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June 3 SaturdayNiagara Book, containing “Extracts from Adam’s Diary” was published by Underhill and Nichols. The book did not sell well, and Sam only received half of the thousand dollars agreed upon, due to Nichols pushing Underhill out of the company (See Oct. 20 to Livy). Sam eventually forgave Underhill the other half, since the book lost some six thousand dollars [BAMT 5]. Note: Underhill would publish some of Sam’s later works. In 1895 Sam would further revise the story, taking out localized references to Niagara Falls. It was collected in My Debut as a Literary Person with Other Essays and Stories (1903) [Budd, Collected 2: 1001]. He again revised it in 1905 for publication along with “Eve’s Diary.”

In Florence, Sam wrote two notes to Frederick J. Hall. Whatever funds Matthew Arnot sent, Sam wanted banked in the Mount Morris Bank until Hall could determine if he could sell Sam out. If Hall had sold any royalties, those funds should be dealt with likewise.

For if you can sell me out I shan’t want to pay any of the Mount Morris Debt, of course [MTP].

In his second short note to Hall, he enclosed a “confidential letter”:

It is to post you — in case Mr. Baxter should call. / We are breaking up, now, & shall leave for Germany in about a week [MTP]. Note: Charles Baxter, friend of Rudyard Kipling. See Apr 16.

Day By Day Acknowledgment

Mark Twain Day By Day was originally a print reference, meticulously created by David Fears, who has generously made this work available, via the Center for Mark Twain Studies, as a digital edition.   

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