightly the 1 of Sept, introduce into it a purely literary section, of high class, & in other ways make a great & valuable st c periodical of it. He was always icily indifferent to the Autobiography before, but thought he would like to look at it now, so I told him to come up. He arrived 3 days ago, & has now carefully read close upon a hundred thousand words of it (there are 250,000). He says it is the “greatest book of the age,” & has in it “the finest literature.”
He has done some wonderful editing; for he has selected 5 instalments of 5,000 words each; & although those are culled from here & there & yonder, he has made each seem to have been written by itself—& without altering a word. At 10,000 words a month we shall place about 110,000 or 120,000 words before the public in 12 months.
I will bank this money by itself, & you & John Howells can draw upon it up to $15,000 to build the house with. Then if you find you must, you can draw out $5,000 or $6,000 more of it.
To-morrow Harvey will carry away one full set of the MSS to Howells & get him to help select instalments. I can’t do the selecting myself. The instalments will come to me in galley-proofs for approval, but I guess I will pass them on to you for final judgment after I have examined them.
The house is already named by Miss Lyon. “Autobiography House.” It’s a good name, I think.
Miss Hobby is typing the 5 instalments under high pressure; the first one must appear Sept. 1.
Our income for the next 12 months (taking all sources), ought to be $70,000 or $80,000.
With many hugs & kisses, dearheart, / Father [MTP]. Note: “Autobiography House” would become “Innocents at Home,” and finally “Stormfield.”
Sam also replied to the Aug. 1 of William Dean Howells, in Kittery Point, Maine.
I am very very sorry Mrs. Howells’s health remains so bad. It is hard enough to have to live with the human race, without that.
As to the Autobiography, you’re going to get it—in the neck! as the vulgar say. Harvey will go hence with it, to you, to-morrow. He is going to volley it at the public in the new N. A. Review, which I think is going to be the greatest of the periodicals, & the most conspicuous in America.
I want John & Clara to take hold of that house now, & build it—out of the Review money. I shall bank it by itself for that purpose, as I have just been telling Clara.
“Autobiography House.” How’s that for a name for it? Seems good. It is Miss Lyon’s suggestion.
The Colonel has done some wonderful editing of this MS. He has selected five 5,000-word instalments, & pieced them together so cleverly that the seams don’t show, & each seems to have been written by itself. Ever yours / Mark [MTHL 2: 817-18].