Beschreibung:

CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne, "Mark Twain" (1835-1910). Autograph letter signed ("S. L. Clemens") to Henry Harper (1864-1944), Vienna, 29 January 1898. Two pages, 210 x 133mm (moderate toning). Mark Twain, asked which books influenced him most, only lists his own works (and Webster's Dictionary). A comical show of hubris by the celebrated author, written in response to a question posed by publisher Henry Harper, to which Clemens supplies "with pleasure", and lists: "'The Innocents Abroad,' 'Roughing It,' 'Tramp Abroad,' 'Prince & Pauper,' 'Huckleberry Finn,' 'Tom Sawyer,' 'Yankee at the Court of King Arthur,' 'Personal Reminisces of Joan of Arc,' 'Puddinhead Wilson,' 'Following the Equator,' & the publications of the late firm of Charles L. Webster & Co." Below this Clemens draws a line across the page and adds a "Private" note asking if Harper wanted that quote for Harper's Weekly, and offering to preface it "with an introductory line to say it is form a private letter from Mark Twain to a friend in New York" as opposed to the present format, "which can be an intrusion when uttered in a public way often loose the stink of impertinence when exuded from a private letter & may then be diffused through the parlor without conveying noticeable offence to any. I shall adopt the private letter device & work it." Harper chose to print this snippet of choice Twain prose in the 26 February 1898 issue (page 199) of Harper's Weekly characterized, as per Clemens' suggestion, as a "private letter." The quote proved very popular and was repeated in several publications over the following year. In closing, Clemens writes that he has "another private-letter extract on hand, but I haven't time to write it – though I thought I had when I sat down."