October 26 Sunday – Sam left Princeton, N.J.. and returned home to Riverdale, N.Y. [NB 45 TS 32].
Sam’s notebook: “Look out & pay ‘Village of Tarrytown’ c/o John W. Free, Collector, $588.02. (Bill in Livy’s desk)” [NB 45 TS 32]. Note: property taxes on Tarrytown house.
Muriel M. Pears, “the Member for Scotland,” wrote a rather long and rambling “chatty” letter to Sam about her recent travels and thoughts, along with “Notes for the Club” (Sam’s Juggernaut) [MTP].
October 27 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow.
All success to your formidable venture! My German rights are handled exclusively by Chatto, and he always sells the books to Robt. Lutz of Stuttgart for publication in the German tongue, but I should think he might let you have them first for serial publication if you don’t mind asking the said Chatto. By George! I wonder where you will turn up next! [MTP]. Note: Sam gave a brief note of Livy’s illness.
October 28 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y., Livy was well enough to sit outdoors for an hour without any negative consequences [Crane to Sewall Oct. 31].
Sam’s notebook: “3.30, Theodore Stanton” [NB 45 TS 32]. Note: Theodore Weld Stanton, son of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, suffragist. See Nov. 17, 1901; Stanton had tried to locate Sam’s “Napoleon” mountain in France.
October 29 Wednesday – J. Smither Jackson wrote from Surrey, England to Sam, asking for a few details about Mark Twain’s works: date of the first book published; total number published; which has had the longest circulation; did any of them concern Sam’s personal travels? Which did he consider his finest work; and where could he obtain a “good cabinet portrait of” Twain? [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “A curiosity / No Answer.”
October 30 Thursday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote a postcard to the North American Review that he had mailed all three installments of “Christian Science” [MTP]. Note: he also noted it below:
October 31 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y.: Sam’s notebook: “(See Sept. 28.) Jean’s last faint was July 31—92 days without an attack: 13 weeks. (See Oct. 9. also.) ” [NB 45 TS 32].
Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.
November – Critic ran a brief review of “A Double-Barrelled Detective Story” on p.479. In full:
November 1 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y.: Sam’s notebook: “Miss Lyon came. / A reading in private house for Mrs. Bartholomew’s charity. / The Duel. Watermelon / Old Ram. Ornithorhyncus. / Mex. Plug. Russ. Passport. / Xms. Whistling. Golden Arm” [NB 45 TS 33]. Note: this is the reading canceled on May 1, 1902. Evidently he gave another reading for this charity on Dec. 20.
November 2 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Edward W. Ordway, secretary of the Anti-Imperialist League: “Although I cannot do any of the work myself, I shall be mighty glad to advise others what to do; therefore, accidents not preventing, I shall be at 501 at 4 p.m.” Nov. 13th” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to commiserate with Sir Thomas Wardle on the loss of his wife, Lady Wardle:
November 3 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Rehearsal, 10.30 a.m. carry play & check for house money. Tailor, Emery, 246 – 5th ave. ” [NB 45 TS 33]. Note: The play rehearsal was Lee Arthur’s HF, arranged by Dillingham; see Nov. 7 NB and prior entries. The 1900 Biographical directory of the state of New York lists Edwin W. Emery, Tailor at that address in N.Y.C.
November 4 Tuesday – An account told by Norman Hapgood in his 1930 The Changing Years, has been pinned to a period Nov. 4 to 10, 1902, by the NY Sun of Nov. 5, 1902, p.9, “Eleonora Duse Here Again,” and by other New York newspapers, including: See insert ad, Friday Nov. 9, 1902. Hapgood writes:
November 5 Wednesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote two notes (one per Isabel Lyon) to Franklin G. Whitmore, both about plans to come and view the HF play by Lee Arthur at Parson’s Theatre in Hartford; and the guests he wished to be there [MTP]. Note: Livy’s worsening condition prevented him from making the trip—see Nov. 9 to Whitmore.
November 6 Thursday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Eleanor V. Hutton (Mrs. Laurence Hutton).
