September – Brander Matthews’ article “An Open Letter to Close a Correspondence” in the New Princeton Review this month would elicit a response with from Sam in the same publication [Neider, MT As I Find It 217n]. See January, 1888.

Sam’s notebook entry:

Anna Keary novels Jennettte’s Home, Castle Bailey, & others. McMillan / Next Door, by Clara Louise Burnham [MTNJ 3: 316; Gribben 115; NB 27 TS 13].

Note: Sam misspelled a few things — Annie Keary (1825-1879), Castle Daly (1876); Janet’s Home (1882) Macmillan and Co. [Gribben 364]. Clara Louise Burnham (1854-1927), Next Door (1886)

Another entry:

JL & Co. [J. Langdon & Co.] have been paying out money on the new colliery right along for 3 ½ years now (Aug. ’87) & will continue to do it 3 or 4 more [MTNJ 3: 317]. Note: A colliery is a coal mine and its structures.

Sam argues in his notebook (p.325-8) that John Milton was the real author of Pilgrim’s Progress. Gribben writes:

“Twain showed a close knowledge of Bunyan’s work and familiarity with his life (he cites Southey’s biography of Bunyan) in a burlesque “cipher” argument that John Milton actually wrote Pilgrim’s Progress; in the course of his deliberately specious reasoning he suggests an interpretation that seems serious — “The Dream must be read between the lines — then it becomes a grisly & almost Hudibrastic satyre” [112].