Letter from Samuel Langhorne Clemens to James Gordon Bennett

London, June 24. James Gordon Bennett, Esq. Paris. Dear Sir: When my family learned that a subscription had been started by the Herald they urgently insisted that I had no right to shift my burdens to other men's shoulders, & begged me to write & ask you to close the subscription list & return their money to the contributors, with their thanks & mine for the kindness which they had tried to do me. I did so, five days ago, but you were absent & I failed to reach you, then & since. I am trying again, in the hope that you will have returned by this time. For your attempt to reduce my indebtedness & for your large contribution to that end you have my & my family's sincere thanks. Very truly yours, S L Clemens