A Volume from the Complete Works of Friedrich Schiller, Inscribed by Mark Twain to His Wife, Olivia (To ?Livy L. Clemens from S.L. Clemens, 1884.?)

Mark Twain

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This is the first signed gift of Twain to his wife, Livy, that we have ever hadMark Twain spent significant time in Germany, notably living in Heidelberg in 1878 and Berlin in 1891-1892, both of which he wrote about in his travel book A Tramp Abroad and other writings. He also lived in Vienna, Austria, from 1897 to 1899. He studied the German language in preparation for the trip to Heidelberg. He came to speak German, if with some effort. His wife Livy also spoke German, and employed a German nurse who always conversed with the children in German so they could practice their skills.Friedrich Schiller was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered to be one of Germany's most important classical playwrights. Compilations of his work were published in the 19th and 20th centuries. His works argued against a morality of strict duty and instead proposed an "aesthetic morality" where individuals act freely and harmoniously, driven by a cultivated sensibility towards beauty and the good.Twain lived at his home in Hartford, Connecticut from 1874 until 1897. In 1884 he was there, except for a brief time spent in Canada. 1884 was a big year for Twain, as he published his classic, Huckleberry Finn.Mark Twain wrote letters to his wife, Olivia, expressing deep love and admiration throughout their marriage. In these letters, he referred to her as "Livy" and wrote about his adoration, often discussing their shared life, his work, and her influence on him. She was Twain's first and most important reader, and he considered her his most important critic. He would give her his books to read, and she was an editor who would comment on them and even had him remove phrases like "Damn it!" from Huckleberry Finn. In addition, Twain gave his wife published books, such as a special 1879 edition of Innocents Abroad, which he inscribed "To Livy L. Clemens, With the love of S.L. Clemens". He also gave her books of others to read.Twain?s letters make it clear that he highly valued a woman?s ?purity??body, mind, and soul. To that end, he often selected, and sometimes censored, the books Livy read. ?You are as pure as snow, & I would have you always so?untainted, untouched even by the impure thoughts of others,? he stated. Twain sometimes gave Livy a book that included racy or inappropriate passages to see how she would react. True to his expectation, Livy painstakingly went through the book and removed or marked out the passages she deemed unfit for reading. Twain often joked about this, at one point saying that he would add passages he knew would offend her simply to enjoy her reaction when she found them.In 1884 Twain gave Livy a copy of a volume from S?mmtliche Werke (The Complete Works) of Friedrich Schiller, in German, inscribed by him to ?Livy L. Clemens from S.L. Clemens, 1884.? The Letters of Mark Twain Project mentions this gift. Neither Twain nor Livy found fault with the book, as no portions were crossed out or removed.This is the first signed gift of Twain to his wife, Livy, that we have ever had.

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• Titre: A Volume from the Complete Works of Friedrich Schiller, Inscribed by Mark Twain to His Wife, Olivia (To ?Livy L. Clemens from S.L. Clemens, 1884.?)