September 10, 1898 Saturday

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September 10 SaturdayElisabeth of Bavaria (“Sisi”), Empress of Austria (1837-1898) was assassinated in Geneva by young anarchist Luigi Lucheni, who wanted to kill any royal, and had been unable to find a prince from the House of Orleans. Clemens would write on Sept. 13 to Joe Twichell of Elisabeth as, “That good and unoffending lady,” and that he was “living in the midst of world-history again.”

September 9, 1898 Friday

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September 9 FridaySam’s notebook:

Sept. 9. Man hanged himself today, leaving wife & 2 chn & nothing else. He had lost 28 gulden gambling. Countess Wydenbruck took up a collection. Result, 180 gulden—just ten times what he lost

————

Man is fearfully & wonderfully made out of microbes” [NB 40 TS 32].

September 6, 1898 Tuesday

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September 6 TuesdaySam’s notebook:

Am sending to Bok “My Platonic Sweetheart” (about 9,000 words—price $1000). Am writing him if he doesn’t (or does) want it, inform Mr. Rogers.

Am sending “Concerning the Jews” to Mr. Rogers. If Bok keeps the above send this one to Harper. But if Bok declines, send both to Harper, let him have his choice, then send the remaining one to Century [NB 40 TS 32].

September 2, 1898 Friday

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September 2 Friday – In Kaltenleutgeben, Austria, Sam wrote to Edward Bok, editor of the Ladies’ Home Journal, suggesting “My Platonic Sweetheart” as suitable “for a periodical whose specialty is the fireside, the home.” It was longer than Bok had wanted and Sam’s price was $1,000, but Sam was mailing it that day—if Bok didn’t want it would he please mail it to H.H. Rogers.

August 30, 1898 Tuesday

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August 30 Tuesday – In Kaltenleutgeben, Austria Sam wrote to William Dean Howells.

“This morning I read to Mrs. Clemens your visit to the Spanish prisoners, & have just finished reading it to her again—& lord, how find it is & beautiful, & how gracious & moving. You have the gifts—of mind & heart” [MTHL 2: 679]. Note: Harper’s Weekly of Aug. 20 had published Howells’ “Our Spanish Prisoners at Portsmouth.”

August 29, 1898 Monday

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August 29 Monday – In Kaltenleutgeben, Austria, Sam finished his Aug. 28 to H.H. Rogers.

P.S. Next Day. / Yours of the 19th has arrived [not extant], enclosing letter of Mr. Harper and opinion of Mr. Rives.

Good, I am glad a settlement is close at hand, though I wish Rives wouldn’t always keep on interfering with people’s arrangements.

August 28, 1898 Sunday

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August 28 Sunday – In Kaltenleutgeben, Austria, Sam replied to Frank E. Bliss’ Aug. 16 (not extant) statement. Sam pointed out the $1,000 for the FE excerpts given to McClure’s wasn’t on the statement— it would be all right if Bliss sent that amount to Rogers. Sam didn’t have any idea what to put in the suggested introduction to his Uniform Edition, and had never seen an intro that had value.

August 20, 1898 Saturday

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August 20 Saturday – In Bad Ischl, Austria, Sam wrote to John Brisben Walker, owner of Cosmopolitan. Sam had received a check for $120 and a receipt to sign, but in the “confusion of packing” the family for a summer outing, it had been lost. They would return to Kaltenleutgeben in about ten days  [MTP].