them；　the　Herald；　the　Chicago　Tribune；　the　magazinesall　had　solicited
  contributions；　the　lecture　bureaus　pursued　him。　　Personally　his　outlook
  was　bright。
  The　appointment　for　Orion　was　a　different　matter。　　The　powers　were　not
  especially　interested　in　a　brother；　there　were　too　many　brothers　and
  assorted　relatives　on　the　official　waiting…list　already。　　Clemens　was
  offered　appointments　for　himselfa　consulship；　a　post…mastership；　even
  that　of　San　Francisco。　　From　the　Cabinet　down；　the　Washington　political
  contingent　had　read　his　travel…letters；　and　was　ready　to　recognize
  officially　the　author　of　them　in　his　own　person　and　personality。
  Also；　socially：　Mark　Twain　found　himself　all　at　once　in　the　midst　of
  receptions；　dinners；　and　speech…making；　all　very　exciting　for　a　time　at
  least；　but　not　profitable；　not　conducive　to　work。　　At　a　dinner　of　the
  Washington　Correspondents　Club　his　response　to　the　toast；　〃Women；〃　was
  pronounced　by　Schuyler　Colfax　to　be　〃the　best　after　dinner　speech　ever
  made。〃　　Certainly　it　was　a　refreshing　departure　from　the　prosy　or　clumsy…
  witted　efforts　common　to　that　period。　　He　was　coming　altogether　into　his
  own。　＇This　is　the　first　of　Mark　Twain's　after…dinner　speeches　to　be
  preserved。　　The　reader　will　find　it　complete；　as　reported　next　day；　in
  Appendix　G；　at　the　end　of　last　volume。＇
  He　was　not　immediately　interested　in　the　matter　of　book　publication。
  The　Jumping　Frog　book　was　popular；　and　in　England　had　been　issued　by
  Routledge；　but　the　royalty　returns　were　modest　enough　and　slow　in
  arrival。　　His　desire　was　for　prompter　results。　　His　interest　in　book
  publication　had　never　been　an　eager　one；　and　related　mainly　to　the
  advertising　it　would　furnish；　which　he　did　not　now　need；　or　to　the　money
  return；　in　which　he　had　no　great　faith。　　Yet　at　this　very　moment　a　letter
  for　him　was　lying　in　the　Tribune　office　in　New　York　which　would　bring　the
  book　idea　into　first　prominence　and　spell　the　beginning　of　his　fortune。
  Among　those　who　had　read　and　found　delight　in　the　Tribune　letters　was
  Elisha　Bliss；　Jr。；　of　the　American　Publishing　Company；　of　Hartford。
  Bliss　was　a　shrewd　and　energetic　man；　with　a　keen　appreciation　for　humor
  and　the　American　fondness　for　that　literary　quality。　　He　had　recently
  undertaken　the　management　of　a　Hartford　concern；　and　had　somewhat　alarmed
  its　conservative　directorate　by　publishing　books　that　furnished
  entertainment　to　the　reader　as　well　as　moral　instruction。　　Only　his
  success　in　paying　dividends　justified　this　heresy　and　averted　his
  downfall。　　Two　days　after　the　arrival　of　the　Quaker　City　Bliss　wrote　the
  letter　above　mentioned。　　It　ran　as　follows：
  OFFICE　OF　THE　AMERICAN　PUBLISHING　CO。
  HARTFORD；　CONN。；　November　21；　1867。
  SAMUEL　L。　CLEMENS；　ESQ。；
  Tribune　Office；　New　York。
  DEAR　SIR；We　take　the　liberty　to　address　you　this；　in　place　of　a　letter
  which　we　had　recently　written　and　were　about　to　forward　to　you；　not
  knowing　your　arrival　home　was　expected　so　soon。　　We　are　desirous　of
  obtaining　from　you　a　work　of　some　kind；　perhaps　compiled　from　your
  letters　from　the　past；　etc。；　with　such　interesting　additions　as　may　be
  proper。　　We　are　the　publishers　of　A。　D。　Richardson's　works；　and　flatter
  ourselves　that　we　can　give　an　author　a　favorable　term　and　do　as　full
  justice　to　his　productions　as　any　other　house　in　the　country。　　We　are
  perhaps　the　oldest　subscription　house　in　the　country；　and　have　never
  failed　to　give　a　book　an　immense　circulation。　　We　sold　about　100；000
  copies　of　Richardson's　F。　D。　and　E。　　（'Field；　Dungeon　and　Escape'）；　and
  are　now　printing　41；000　of　'Beyond　the　Mississippi'；　and　large　orders
  ahead。　　If　you　have　any　thought　of　writing　a　book；　or　could　be　induced　to
  do　so；　we　should　be　pleased　to　see　you；　and　will　do　so。　　Will　you　do　us
  the　favor　of　reply　at　once；　at　your　earliest　convenience。
  Very　truly　etc。；
  E。　BLISS；　JR。；
  Secretary。
  After　ten　days'　delay　this　letter　was　forwarded　to　the　Tribune　bureau　in
  Washington；　where　Clemens　received　it。　　He　replied　promptly。
  WASHINGTON；　December　2；　1867。
  E。　BLISS；　JR。；　ESQ。；
  Secretary　American　Publishing　Co。
  DEAR　SIR；I　only　received　your　favor　of　November　21st　last　night；　at　the
  rooms　of　the　Tribune　Bureau　here。　　It　was　forwarded　from　the　Tribune
  office；　New　York　where　it　had　lain　eight　or　ten　days。　　This　will　be　a
  sufficient　apology　for　the　seeming　discourtesy　of　my　silence。
  I　wrote　fifty…two　letters　for　the　San　Francisco　Alta　California　during
