June 6 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “? Article Club Lord Suffield, Pr. Laurence Cowen, Sec. 6.30 for 7. Trocadero Restaurant. / Andrew Lang? / 36 Theobald’s Row with Spal—3 pm” [NB 43 TS 15].

Note: The Article Club was founded in connection with a paper called Commerce by Cowen, a Jew, for the purpose of availing leading businesses a way of meeting and discussing mutual interests; a condition of membership was that an article about each firm would appear in Commerce after 300 pounds was paid for the first year’s subscription. A lawsuit was brought during 1900 by Lord Suffield (Charles Harbord; 1830-1914) after another publication Truth, called the Club a scam. Suffield was a close friend of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.

At 30 Wellington Court in London, Sam wrote a postcard to Prof. James Mark Baldwin at Oxford, announcing he would take the 11:45 a.m. train as he did not like to travel before daylight [James M. Baldwin, Between Two Wars, 1926 p.111].

Sam also replied to Dora C. Bowen (Mrs. Will Bowen), her letter not extant.

Yes, I really wanted to catch the measles, & I succeeded. Those were pleasant days; none since have been so pleasant, none so well worth living over again. For the romance of life is the only part of it that is overwhelmingly valuable, & romance dies with youth. After that, life is a drudge, & indeed a sham. A sham, & likewise a failure…. I should like to call back Will Bowen & John Garth & the others, & live the life, & be as we were, & make holiday until 15, then all drown together [MTP].

Sam also replied to William M. Clemens’ May 22 request to publish three articles about Mark Twain (Will was not a relative).

I am sorry to object, but I really must. Such books as you propose are not proper to publish during my lifetime. A man’s history is his own property until the grave extinguishes his ownership in it. I am strenuously opposed to having books of a biographical character published about me while I am alive….

You need not feel troubled about the contracts. I will forward a copy of this letter to your publisher, & when he recognizes that you made them while unaware that you could not carry them out, he will release you without prejudice.

I beg that you will not think that in estopping you I am entering upon this course of procedure for the first time, for it is not so. I have done the like before, & stopped a book which was already on sale [MTP].

Poultney Bigelow wrote from N.Y. another colorful travel postcard to Sam. “Just read your Pud’HdWilson over again—it is immense—reads better each time. This boat [pictured sail boat] just suits you—Love to you all” [MTP].