To The Person Sitting in Darkness: Day By Day

June 13 Monday – In the evening at the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to Charles J. Langdon about transporting two horses, Livy’s last gift to her daughters, back to America.

June 14 Friday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Susan Crane that he liked “that proposed gravestone exceedingly” and thanked her for arranging it. “I have penciled a comma into one of the verses—the only correction needed”[MTP]. Note: the mention of verses denotes possibly Susy’s gravestone.

Sam also wrote to George V.W. Duryee, of Adirondack Park Co., rental agent in Lake Saranac, N.Y., dictating to Frances A. Ramsay, stenographer.

June 14 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam and Livy replied to Franklin G. Whitmore’s June 13, principally about the sale of the Farmington Ave. house, which had not yet sold but was actively being shown. Livy added that “of course you will not get your price $75,000,” but she’d hoped he might get $60,000. Sam announced they were breaking up housekeeping getting ready for a June 23 move to York Harbor, Maine [MTP].

June 14 Sunday – Sam sent a note and photograph portrait to David A. Munro. “McCracken has been playing sneak & spy in my house, & I have told him so in a letter [not extant] today” [MTP: Stan V. Henkels catalog, Apr. 9, 1931, No. 1452, Item 213]. Note: Sam stuck to his spelling of McCrackan.

Sam’s notebook: “Dinner at Dr. Parry’s to meet ‘Everyman’ / 249 E 32d—7.30” [NB 46 TS 19]. Note: Dr. Parry was a female N.Y.C. doctor who would treat Clara Clemens; see Nov. 7, 1904.

June 14 Tuesday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence, Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Raffaele Simboli. “You will understand that Mr. Clemens is not interested in anything at the present time, his house being a house of mourning” [MTP].

June 15 Sunday – Sam’s notebook listed more snippets of boyhood memories/ideas for the 50 years after story: “ ‘Haunting’ a house—like Va City—so we can use it for Gang headquarters. / Sign on it T.S.’ s Gang. / Pic-nic—name the girls. / Candy-pull & Jim Wolf. / Eat’m guts & all. 50 yr after. / The mossy marbles rest / On the lips that we have pressed / In their bloom / And the names we loved to hear / Have been carved for many a year / On their tomb” [NB 45 TS 18].

June 15 Monday – In the morning Sam returned from Fairhaven, Mass. where he conferred with H.H. Rogers over business matters (see June 12). Note: there is a seeming conflict here—the Dr. Parry dinner Sam noted was on June 14 while Lyon reported on June 15 he had returned from Fairhaven “this morning” and was tired. Either Sam missed the June 14 dinner; or he went directly to it from Fairhaven and stayed the night in N.Y.C. and then returned the morning of June 15.

June 16 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Answered Harper proposition for reduction of 7 ½ cents royalty per vol., declining to accede” [NB 44 TS 12].

Check # Payee Amount [Notes]

238 Self 300.00

239 NY Central RR 98.50

June 16 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Harper’s. Booksellers’ informal reception. 4 p.m. (Say 4.30?) / 10.30 a.m. documents to sign” [NB 45 TS19]. Also: “1 man had old vol of cyclopedia, other had another. Each an expert on his letter” [ibid.]. Note: this last a story idea?

Sam was present at Harper & Brothers when the members of the American Booksellers’ Association visited Harpers and joined in a luncheon. The New York Times, p.9, June 17, took note of the gathering:

June 16 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Annie E. Trumbull.

Livy instructs me to thank you heartily & affectionately for your book, which has just arrived. She has had a chance to read only the two or three opening pages, but she finds them just delicious, & sees you in them & hears you talk. And itI am to send you her unfading & indestructible love.

June 16 Thursday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto Sam wrote to Daniel Willard Fiske in London.

June 17 Monday – An unidentified book sent by Frank Fuller arrived at Sam’s N.Y. residence [June 18 to Fuller].

Check # Payee Amount [Notes]

240 Whitmore 460.00

June 17 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to W.H. Dulany, who had sent news clippings, biographical details, and a photo he had taken of Sam in Hannibal. Sam’s replied:

The views have arrived & are exceedingly fine & beautiful. Pray accept my best thanks for them.

My trip to the West was no tax upon my strength, & was an abounding delight. I’ve renewed my youth in Hannibal—all but the hair—& I would not trade those days for any others I have seen in a quarter of a century [MTP; Sorrentino 40].

June 17 Friday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam sent a cable to John Y. MacAlister:

“Clara slowly recovering The rest well / Clemens” [MTP].

