November 16 Monday – Frank E. Bliss for American Publishing Co. wrote Sam that the copyright for IA “will not be legally ripe for renewal before Jan. 29th 1897.” The former copyright was taken out in the company’s name; this time it would be taken out in Sam’s name with quick assignment made to Livy to avoid complications from the bankruptcy. Bliss asked when the new book might be completed. [MTP]. Note: Sam asked Bliss to refer back to this letter on Jan.

November 17 Tuesday – In London Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus that he’d finished the proofs, and wanted to send the proofs of the Bourget article to Harpers once they had been corrected and made ready for the press [MTP].

November 18 Wednesday – In London Sam wrote two short notes to Chatto & Windus. In the first he noted “The book has come. Many thanks,” and enclosed something he wished to “shove” into the material going to Harper’s, not revealing he’d written it. In the second note he changed his mind:

I think it better to suppress the squib I mailed you to-day. It is not worth the powder, & moreover I find that the position taken is not invulnerable [MTP].

November 20 Friday – In London, Sam had received the Bliss-Harper contracts from H.H. Rogers and considered them for three hours before responding to Rogers.

The contracts clear my head.

November 22 Sunday – In London Sam wrote a letter of thanks to the junior Andrew Chatto for the bicycles he’d helped secure. He wrote that his daughters were “charmed with the machines” and the family thanked him. He asked the sum of what he owed for them so he might send a check [MTP].

November 24 Tuesday – In London Sam wrote to the Players Club. His note ran in the Dec. 31, 1896 N.Y. Tribune.

November 26 Thursday – Thanksgiving – In London Sam wrote in his notebook:

We did not celebrate it. Seven years ago Susy gave her play for the first time [MTB 1027].

He also wrote to Emilie R. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers)  “For & in behalf of Helen Kellar…” (Sam was consistent in misspelling Helen Keller’s name.)

November 27 Friday – Livy’s 51st birthday. Sam wrote Livy a short note “With worlds of love” to her:

We have lost her, & our life is bitter. We may find her again — let us not despair of it. God knows how much poorer were by this loss than we were before; but we still have the others, & that is much; & also we have each other, my darling, & this is riches.

November 28 Saturday Sam’s notebook for this day:

November 30 Monday – Sam’s 61st Birthday.

Livy wrote to Andrew Chatto Jr. “Enclosed please find the check for the Swifts [bicycles] which you so kindly helped us to get. I think my daughters find cycling quite another thing now that they have their own machines” [MTP].

December – Sometime during the month Sam wrote through Livy to Chatto & Windus asking if they’d send him Cassell’s Dictionary of Cookery, and charge it to his account [MTP].

Sam also inscribed a copy of Tom Sawyer, Detective (Chatto & Windus 1897) to Bram Stoker: To B.S. from M.T. with warm regards. London, December, 1896 [MTP].

December 1 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook entry: Slam at Geoffrey Hamlyn [Gribben 374; NB 39 TS 29]. Note: see Jan. 8, 1896 entry about this book of Henry Kingsley. Another entry: Trials of Mutinous Convicts (book) [Gribben 713; NB 39 TS 28]. Note: this is an unidentified book titled, Trials of Mutinous Convicts.

December 5 Saturday – In London Sam wrote to J. Henry Harper:

You lately mentioned “Merry Tales.” If is isn’t too late, please squelch that title & call the mess by some other name — almost any other name. Webster & Co. invented that silly title [MTP].

December 9 Wednesday – In London Sam wrote per Livy to Franklin G. Whitmore.

Mr. Clemens wants me to ask you if you will inquire at Bundy’s old photograph shop and ask if they have the negative of a picture that was taken of Susy in 1891. …

      Mr. Clemens is working every day but he finds it rather up-hill work [MTP].

December 12 Saturday – In London Sam wrote to Col. Andrew Burt whom he’d met at Ft. Missoula on the American leg of his world tour. As were most of his letters from this period, the stationery bore a black mourning border.

We are miserable in our oldest daughter’s death. She died while Mrs. Clemens and Clara were flying (a figure of speech) to her across the Atlantic. She would not have died if we had been there [Koelbel 64].

December 13 Sunday Sam’s notebook for this day:

December 18 Friday – In London Sam wrote through Livy to Chatto & Windus.

Will you kindly send me eight cloth copies of “Joan” two of The Prince & Pauper & two of the Yankee at the Court of King Arthur & charge to my account [MTP].

Sam also wrote to H.H. and Emilie R. Rogers, now blaming Hartford people for Susy’s death.

This is a line to wish you Merry Christmas.

December 19 Saturday – In London Sam added a PS to his Dec. 18 letter to Franklin G. Whitmore, that he’d forgotten to direct the disconnection of certain electric lights on the ombra and in front of Patrick McAleer’s quarters at the Farmington Ave. house.

December 22 Tuesday – In London Sam wrote to Laurence and Eleanor V. Hutton.

I am powerful glad you have spared that poor girl [Helen Keller] over the shoal place. I had every confidence that Mr. & Mrs. Rogers would be found ready for business when the watch was called. 

Sam also expressed surrender about the piece, “The Californian’s Tale”:

December 23 Wednesday — Livy wrote to Chatto & Windus, “Will you kindly place to my credit in the City Bank, Old Bond St. one hundred pounds (£100.) deducting the same from the four hundred pounds I have in your hands” [MTP].

December 24 Thursday – In London Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus:

December 25 Friday – Christmas – In London Sam wrote in his notebook:

LONDON, 11.30 Xmas morning. The Square & adjacent streets are not merely quiet, they are dead. There is not a sound. At intervals a Sunday-looking person passes along. The family have been to breakfast. We three sat & talked as usual, but the name of the day was not mentioned. It was in our minds, but we said nothing [MTB 1027].

December 28 Monday

Livy wrote to Mary Mason Fairbanks in Providence, R.I., a letter which seems like a response to one not extant from Mary.

We are going on as well as we can. We even talk to each other and smile and perhaps a stranger coming in would not see that we are a broken-hearted family, yet such we are and such I think we must always remain. This is of course the first terrible staggering blow that we have had and I realize that for me there can be but one worse.

December 30 Wednesday – A man with an indecipherable signature from Ad. Goerz & Co. of Berlin (in London) wrote to Sam noting he was sorry to have missed him “the other day” when Sam called.

Sam wrote on the envelope, “New Zealand & Austral. / unpubl.” [MTP].

1896- 7 Winter – Several write-ups of an anecdote exist for James Abbott McNeil Whistler being taken in by Mark Twain over a painting. This by Wientraub places it during this winter and does not see it as their first meeting, as some do: