February 7 Thursday – Webster & Co. wrote to Sam they had $12,167.75 on hand with another $7,000 due from agents within the next two weeks [MTP].

February 6 Wednesday – The Hartford Alumni of Yale gave an annual banquet. This year’s took place at Foot Guard Hall in Hartford at 6:30 p.m. Sam gave what was “apparently” an impromptu and humorous dinner speech based upon his recent honorary MA degree from the school. He spoke of his recent trip to Washington and support for international copyright legislation. His notebook [MTNJ 3: 456-7&472] carries what may be drafts for this speech. Livy and Susan L.

February 5 Tuesday – H.B. Wetzell of Knoxville, Tenn., wrote to Sam on Wetzell & Co. Timberlands letterhead after hearing from one Mr. Risden who claimed to have played hookey with Sam as a boy in Tennessee — was this true? Sam wrote on the envelope, “Will dictate answer” [MTP]. Note: this man may have confused Orion with Sam.

February 4 Monday – In Washington, the House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on a motion to take up the international copyright bill. “A filibuster by opponents of another bill prevented this vote and effectively killed the proposed international copyright legislation” [MTNJ 3: 445n123]. With this development, Sam returned home [446n131].

February 3 Sunday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam: “All right. I will leave Loisette alone. / We are greatly pleased to learn that there is no abatement of confidence in the machine. / There has been no leak of information here. / Glad to hear Mr. Crane is improving. / We are pleasantly engaged in planning for the new house. We are to get possession on the 15th of this month….” More Ma delusions — she thought at times that Orion was “her deceased Uncle Green Casey” [MTP].

February 2 Saturday – Sam gave a speech at Prof. William D. Cabell’s residence on Mass. Ave., Washington, D.C. for the Norwood Ladies’ Literary Association. This was reprinted by Louis J. Budd in “A Rediscovered Mark Twain Speech: New Laws and Old Yarns,” Essays in Arts and Sciences 23 (Oct. 1994): 59-66, and is also contained in a Washington Post article for Feb. 4, 1889, p.2, “‘Mark Twain’s’ Speech.”

February 1 Friday – Sam’s notebook carries a list of names indicating the order in which he planned visits before leaving Washington. Some have addresses (not included below). They are:

Mrs. President Cleveland; Gen. Joseph R. Hawley; Mrs. Ralph Cross Johnson; Mrs. Secretary Whitney; William D. Cabell Sat. Eve. 8.30. 9; Mrs. Hitt ; Mrs George Hearst; Mrs. John Hay; John Hay; Mr. S.G. Ward & Miss Howard; Z.C. Robbins [MTNJ 3: 447].

February – Sam’s notebook entry concerns Margaret Wade Deland’s first novel, John Ward, Preacher (1888) about the struggles of a Calvinist minister and his wife who does not share his faith. Sam wrote a criticism similar to that he would use against Jane Austen:

January 31 Thursday – At 10 a.m. in New York, Sam left for Washington joined by Robert Underwood Johnson of Century Magazine [MTNJ 3: 445]. The men aimed to lobby for passage of a copyright bill. Sam also referred to a “prospectus” to take to Washington, probably investment promotion for the typesetter as the prospectus for CY was not completed until Oct. 1889 [n125].

January 30 Wednesday – The major portion of Sam’s Dec 27, 1888 letter about plagiarism to Baroness Gripenberg was translated and ran in the Stockholm, Sweden newspaper, Göteborg Handels-och Sjöfarts-Tidning [Moyne 377].