November 7 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Mr. Griswold. “I shall be very glad indeed to do it. You forgot to enclose the piece of paper. You will best know the size & kind of paper you desire, so I will wait, if I may, until I hear from you again” [MTP].
November 8 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “New York / ‘Huck Finn’ / Mark Twain League man 5 p.m. here. / WEDDING 3 / Books should bear all the copyrights—Webster Dic. / Can Mrs. C. or heirs renew?” [NB 45 TS 33]. Note: neither the MT League man nor the wedding notation (3 p.m.?) are identified, though the latter may refer to Julia Langdon’s pleading letter for him to come to her wedding on Nov. 29 in Elmira..
November 9 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Charles Bancroft Dillingham, whom he had planned to accompany to Hartford to see the first performance of Lee Arthur’s HF play.
November 10 Monday – W. Harlan wrote from New Whatcom, Wash. to Sam, asking for a list of his books and which were the funniest; he wanted to recommend them to his patients. A doctor? Or a quack, Harlan believed in the power of vibration, which he called “Vibraopathy” [MTP]. Note: Clemens wrote on the env. “Curiosity”.
November 11 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook : “Take 2 p m. train for Hartford. / Bought …180 ½ Chi. Milwaukee & St. Paul, common 8% & 5 shs purchasable at par” [NB 45 TS 33]. Note: Sam decided not to go to Hartford due to Livy’s worsening condition [Nov. 9 to Dillingham].
In N.Y.C. William Dean Howells wrote to Sam.
November 12 Wednesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote per Isabel V. Lyon to Franklin G. Whitmore.
Mr. Clemens wishes me to say that yesterday Mrs. Clemens was better and otherwise, but mainly otherwise.
Mr. Clemens also says that if the encumbrance on the property could be reduced as you suggest it would be a great relief.
Further that he is ready to put up the property for sale at auction, just as soon as Mrs. Clemens is well enough to say “Yes” to any business proposition.
November 13 Thursday – Sam had promised Edward W. Ordway he would be at the Anti-Imperialist League meeting at 4p.m. [Nov. 2 to Ordway].
In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to William Dean Howells.
I am glad you sent me the short story from Texas. I wonder if you have much of this luck. That little story is a meal for a male; a male who has been living on Huyler’s Candy for a week, and wants something with bones and blood and gristle in it.
November 14 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Emily S. Hutchings, advising her what to do with rejected manuscripts.
November 15 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow.
Welcome!—welcome!—and again and again welcome to these foreign shores, you well beloved alien’! You should be arriving today by my count.
Mrs. Clemens is abed and in the osteopath’s hands, but she will get well as soon as she can, for she wants you to come up here and eat before you go off lecturing.
We make our reverence to your father, and join in kind regards to all the blood [MTP].
November 16 Sunday – In N.Y.C. William Dean Howells wrote to Sam.
(the way you look now)
Of course I should like to help pry that money out of Heriot [sic Harriott], but I think it will take more than fence-rails to do it. Poor Stoddard wrote me to the same effect as he wrote you, and wrung my heart so that I have not yet braced up to show that I had one. “This d—— human race!” You were well out of that dinner last night. Oh, but the clack was dull [MTHL 2: 750].
November 17 Monday – Emily S. Hutchings replied from St. Louis to Sam’s Nov. 14, thanking him for his “good and helpful letter,” which she’d rec’d this morning. She related a quick history of a novel she’d written on the Civil War when she was 20, and of Gen. Lew Wallace’s opinion, her decision not to publish it with Munsey, etc. Her lament was that so many other “oars” were in the water when it came to getting a book to the right publisher. She wished Livy better health [MTP].
November 18 Tuesday – Sam gave daughter Jean the following book, which she inscribed with her name and this date: Arthur Radclyffe Dugmore’s Nature and the Camera. How to Photograph Live Birds and Their Nests, Animals, Wild Game [Gribben 205].
Sam’s notebook: “Strachey dinner 8 p.m. Arr. Grand Central at 8. Col. Harvey 1 W. 72d” [NB 45 TS 34].