Thomas Nelson Page in York Harbor, Maine wrote a letter of condolence to Sam [MTP].

Emma B. Thayer and Abbott Handerson Thayer each wrote, from Monadnock, N.H., a letter of condolence to Sam [MTP].

June 18 Tuesday – At 4:50 p.m., Sam waited at the Holland House, an eleven-story marble hotel at 5th Ave. and 30th Street, for H.H. Rogers. Urban H. Broughton, Rogers’ son- in-law, came to advise Sam that Rogers was still in Fairhaven and would not return “for a day or two yet” [June 19 to Rogers].

At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Frank Fuller.

June 18 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook contained more Hannibal memories for the 50 years after story: “The gang’s meeting-sign, its badge (skull, &c) stuck up (TS.G.) around. This must be the summons (with date & nothing more) 50 yrs hence. / The overflow—back-water in Bear creek—water moccasins in the trees on the clothes” [NB 45 TS19].

June 18 Saturday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.

Dear Joe: / It is 13 days. I am bewildered and must remain so for a time longer. It was so sudden, so unexpected. Imagine a man worth a hundred millions who suddenly finds himself penniless & fifty millions in debt in his old age. I was richer than any other person in the world, and now I am that pauper without peer. Some day I will tell you about it, not now. / Mark [MTP].

June 19 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “J.L. Underwood National Arts Club 7.30 | W. 34th near B’way N. side” [NB 44 TS 12].

At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Elizabeth W. Gilbert. “It is a charming letter & gives me great pleasure. I think you will write a book some day, & I hope I shall live to read it” [MTP].

Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.

June 19 Thursday – Riverdale, N.Y.: Sam’s notebook: “Dr. Rice, George Ade to dinner” [NB 45 TS19].

Livy’s diary: “Dr Rice, Mr George Ade (author of Fables in Slang) & Rodman Gilder here for luncheon” [MTP: DV161]. Note: Fables in Slang (1899) [Gribben 9].

Sam wrote to Paul Kester in Accotink, Va. (only the envelope survives) [MTP]. Note: Kester had struck an agreement with Clemens to dramatize Tom Sawyer.

June 19 Sunday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto Sam wrote to Charles J. Langdon.

June – On a Tuesday, from 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.

Well, it is funny. The country’s political morals & ideals have sunk pretty nearly to zero in the past two years, but I had not suspected that anybody had dropped to the point of thinking the clergy bribable. Seriously, it is an astonisher. Could it have happened 20 years ago? No, it couldn’t. I don’t know but that this is zero.

June – Sometime during the month Sam inscribed two photographs to Katharine Boland Clemens:“with the love of her cousin,” and “with the love and affection of her cousin” [MTP]. Note: Katharine married Sam’s cousin James Ross Clemens.

Sam also wrote an inscription to John Garth. “In reverent memory of John Garth, and in unbroken friendship of 55 years, June, 1902” [MTP].

June 1, before – Sam wrote to Daniel Willard Fiske, asking help in finding a furnished villa near Florence, Italy. He divulged that he was also writing Mrs. Ross , (Janet D. Ross ) and that daughter Clara was also writing Miss Hall and Miss Blood to keep an eye out for a place “during the next 5 or 6 months.” Livy added a PS in the top margin: “Do you know of any very good physicians in Florence?”

June – The Critic for June, p.518-24 ran an illustrated (six photographs) article, “Mark Twain from an Italian Point of View” by Raffaele Simboli, correspondent for the Nuova Antologia. See Nov. 6, 1903 entry for excerpt. Included in the pictures was one of Jean Clemens on her white Italian saddle- horse (see insert), a gift from Livy, which would die in an August trolley accident in Lee, Mass. Also in this issue was Mark Twain’s “Letter to an Italian Editor,” p.

June 2 Monday – In Hannibal, Mo. Sam had breakfast at the home of Colonel and Mrs. Hatch [Sorrentino 21].

Sam’s notebook: “Miss Lakenan, 10 a.m. will call with a carriage. / Mr. Crookshank’s house—reading. / Wister will call at 5.30 / Supper before at George Clayton’s / The girl was lost in the cave—they only find bones, —sweetheart of Bates” [NB 45 TS 15]. Note: the last a story idea.

As in the above NB entry, Fatout lists Sam’s giving remarks at Mr. Crookshank’s (Cruickshank) home in Hannibal for some 300-400 people [MT Speaking 670; Sorrentino 21].