April 26 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Mary Mason Fairbanks, who had suffered some sort of injury. Sam wrote that Livy was better, even “bright & cheerful.” After a couple of poor reviews of his Burlesque Autobiography, Sam was feeling low about his writing:

“I am pegging away at my book, but it will have no success. The papers have found at last the courage to pull me down off my pedestal & cast slurs at me—& that is simply a popular author’s death rattle” [MTL 4: 381].

Sam also replied to the Apr. 24 of Thomas Nast, who’d asked which sketch he might use in his Almanac for 1872. Nast had also asked if he needed to consult with the Galaxy editors about using a sketch, which had been published there. Since Sam’s arrangement provided all rights would revert to him upon publication in the Galaxy, he told Nast to use whichever sketch he pleased [MTL 4: 382].

Sam’s letter to Nast, reported (with partial text) as Apr. 27? In MTL 4: 382, has recently been up for sale. The date is herein corrected to Apr. 26, and the full text reads: 

 Elmira, 26th /Dear Nast: /    Take any sketch you please — & you are the man to make the selection because you can tell what will illustrate best. Take any one you want. You needn’t ask anybody’s permission but mine. I own them.

      I daren’t got into a book or pamphlet speculation.—Contracts forbid it. / Yrs Ever /     Twain 

 [ABE books accessed April 27, 2009; Hirst at MTP verified by email].