Jan. 24.  Livy says Amen to that; also, can you give us a day or two’s notice, so the room will be sure to be vacant?

I’m going to stick close to my desk for a month, now, hoping to write a
small book. 
               Ys Ever
                         mark

The letter which follows is a fair sample of Mark Twain’s private violence on a subject which, in public print, he could only treat effectively by preserving his good humor.  When he found it necessary to boil over, as he did, now and then, for relief, he always found a willing audience in Twichell.  The mention of his “Private Philosophy” refers to ‘What Is Man?’, privately published in 1906; reissued by his publishers in 1916.

To Rev. J. H. Twichell, in Hartford: 

14 W. 10th Jan. 29, ’01.  Dear Joe,—­I’m not expecting anything but kicks for scoffing, and am expecting a diminution of my bread and butter by it, but if Livy will let me I will have my say.  This nation is like all the others that have been spewed upon the earth—­ready to shout for any cause that will tickle its vanity or fill its pocket.  What a hell of a heaven it will be, when they get all these hypocrites assembled there!

I can’t understand it!  You are a public guide and teacher, Joe, and are under a heavy responsibility to men, young and old; if you teach your people—­as you teach me—­to hide their opinions when they believe the flag is being abused and dishonored, lest the utterance do them and a publisher a damage, how do you answer for it to your conscience?  You are sorry for me; in the fair way of give and take, I am willing to be a little sorry for you.

However, I seem to be going counter to my own Private Philosophy—­which Livy won’t allow me to publish—­because it would destroy me.  But I hope to see it in print before I die.  I planned it 15 years ago, and wrote it in ’98.  I’ve often tried to read it to Livy, but she won’t have it; it makes her melancholy.  The truth always has that effect on people.  Would have, anyway, if they ever got hold of a rag of it—­Which they don’t.

You are supposing that I am supposing that I am moved by a Large Patriotism, and that I am distressed because our President has blundered up to his neck in the Philippine mess; and that I am grieved because this great big ignorant nation, which doesn’t know even the A B C facts of the Philippine episode, is in disgrace before the sarcastic world—­drop that idea!  I care nothing for the rest—­I am only distressed and troubled because I am befouled by these things.  That is all.  When I search myself away down deep, I find this out.  Whatever a man feels or thinks or does, there is never any but one reason for it—­and that is a selfish one.

At great inconvenience, and expense of precious time I went to the chief synagogue the other night and talked in the interest of a charity school of poor Jew girls.  I know—­to the finest, shades—­the selfish ends that moved me; but no one else suspects.  I could give you the details if I had time.  You would perceive how true they are.