January 14 Thursday – Berlin, Germany. Paine writes that “Clemens awoke with a heavy cold and lung congestion. He remained in bed, a very sick man indeed, for the better part of a month” [MTB 935]. Note: Sam would spend 38 days in bed [Feb. 22 to E.A. Reynolds Ball].

Henry C. Bunner wrote from Nutley, N. J. to Sam with a rather tongue-in-cheek letter relating to “Mental Telegraphy,” and proposing a “test” of the theory whereby he put a gentleman’s name in a sealed envelope and sent it to Brander Matthews — since the man had been recurringly on Bunner’s mind, Sam should know the man’s identity and disclose it to Matthews who would then verify it [MTP].

January last half – Paine writes, “During his convalescent days, Clemens had plenty of time to reflect and to look out of the window. His notebook preserves some of his reflections. In one place he says:”

The Emperor passes in a modest open carriage. Next that happy 12-year-old butcher-boy, all in white apron and turban, standing up & so proud!

How fast they drive — nothing like it but in London. And the horses seem to be of very fine breed, though I am not an expert in horses & do not speak with assurance. I can always tell which is the front end of a horse, but beyond that my art is not above the ordinary.

The “Court Gazette” of a German paper can be covered with a playing-card. In an English paper the movements of titled people take up about three times that room. In the papers of Republican France from six to sixteen times as much. There, if a Duke’s dog should catch cold in the head they would stop the press to announce it and cry about it. In Germany they respect titles, in England they revere them, in France they adore them. That is, the French newspapers do.

Been taken for Mommsen twice. We have the same hair, but on examination it was found the brains were different [MTB 938-9 from NB 31 TS 27]. Note: Theodor Mommsen (1817-1903), eminent German historian and archeologist.