April 8 Saturday – Sam’s letter (unsigned) to the editor (as from Satan), “A Humane Word from Satan” first appeared in Harper’s Weekly for Apr. 8, 1905. It was collected in The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories (1906) [Budd, Collected 2: 1010]. Note: the letter poked again at the American Board of Foreign Missions for not accepting donations from John D. Rockefeller.

Sam inscribed in TS (Vol. 20 of the Hillcrest ed., daughter Clara’s copy), a maxim and a dated sketch about the cat Bambino. From Sotheby’s write up:

Tom Sawyer Abroad (volume 20) is perhaps the crowning item in this most desirable of sets of Mark Twain’s works. Not only is there an autograph literary marginal comment identifying in the postmaster Nat Parsons the “quality of Snagsby in Bleak House,” but the blank leaf facing the maxim [the maxim in vol. 20 reads: “Often the surest way to convey misinformation is to tell the truth”—jd] has an autograph sketch by Clemens of a large cat sleeping in an easy chair, captioned “Resply yrs Bambino, Apl. 8/05.” [Sotheby’s sale Apr. 13, 2004, Lot 27]. Note: Sam gifted Hillcrest sets to Clara and Jean on Nov. 27, 1904, and more than once added new comments in Clara’s set.

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Mr. Clemens was talking of Jews this morning. He spoke of their high regard for the family. There is little or no divorce among them and their reverence for the aged is commendable” [MTP: TS 50]. Isabel Lyon’s journal # 2: “Mr. Clemens will dine with Mr.& Mrs. Rogers” [MTP TS 12].

Edward Everett Hale wrote to Sam, thanking him for his “cordial assent” to his “proposal to Howells.” Wayne MacVeagh had decided against trying the case, as he did not believe in a perpetual right of copyright [MTP].

William Dean Howells wrote to Sam on Hale’s above letter: “Have you any ideas on the subject?” [MTP; not in MTHL].

S. Kinney, House of Representatives, Salt Lake City, Utah sent Sam a notice from Alfred Farlow titled “A Friendly Word” upon which Kinney wrote, “What do you think of this? I am in sympathy with your view of the subject. Are they getting so strong that they can dictate what an author may write?” The Farlow article stated that Christian Scientists should “assist publishers in determining the accuracy of matter relating to Christian Science” [MTP].