I wasn't paying close attention to this thread, and I wanted to check in 
with Ben Griffin before posting the following, so there was a slight 
delay in sending this message.

I've attached an image from a set of foundry proofs (aka "f-proofs" with 
"guard-lines"--type-high ink bearers--visible in the margins) for 
Literary Essays. This set of proofs has a note on them dated March 19, 
1900, which jibes with the March 30, 1900 letter cited by Ben, which is 
why I thought they would be of interest.

On the first proof, an American Publishing Company proof-reader has 
underlined several lines of text where the Smiley/stranger error occurs, 
and has written in ink "This is exactly the reverse of the story--the 
stranger takes Smiley [in]." Below this is a pencil note "sent to 
Clemens to ask about that." This note may have read "Note sent to 
Clemens . . ." but it's hard to tell; the second proof was glued over 
part of this note and some (all?) of the obscured words rewritten on the 
new proof. This note is followed by a later pencil note that says 
"Clemens said this change was right, the other was wrong."  A corrected 
page proof is pasted over the original proof. In one image I've lifted 
the later proof to show part of the original f-proof. No, I did not tear 
anything; somebody did that years ago, perhaps even before these proofs 
first popped up in the market (by 1938, long before I acquired them).

If you care to learn more about other proof-reading for the collected 
editions and the Am Pub Co proof-reader, Forrest Morgan (1852-1924), cf 
the 1988 and 2003 MTP eds of HF (pp 522 and 806), and the 1993 ed of RI 
(p 941).

I will send a second image shortly.

Kevin
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