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Mississippi." It seemed to commit him to too large an undertaking.
*
****
To W. D. Howells, in Boston:
Dec. 3, 1874.
MY DEAR HOWELLS,--Let us change the heading to "Piloting on the Miss
in the Old Times"--or to "Steamboating on the M. in Old Times"--or to
"
Personal Old Times on the Miss."--We could change it for Feb. if now
too late for Jan.--I suggest it because the present heading is too
pretentious, too broad and general. It seems to command me to deliver a
Second Book of Revelation to the world, and cover all the Old Times the
Mississippi (dang that word, it is worse than "type" or "Egypt ") ever
saw--whereas here I have finished Article No. III and am about to start
on No. 4. and yet I have spoken of nothing but of Piloting as a science
so far; and I doubt if I ever get beyond that portion of my subject. And
I don't care to. Any muggins can write about Old Times on the Miss. of
5
00 different kinds, but I am the only man alive that can scribble about
the piloting of that day--and no man ever has tried to scribble about it
yet. Its newness pleases me all the time--and it is about the only new
subject I know of. If I were to write fifty articles they would all be
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