January 26 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote a note to Livy.
Jan. 26—night. / I am where the Mutiny is approaching, Livy dear—April 22—then the 30th–-then May 8th — that awful shadow creeping upon them stage by stage, & they don’t know it. May the 9th, & they are easy & comfortable, & think it was a trifling flurry & has blown over. May the 10 & they are junketing—& the slaughter & the butchering & the burning is raging at Meerut! & they don’t suspect.—by gracious there is something immensely moving & dramatic about that creeping shadow & those poor self-satisfied people’s unconsciousness of it!
I am loving you, dearest, good-night, dearheart & sleep well [MTP]. Note: Sam was reading Cawnpore (1899) by Sir George Otto Trevelyan (1838-1928). See Gribben 711-12.
Sam’s notebook: “Charley Clark / John T. Raymond / Gerhardt, sculptor / (Nathan Hale ‘$150 will secure the vote.’ It was furnished. / C.D.W. [Charles Dudley Warner] collected $25 of me to buy votes for Senator Hawley. Said conduct of democrats made it justifiable” [NB 46 TS 8].
Samuel M. Bergheim for the Plasmon Syndicate wrote from London to Sam. “I was really quite astonished when I heard from Mr. Wright that you had had no information about our work here. I was almost certain that Mr. MacAlister was in frequent communication with you…otherwise I would have written before. Our secretary did send you a Report of our Annual Meeting, and I am sorry that it never reached you.” Bergheim then offered positive sales numbers and progress with the business [MTP].
Harper & Brothers wrote to Sam. “Will you kindly let us know when we may expect the copy for the Christian Science volume? We should be very pleased to put the volume in the hands of the compositors at once, so that it can be prepared for the early trips of our travellers among the trade” [MTP].
W.H. Jewell, “an intimate friend” of Jack Van Nostrand of the Quaker City excursion, wrote to Sam. Jewell had had an argument with someone about what was Mark Twain’s second book—Jewell claimed it
was RI [MTP]. Note: his second book was IA, July, 1869; his first, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Cavaleras County and Other Sketches, May 1867.
D.B. Robbins, manager of the Fredonia Harware Co. wrote from Fredonia, NY. “I was reading in Jan. Success an article ‘Mark Twain’s Advice to General Grant.[’] Your great kindness to our dear dead President brought tears to my eyes—God bless you for such a kind heart” [MTP].
Joe Twichell wrote to Sam. “Oh for mercy’s sake, send us—or let somebody—a word telling us how things are with you at your house now. It must be that Jean is way out of the woods, but we want to hear it. Take a second or two of your next three minute call on Livy to give her the love of us all” [MTP]. Sam wrote on the env. “answered.”