  the　Quakes　City　excusion；　about　half　of　which　number　have　been　printed
  thus　far。　　The　Alta　has　few　exchanges　in　the　East；　and　I　suppose　scarcely
  any　of　these　letters　have　been　copied　on　this　side　of　the　Rocky
  Mountains。　　I　could　weed　them　of　their　chief　faults　of　construction　and
  inelegancies　of　expression；　and　make　a　volume　that　would　be　more
  acceptable　in　many　respects　than　any　I　could　now　write。　　When　those
  letters　were　written　my　impressions　were　fresh；　but　now　they　have　lost
  that　freshness；　they　were　warm　then；　they　are　cold　now。　　I　could　strike
  out　certain　letters；　and　write　new　ones　wherewith　to　supply　their　places。
  If　you　think　such　a　book　would　suit　your　purpose；　please　drop　me　a　line；
  specifying　the　size　and　general　style　of　the　volumewhen　the　matter
  ought　to　be　ready；　whether　it　should　have　pictures　in　it　or　not；　and
  particularly　what　your　terms　with　me　would　be；　and　what　amount　of　money
  I　might　possibly　make　out　of　it。　　The　latter　clause　has　a　degree　of
  importance　for　me　which　is　almost　beyond　my　own　comprehension。　　But　you
  understand　that；　of　course。
  I　have　other　propositions　for　a　book；　but　have　doubted　the　propriety　of
  interfering　with　good　newspaper　engagements；　except　my　way　as　an　author
  could　be　demonstrated　to　be　plain　before　me。　　But　I　know　Richardson；　and
  learned　from　him　some　months　ago　something　of　an　idea　of　the　subscription
  plan　of　publishing。　　If　that　is　your　plan　invariably　it　looks　safe。
  I　am　on　the　New　York　Tribune　staff　here　as　an　〃occasional；〃　among　other
  things；　and　a　note　from　you　addressed　to
  Very　truly；　etc。；
  SAM。　L。　CLEMENS；
  New　York　Tribune　Bureau；　Washington
  will　find　me；　without　fail。
  The　exchange　of　those　two　letters　marked　the　beginning　of　one　of　the　most
  notable　publishing　connections　in　American　literary　history。
  Consummation；　however；　was　somewhat　delayed。　　Bliss　was　ill　when　the
  reply　came；　and　could　not　write　again　in　detail　until　nearly　a　month
  later。　　In　this　letter　he　recited　the　profits　made　by　Richardson　and
  others　through　subscription　publication；　and　named　the　royalties　paid。
  Richardson　had　received　four　per　cent。　of　the　sale　price；　a　small　enough
  rate　for　these　later　days；　but　the　cost　of　manufacture　was　larger　then；
  and　the　sale　and　delivery　of　books　through　agents　has　ever　been　an
  expensive　process。　　Even　Horace　Greeley　had　received　but　a　fraction　more
  on　his　Great　American　Conflict。　　Bliss　especially　suggested　and
  emphasized　a　〃humorous　workthat　is　to　say；　a　work　humorously　inclined。〃
  He　added　that　they　had　two　arrangements　for　paying　authors：　outright
  purchase；　and　royalty。　　He　invited　a　meeting　in　New　York　to　arrange
  terms。
  LXIV
  OLIVIA　LANGDON
  Clemens　did　in　fact　go　to　New　York　that　same　evening；　to　spend　Christmas
  with　Dan　Slote；　and　missed　Bliss's　second　letter。　　It　was　no　matter。
  Fate　had　his　affairs　properly　in　hand；　and　had　prepared　an　event　of　still
  larger　moment　than　the　publication　even　of　Innocents　Abroad。　　There　was　a
  pleasant　reunion　at　Dan　Slote's。　　He　wrote　home　about　it：
  Charley　Langdon；　Jack　Van　Nostrand；　Dan　and　I　（all　Quaker　City
  night…hawks）　had　a　blow…out　at　Dan's　house　and　a　lively　talk　over
  old　times。　　I　just　laughed　till　my　sides　ached　at　some　of　our
  reminiscences。　　It　was　the　unholiest　gang　that　ever　cavorted　through
  Palestine；　but　those　are　the　best　boys　in　the　world。
  This；　however；　was　not　the　event；　it　was　only　preliminary　to　it。　　We　are
  coming　to　that　now。　　At　the　old　St。　Nicholas　Hotel；　which　stood　on　the
  west　of　Broadway　between　Spring　and　Broome　streets；　there　were　stopping
  at　this　time　Jervis　Langdon；　a　wealty　coal…dealer　and　mine…owner　of
  Elmira；　his　son　Charles　and　his　daughter　Olivia；　whose　pictured　face
  Samuel　Clemens　had　first　seen　in　the　Bay　of　Smyrna　one　September　day。
  Young　Langdon　had　been　especially　anxious　to　bring　his　distinguished
  Quaker　City　friend　and　his　own　people　together；　and　two　days　before
  Christmas　Samuel　Clemens　was　invited　to　dine　at　the　hotel。　　He　went　very
  willingly。　The　lovely　face　of　that　miniature　had　been　often　a　part　of
  his　waking　dreams。　　For　the　first　time　now　he　looked　upon　its　reality。
  Long　afterward　he　said：
  〃It　is　forty　years　ago。　　From　that　day　to　this　she　has　never　been　out　of
  my　mind。〃
  Charles　Dickens　was　in　New　York　then；　and　gave　a　reading　that　night　in
  Steinway　Hall。　　The　Langdons　went；　and　Samuel　Clemens　accompanied　them。
  He　remembered　afterward　that　Dickens　wore　a　black　velvet　coat　with　a
  fiery　red