December 16 Wednesday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam began a letter to H.H. Rogers that he finished on Dec. 18. Sam enclosed a copy of Susan Crane’s Dec. 3 about John T. Lewis that Jean typed.
I am not at all sure that I wasn’t a little premature in wanting ten thousand invested, but I hope not. It’s all right, if I pull $10,000 out of the Harpers in 1904 on magazine articles—& that I most certainly mean to do. I’ve already written $7,500-worth of it—so there is plenty of time left in which to do the rest.
I was afraid to tell them to send this magazine-money to me, because they are always tardy & have to be stirred up; you are there close by & can remind them by telephone, you know. The money is due as soon as the article is received, but I have always had to send them a reminder. I will post you whenever I ship them a MS. I shipped them a brief one a few days ago; 2,000 words exactly—I had them counted, word by word. Due, $600—30 cents a word. Title of the article, “Italian Without a Dictionary.” Read it—it will make you cultivated & wise. Like me.
First 5 weeks expenses here—up to last night—$2100. This does not include gas, fuel for the winter, nor doctor-bills nor specialist-bills. They’re not in, yet. It includes many extras which are one-timers & will not repeat—but it’s an even bet that there will be new ones to take their place. Servants’ wages are lower here by two-thirds than in the States. That is the one solitary economy; if there is another one I haven’t come across it.
Meantime I have found a villa for you, & a mighty choice one & well furnished. It stands in solitary state on a hill, & looks down upon the roofs of Florence, & out over wide expanses of hill & valley bordered on one side with a distant vast upheaval & tumult of snowy alps. One can drive down the hill & be in Florence in 7 minutes. Possession can be had when Lord Salisbury vacates it next summer. Do come over & take it. Shall I speak for it? Ask Mrs. Rogers.
I am glad Mr. Benjamin has taken hold of that thing. Reeves has had more than a year in which to find out that the house needs shingling; perhaps he finds it out now for spite, since he got caught “doing” me for $500 unearned money.
I am exceedingly glad to have the Sun. It seems to me that it has very greatly improved.
Daniel Hawks at 150 is not a bad picture by any means. I don’t remember when it was taken, nor where. I have a letter from Mrs. Crane all about the alleged John T. Lewis. I will have it typed & sent to you [MTHHR 544-6]. Note: Sam’s article, “Italian Without a Master” ran in Harper’s Weekly for Jan. 2, 1904. It was included in The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories (1906) [Budd, Collected 2: 1009]. “Daniel Hanks” is a reference to Harry Rogers, the name taken from a poem, “The Village Oracle” by Joseph C. Lincoln in Cape Cod Ballads and Other Verse (1902); evidently the character had a streak of stubbornness which reminded Sam of young Harry [n2]. See Dec. 3 from Sue Crane for the letter here enclosed.
Frederick A. Duneka wrote to Sam, whose books were selling well; newspapers around the country were saying good things about Mark Twain.
It seemed good to see your handwriting again and it was doubly good to get a chance at that very funny story of your furtive encounter with an elusive Italian newspaper. The Colonel has taken it for the Weekly and proposes to make much of it. Meanwhile can I hope for something from your pen for the special midsummer fiction number of the Magazine—and for the Christmas (1904) number. Your dog story made a great hit— and an Englishman wants a pamphlet of it to give to the anti-vivisectionists in England [MTP].