Olivia Langdon. One of their first, if not their first, dates. And I have always read the word "white" in that sentence a bit differently, although not entirely. I seem to remember that that letter was written in his role as Mark Twain, correspondent to a newspaper out in California, where he had been known for his wild, dissipated ways. As part of the then-emerging Mark Twain persona he had a habit of writing as if he often associated with very disagreeable people, and sort of reveling in that bit of persona building. I think he was using the word "white" as a kind of shock word, as if to say, "Isn't it shocking that I, Mark Twain, would be found with a respectable woman." In a way, a kind of Tom Sawyer bragging moment. Of course, I also think he was utterly besotted with Livy and wanted his correspondent to take that meaning. Carl Sent from my iPad On Nov 30, 2011, at 8:22 PM, Ben Wise <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I figure "white" just goes along with "highly respectable" in the convention= > al rhetorical litany of attributes accorded a woman one is proud to have in o= > ne's company, at that declarative time But...who WAS that white woman? > > Ben > > > > On Nov 30, 2011, at 6:02 PM, Harold Bush <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> folks, deep into the Christmas tales of Dickens this week and next; though= > t >> I'd treat myself to another look and see how the students like (or dislike= > ) >> them. >> Here's just a few rambling questions, in case any of you are in a holiday >> mood and feel like chatting: >> =20 >> I wonder how MT thought of Dickens as a novelist? I don't have a copy of >> Alan's book handy (sure wish the new edition of MT'sL would appear, are yo= > u >> listening Prof. Gribben?). >> =20 >> I wonder what he might have thought of those old Christmas tales -- and >> also, when or if MT ever really wrote much about Christmas, or used it muc= > h >> as a setting? >> =20 >> I also was interested in this little review MT wrote of his visit to hear >> CD read, in NYC, 1868: >> =20 >> "He read David Copperfield. He is a bad reader, in one sense -- because he= > >> does not enunciate his words sharply and distinctly -- he does not cut the= > >> syllables cleanly, and therefore many and many of them fell dead before >> they reached our part of the house. [I say "our" because I am proud to >> observe that there was a beautiful young lady with me -- a highly >> respectable young white woman.]" >> =20 >> (from a nice website: charlesdickenspage.com/twain_on_dickens.html; is >> this published in a recent edition somewhere? not really sure about that .= > >> . . .) >> =20 >> For most of the 60s, evidently, CD read those Christmas tales in public >> readings. But the thing that really caught my eye: why did he call her a= > >> "white" woman? I don't really get the reason for emphasizing that -- as i= > f >> he would be with an African American? or am I just missing something with= > >> that? >> =20 >> Anyway; if anyone has something to say about MT and Christmas, or CD, I'm= > >> interested! >> =20 >> =20 >> thanks, --Hal B. >> =20 >> =20 >> =20 >> =20 >> --=20 >> Harold K. Bush, Ph.D >> Professor of English >> Saint Louis University >> St. Louis, MO 63108 >> 314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h) >> <www.slu.edu/x23809.xml>