To The Person Sitting in Darkness: Day By Day

March 17 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Possibly Mr. Bartholomew” [NB 44 TS 7].

March 17 Monday – At the Royal Poinciana in Palm Beach, Fla. Sam wrote to Livy. The men had just been notified of the Kanawha’s arrival in Miami, and so were “packing & rushing.” The sister of Mrs. Alice M. Ditson) as well as Col. A.G. Paine raved about the Hot Springs and told of a special train from N.Y. that arrived there overnight; he felt they should try it for Livy’s gout. In his prior letter Sam gave Livy a Havana address c/o H.H.

March 17 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Helen Keller, who had sent him an inscribed copy of her autobiography The Story of My Life (1903) on Mar. 10.

I must steal half a moment from my work to say how glad I am to have your book, & how highly I value it, both for its own sake & as a remembrancer of an affectionate friendship which has subsisted between us for nine years without a break, & without a single act of violence that I can call to mind.

March 17 Thursday – Senator Odoardo Luchini wrote to Sam, glad to hear that he and Livy were better. “I am obliged to leave again for Rome, but in a few days you will receive my short request about every thing. Certainly in April we may made up our minds about what is to be done.

Mr. Smith will tell you something about the affairs , because to day he will call on you” [MTP].

March 18 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “11, Stenographer. Conway & Harrison, 6.30. Century Club 7 W. 43d” [NB 44 TS 7].

At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote a short paragraph to Frank Bliss that he expected the American Publishing Co. to continue to add works to his 22 volumes in the Uniform Edition as they were written and published elsewhere [MTP].

March 18 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “All morning at Miami. Visited Mrs. Whitehead (Lucy Page) / Anchored outside about 4” [NB 45 TS 6]. Sam’s ship log: “All the morning at Miami. Anchored outside about 4” [MTP].

On board the Kanawha in Miami, Fla., Sam wrote to Beatrice M. Benjamin, H.H. Rogers’ granddaughter.

March 18 Wednesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Laurence Hutton, now in Hot Springs, Ariz.

Mr. Rogers has lent me your letter of the 8th, & I am going to try to reach you with a line. You will be gone from Hot Springs, but maybe the P.O. will know your new address. By gracious I am very sorry you & Mrs. Hutton have gone so far to fare so ill, very very sorry. But let it rejoice you to know that we who have remained have not fared better—at least not all the time. …

March 18 Friday – The New York Times, Apr. 10, 1904, ran an anonymous feature datelined Mar. 18, 1904 from Florence:

MARK TWAIN TO REFORM

THE LANGUAGE OF ITALY

———

He Tells His Neighbors in Florence of His Proposal to Furnish

the Government with a Standard Grammar.

Special Correspondence THE NEW YORK TIMES.

March 19 Tuesday – Henry C. Klinke of Cleveland, Ohio wrote to Sam (only the env.survives) [MTP].

March 19 Wednesday – On board the Kanawha, in Miami, Fla., “at anchor, waiting,” Sam wrote to Livy.

“Livy, darling, we did not get away this morning, but are lying far out in a brilliant & beautiful light green sea, the loveliest color imaginable. It was stormy outside, but it is no longer so, & the pilot says he will sail now, in a little while” [LLMT 335].

Sam’s notebook: “Sailed in afternoon after 3. Beautiful green sea—then blue. Susy’s birthday” [NB 45 TS 6].

March 19 Thursday – At Delmonico’s in N.Y.C. Sam attended a 1 p.m. luncheon given by George C. Riggs for Colonel Herbert J. Foster [NB 46 TS 12], where he signed a letter to Laurence Hutton taken down by J.D. Jerrold Kelley veteran of the U.S. Navy and author of The Ship’s Company and Other Sea People (1897) see Gribben 366. The group drank to Hutton’s health and return, and besides Sam and Kelley included: Herbert J.

March – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote a list of things for Frank Bliss, about the Uniform Edition, Harper’s and the R.G. Newbegin Co., which handled distribution of the Uniform Edition for the American Publishing Co. Newbegin advertised themselves as “sole agents in the United States for the complete works of Mark Twain.”

10, 000 sets pay you and me $100,000? Divided how? I get $65,000 & you the rest?

