Twain informs his wife of preparations to their home in anticipation of the arrival of former President Grant to Hartford –‘O, we’re going to be decorated sufficient, don’t you worry about that, Madam’ TWAIN MARK: (1835-1910) Samuel Langhorne Clemens. American writer and humourist. A fine, long A.L.S., Samuel, eight pages, 8vo, 'Study' [Hartford, Connecticut], n.d. ('Tuesday. P.M.', October 1880), to his wife, Olivia. Twain commences his letter in German, stating that he arrived at 7.15pm and continuing to inform his wife of the preparations being made at their house, 'Georg hat alles gethan wie du hast es befordert. Die halle-Teppiche sind aufgehoben, die Thuren von das FrauenZimmer unde deine Schlaf-Zimmer sind geschlusselt, die Mobel sind.....weggenommen. O nein, Ich habe nicht die Warheit gesprochen: er hat nicht das Tuch vor das Sideboard fest genagelt. - Also - eferydings else ist all und ganz gut gemacht' (Translation: 'George did everything as you requested. The hall carpets are lifted, the doors of the women's room and your bedroom are locked, the furniture is……removed. Oh no, I wasn't telling the truth: he didn't nail the cloth in front of the sideboard - Also - eferydings else is all very well done'), completing the remainder of the letter in English, writing, in part, 'I found Mr. Beals hard at work in the rain, with his decorations. With a ladder he had strung flags around our bedroom balcony & thence around to the porte cochere, which was elaborately flagged - thence all the flags of all nations were suspended from a line which stretched past the green house to the limit of our ground. Against each of the two trees on the mound half-way down to our gate stands a knight in complete armour. Piles of still bundled flags clutter up the ombra (to be put up) also gaudy shields of various shapes (arms of this & other countries); also some huge glittering arches & things, done in gold & silver paper, containing mottoes in big letters. I broke Mr. Beal's heart by persistently & inflexibly annulling & forbidding the biggest & gorgeousest of the arches - it had on it, in all the fines of the rainbow, “The Home of Mark Twain” in letters as big as your head. O, we're going to be decorated sufficient, don't you worry about that, Madam. At least I infer so, from what I have seen of Mr. Beals's hand & what he holds in reserve. I don't know but he is really going to decorate us too much. However, I'm letting him go on…..But wasn't it lucky that I arrived in time to bust up that Mark Twain business? I'm in the study…..& I've got a cheerful wood fire & four gas burners going…..It would be perfect if you were here to help me enjoy it, sweetheart….I hope you are reading & not half as lonesome as you were expecting to be' and concluding by referring to an important principle in the play of the cards during Bridge, 'I've been puzzling over it, and - but you better ask Whitmore, because I want to be certain about it - is it always second hand low, even when you haven't got a high card? - & if you do, what do you infer from it? Or do you infer at all, in that case? It being your partners turn to infer, likely. I wish I had brought the book along; several of those things are not clear to me'. Twain signs off the letter in an affectionate manner, 'Acres of love to you, my best & dearest, & love also to the kids, including Jean', and in a postscript returns to the decoration of their home, 'P.S. I'm going to get Mr. Beals to change that to God Bless Our Home. He said he would have to have a new motto; so that will do first rate for a novelty. It is to go over the front gate'. A letter of excellent content providing a superb glimpse of Mark Twain in his intimacy. VGOlivia Langdon Clemens (1845-1904) Wife of Samuel Langhorne Clemens from 1870. Livy, as she was known, assisted her husband with the editing of his books, articles and lectures and Twain once wrote of her “I am as proud of her brain as her beauty”. The couple had three daughters, including Jean who had been born in July 1880.The extensive decorations to their home which Twain makes reference to in the present letter were in preparation of the visit of former United States President Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) to Hartford on 16th October 1880. Grant was seeking the Republican presidential nomination for a third term and upon his train arriving in Hartford he found that 'the city was thronged with visitors…..and the streets were lined with decorations, not only along the line of march of the procession, but elsewhere'. Twain gave a welcoming address to Grant in which the writer declared 'Your country loves you. Your country is proud of you. Your country is grateful to you. Her applauses which have been thundering in your ears all these weeks and months, will never cease while the flag you saved continues to wave. Your country stands ready from this day forth to testify her measureless love and pride and gratitude toward you in every conceivable inexpensive way. Welcome to Hartford, great soldier, honoured statesman, unselfish citizen'.
