August 24 Thursday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to Hans L. Braekstad
Unhappily for me I was obliged to telegraph a request to the National Theatre Director. Kellgren has promised to deliver me from an ailment of six years standing; I think it is rather plain that he is going to succeed; so it would not be fair to interrupt the process in the middle & risk the loss of the ground gained.
August 23 Wednesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to General John Tatlock, Jr., 32 Nassau St., NYC. Only the envelope survives [MTP: eBay item 1839204511]. Note: Tatlock (d. 1902) was an astronomer and assistant actuary of the Mutual Life Ins. Co. of NY. He was also secretary of the Actuarial Society and a member of the American Mathematical Society.
August 22 Tuesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.
I have looked over the originals of the Dream Sweetheart & Wapping Alice, & perceive that the first does not convey my idea clearly at all; & so, for me it has no value & must remain unpublished. And I perceive that a part of Alice needs re-writing—so she can’t be publishable as she stands. She’ll never get that re-writing. She should have applied while I was interested in her—& she didn’t. I wash my hands of the business.
August 21 Monday – The Polish Countess Emily De Laszowska wrote from Corinthia, Austria, a long, mostly illegible letter to Sam. “Dearest Mr. Clemens I have always put off writing letter to because I hate writing you a short letter, so the result has been a disgraceful silence” [MTP]. Note: Sam must have had a migraine trying to read this one. See Dolmetsch for more on the Countess.
August 20 Sunday – In Sanna, Sweden, Livy and Clara Clemens wrote to Chatto & Windus; Clara requested a copy of The Open Question by Elizabeth Robins (C.E. Raimond) and Livy asked for selections of Robert Browning’s poetry, “something not very expensive” [MTP].
August 19 Saturday – Joe Twichell wrote to Sam from Antwerp, Belgium. He explained why he hadn’t written—being far away from his “base which furnished the staple of my communication,” and keeping up with the pace of his Chicago friend (unspecified). Joe landed in Southampton July 5 and would sail again from there for home on Sept. 23. They were disappointed at being unable to see the Clemenses. He told of their adventures so far and of plans to go to the Hague, then to Milan, the Tyrol, and perhaps Venice.
August 18 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “August 18, 1899. Three years ago, to-day, Susy Clemens, aged 24 years & 5 months. / Escaped out of this life” [NB 42 TS 57].
August 15 Tuesday – About this day Sam wrote the introduction for T. Douglas Murray’s use of the Official Records of the Joan of Arc Trial, which would not appear until 1902 as Jeanne d’Arc: Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France [Aug. 25 to Murray].
August 7 Monday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote an aphorism to E.S. (not further identified):“Nearly all of us have Music & Truth in us, but the most of us can’t get it out” [MTP].
August 6 Sunday – Elizabeth Robins wrote from Vulpera Switzerland to Sam. “Your beautiful letter reached me last night and it has made me very happy. I have been proud for so long to sit at your feet, that to have you …speak such words is enough” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “From Miss Robbins, author of ‘An Open Question.’ Keep it. SLC”