December 8 Thursday – At the Hotel Krantz in Vienna, Austria, Sam began a letter to H.H. Rogers that he added to on Dec. 11, 12 and 13.

“It is 12 days since I handled a pen. It seems to be an attack of fatigue, & I tried to rest it off, but that was a failure, so I think it is a touch of malaria or piety or something like that & will go off of itself if let alone. I am letting it alone by lying around in my study reading & smoking all day…” [MTHHR 380].

Mary Mason Fairbanks (1828-1898) died in Providence, R.I. after a stroke of apoplexy. She had been living there with her daughter Mollie and husband [Wecter, Mark Twain to Mrs. Fairbanks 278]. Note: for some reason, the Clemenses would not write condolences to Fairbanks’ family until July 31, 1899 in Sanna, Sweden.