1895 – The MTP lists this year and unknown place for a line from Sam in the palmreader Cheiro’s Memoirs. See Aug. 8, 1894 for Sam’s meeting of Cheiro. This sentiment was likely written shortly after that meeting, possibly in Cheiro’s guest log book, not in 1895.

Sometime during the year Sam wrote to an unidentified person about why he didn’t prefer writing short stories:

In my experience it costs less work to write a big book or a wagon load of criticism than it does to write that most difficult and bothersome thing — a short story. One can’t charge for the work, but only for the result; hence I don’t lean to the short story…[MTP: Bangs & Co. catalogs, Oct. 16, 1902 Item 96].

Sometime during the year (before July 14 when the world tour began) Sam signed a typed letter (which may have been a form letter) to D.E. Blake, Esq. Of Central City, Colo.

It may not interest you, but my publishers think they can make money issuing a uniform edition of my works. I have authorized them to do so — at their expense.

      If you wish to secure a collection of “Books that have helped me” you may let them know — at your expense. [Tenney from copy at Honnold Library, Claremont, Calif.; year identified from the stamp as a Type III perf.12 for that issue, either 1894 or 5; since agreement for a Uniform Edition had not occurred by 1894, this note is put to 1895].

John Elderkin’s A Brief History of the Lotos Club was published; it included the 1893 dinner honoring Mark Twain (p.112-18) [Tenney 24].

Brander Matthew’s Books and Play-Books: Essays on Literature and the Drama included a chapter “Of Mark Twain’s Best Story,” on the truth and vitality of HF. On p. 160-1 he recalled Robert Louis Stevenson’s “hearty praise of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, and his cordial belief that it was a great book, riper in art and ethically richer than the Tom Sawyer of which it is the sequel” [Tenney 24]