===

March – Munsey’s Magazine for March included George W. Smalley’s article, “American Authors Aborad,” p. 774-7. Tenney: “Contains a rather general discussion of MT’s popularity in England , personally and as a lecturer, but no new information” [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Second Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1978 p. 172].

March and after – Alice Jane Chandler Webster (“Jean”) (1876-1916), daughter of the late Charles Luther Webster, and Sam’s great-niece, wrote When Patty Went to College, which was published in Mar. 1903 (see Gribben p. 753). Sam referred to this book in one of the notes slipped into Livy’s sickroom which dates it somewhat. Here is the note:

There, now, my darling, Clara was here a while ago & says I be’aved ’an’some & was a cherub. Praise from Sir Hubert! [ a popular expression]

March – Metropolitan Magazine ran “An Interview with Mark Twain” by Clara Morris, the actress [Tenney 39: The Twainian (Feb. 1943)]. “Recollections of ain interview, apparently years earlier, in Wallack’s Theatre; the conversation with ‘Mr. Twain’ is reconstructed vaguely and imperfectly from memory. Illustrated with a drawing of MT by Edmund Frederick. (NYPL)” [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Third Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1979 p. 189]. See Insert.

March 2 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “See Feb. 23. All right—this is the date. But the hour is 6.30” [NB 44 TS 6]. Fatout lists this dinner speech by Mark Twain at the University City Club, but offers no text or particulars [MT Speaking 668].

The New York Times, p BR 14, ran this squib:

March 2 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Julius Chambers (1850-1920) author, about letters and packages which had been misdirected: “My address is exceedingly simple—nothing could be simpler: ‘S.L. Clemens, New York City’” [MTP: Anderson Auction Co. catalog: Jan. 20, 1916, No. 1193, Item 146]. Note: Chambers book, The Destiny of Doris; A Travel-Story of Three Continents (1901), may have been sent to Clemens and gone astray. See Gribben 137.

March 2 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Charles S. Fairchild, now in N.Y.C.

I have forgotten Dr. Hillier’s number in Wimpole street, but the London Directory will know. If by chance Hillier should be out of the Co., I hope he will give you an introduction to some good friend of his who is still in—or to Samuel Bergheim (Director.)

The news you give me of the Cashier is very splendid. It makes me feel very gay indeed.

March 2 Wednesday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence, Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Francis P. Elliott (1861-1924), at this time editor of The New Age, Washington, D.C.

March 20 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Opera Harvey” [NB 44 TS 7].

The Minneapolis Tribune, p.1 ran the political cartoon (insert); top caption: “The Best Joke Yet”; bottom caption: “The G.O.P. ‘Wow! Yah! Yah! Ho! Ho! Oh, wow! M-M-Mark you—Oh, Lordy! You always was a funny fellow.’”

March 20 Thursday – On Mar. 21 Sam wrote from the Hotel Colonial, Nassau, Bahamas to Livy about the events of this day:

We were intending to sail for Havana yesterday evening, sweetheart, but have been delayed by slow coaling-processes. We expect to get away this evening.

March 20 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Lawrence J. Anhalt, theatrical manager and producer who was seeking an interview.

March 20 Sunday – Dr. Giovanni Nesti wrote to Sam, itemizing his bill for 43 visits to Livy during the day (20 lire each, for 860 lire), 2 during the night (25 lire each), and 4 analyses of urine (20 lire) in Nov., Dec., Jan, and Feb. [MTP].

March 21 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Henry Holt 7.30 711 Madison Ave” [NB 44 TS 7].

At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to John White Alexander:

“Is it strictly private, & no reporters? If so, that’s in my line. Am I too impudent?” [MTP]. See Aug. 10, 1888.

James L. Hickok of Binghamton, N.Y. wrote to Sam requesting a lecture to help raise funds for a public library [MTP].

March 21 Friday – On board the Kanawha at Nassau, Bahamas, Sam wrote on Hotel Colonial letterhead to Livy about activities of the prior day (see entry). He added after this narrative:

The sea-colors here are all beautiful—splendid bars & stretches of brilliant green—others of brilliant blue—others of rich purple & bronze, & so on. A lady (so report says) brought away a bottle-full of each color to show home at America.