May 14 Thursday – Robert Watt (1837-1894), world traveler, journalist, and author wrote to Sam.

Dear Sir, / As a curiosity I take the liberty to send you a danish Edition of your admirable sketches. Some two years ago I visited America, and brought several of your books home with me, and (as a well known author here) I at once commenced a translation. I have had the greatest pleasure in doing so. The papers have spoken in the very highest terms of your extraordinary genius, and my Editor has asked for more volumes marked with the name Mark Twain—already so popular in Denmark.

I am only sorry that there is no literary convention in existence here between America and Denmark, and that I am not able to offer you anything but my most sincere thanks and admiration. In the volume I shall forward to you through the danish consulate in New York you will find some notes on yourself and your works, some choice sketches, and extracts from “the innocents at home”. All the papers have especially spoken of “Buck Fanshaws burial” as something “unique”

I should be most happy to have a few lines from you, together with a photograph, and ask you only not to laugh too much of my bad English; I write Danish better, and am perfectly able to understand and appreciate everything in English

Before I translated you, I have with great success introduced Edgar Poe and Bret Harte to the danish public, and am preparing an Edition of Thackeray.

Your (far off)

friend & admirer / Robert Watt [MTP]. Note: see Sam’s reply July 15-16, and others.