February 14 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “E.P. Clarke, 10.30. Yankee at Arthur / Paschal [sic Pascal] Institute 576 Lexington Ave—N.W. cor. of 51st. Say 9 p.m. Dine at Mr. Rogers” [NB 44 TS 6]. Note: See NB entry of Mar. 29, 1901 for same address and a Boys’ debate he attended and named the President of the group, Margaret Pascal. A Sept. 25, 1901 NY Times article, p.5, “Pascal Institute Plans” indentifies officers and also the involvement of Miss Grace Dodge.
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Thomas Bailey Aldrich in Boston. Sam wrote across the envelope: “The nation! You may be in Ponkapog, & can’t attend to it—& it’s urgent!” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Thomas Bailey Aldrich asking him to “Do Clara a favor! Get an item into tomorrow’s” newspaper—likely a review of her recent successful performance in Wash. D.C. [MTP]. UCCL 12866; MTP puts the above note on envelope as UCCL 10117; letter is currently unavailable.
Sam also wrote to Virginia Frazer Boyle (1863-1938), because each year she wrote an ode to the Confederate known as the “Poet Laureate of the Confederacy,” dead.
I have rearranged the Battle Hymn of the Republic this afternoon and brought it down to date…Sample stanza:
“I have read his bandit gospel write in burnished rows of steel,
As ye deal with my pretensions, so with you my wrath shall deal.
Let the faithless sons of freedom, crush the patriot with his heel. Lo, Greed is Marching on.” “Feb. 14. 1901.”
[MTP: Memphis Press-Scimitar Nov. 16, 1935]. Note: see Gribben 326 for Julia Ward Howe. Zwick’s Mark Twain’s Weapons of Satire, p. 40 states Twain put this in a book inscription to Boyle, “but did not submit the poem for publication” (thanks to JoDee Benussi). Budd states that Sam’s “Battle Hymn” was “probably written during February 1901” and was not published during Sam’s life [Collected 2: 1006].
Sam also wrote to nephew Samuel E. Moffett, writing on D.B. Montgomery’s Feb. 14 letter: “Sam, for God’s sake write this cuss something or other & deliver me out of his grip” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Mary Elizabeth Phillips, too “pressed for time” to write anything for her, but referred her to his publishers for consent to use excerpts from his books [MTP].
J. Kelly of Haverhill, Mass. wrote, hoping Sam lived to 150 years old; he didn’t need a reply [MTP].
D.B. Montgomery wrote a follow-up request to Sam. Montgomery was “gathering material and writing a history of the Scotch Irish branch of the Montgomery family in the United States” [MTP]. Note: Sam referred this to his nephew, Samuel E. Moffett.
John Brisben Walker for Cosmopolitan wrote to Sam:
Life is not devoid of compensations. When Pierpont Morgan, the owner of Harpers and the North American, engaged your exclusive services I was dismayed; but when I find in the North American your article on the Philippines I think I see the point. Your going to the enemy was like Judith in order that you might bring back the head of Holofernes McKinley in the North American bag. The other fellows have got money but they haven’t got a monopoly of the brains. Accept my profoundest congratulations… [MTP].
Charles J. Windgate for the Twilight Club (NY) wrote to Sam, enclosing a “Certificate of Membership” with compliments for his “Sitting in Darkness” article [MTP].
Unidentified wrote compliments and a valentine for Twain’s “pluck and good judgment in “Sitting in Darkness” article [MTP].
The Minneapolis Tribune, p.1 ran the cartoon (insert), bottom caption: “Better quit your foolin’, Mark, and go back and work at your trade.”