April – The April issue of Atlantic Monthly included Charles Miner Thompson’s “Mark Twain as an Interpreter of American Character,” p. 443-50. Tenney: “‘He is not a great or a skillful writer,’ and lacks the taste of an Oliver Wendell Holmes.
March 19 Friday – In London Sam wrote to Frank E. Bliss.
I enclose renewal-application & letter about it. Please attend to the matter for me.
I finished the book (in the rough) March 1st, then spent a week gutting it. I gutted a third of it out, & then began a careful revising & editing of the remaining two-thirds. I shall complete this revision in two or three days. I set the type-writer to work on the first 10,000 words a couple of days ago.
March 28 Sunday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to Pamela Moffett. Evidently Pam had written and sent a book, Belief of Unitarians for Sam and Livy to read. He wrote that he’d directed Harpers to send her a copy of JA, something he “supposed” he’d “attended to long ago,” which infers she might have asked for it. She also must have complained about Sally Moffett leaving too much money to her daughter (unnamed) for Sam replied:
March 27 Saturday – Orion Clemens finished his Mar. 26 to Sam. He discussed a City “Platform” about water and meter rates, and included a clipping from the Keokuk paper of the Platform [MTP].
This is the day that Sam suggested James Ross Clemens visit [Mar. 25 to J.R. Clemens].
March 26 Friday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam made a dental appointment. He noted in his Mar. 25 to James R. Clemens that it was his only appointment since he’d seen him (probably on Mar. 8).
March 25 Thursday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus to correct an oversight in JA, which he’d intended to be his silver-wedding gift to Livy when he began it in Florence in 1893. He had forgotten to request the dedication in the front pages and now sent the copy he wished them to insert: ,
TO MY WIFE 1895 Olivia Langdon Clemens
March 24 Wednesday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to American Publishing Co.
correcting his cable address to “Care Bookstore London. / I gave it to you wrong before, I believe” [MTP]. Note: Sam had provided “Bookseller London” as his cable address, to Bliss and to Rogers, which caused Rogers’ Mar. 4 cable to be returned.
Sam also wrote a postcard to John Y. MacAlister, having survived a bout of lumbago, asked him to “come down & have another smoke” [MTP].
March 23 Tuesday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote a postcard to Chatto & Windus, asking why Rogers’ first cable of Mar. 4 had not been received. Sam quoted from H.H. Rogers’ letter (not extant):
March 18 Thursday – Julian Ralph (1853-1903) inscribed a copy of his book, Alone in China, and Other Stories, London (1897): “To S.L. Clemens, Esq / With the warm regards of / Julian Ralph / 35 Courtfield Road S.W. / March 18 ‘97” [Gribben 568].
Sam’s notebook:
January 24 Sunday – Caroline B. Le Row wrote offering to return to Clemens his “financial gift” of $250 long ago,
which the Century had paid him, which he then gave to her, for her “little book,” English As She Is Taught. Le Row was now a teacher of reading at a Girls’ high school in Brooklyn and could send it in a month or so if he needed it [MTP]. Note: Printed in MFMT 137-8