July 16 Sunday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus, asking that he send “a couple of the very best of Clark Russell’s sea-tales.” He also wanted some smaller pictures of himself, and asked if they hadn’t heard from daughter Clara to please write her. He ended with, “Jönköping is pronounced Zhenshepping—think of that!”[MTP].
July 18 Tuesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to Mollie Clemens. His letter is not extant but was transcribed in a letter from Pamela A. Moffett to her son, Samuel on Aug. 3. Sam wrote of the biographical sketch that his nephew had done of him for the Uniform Edition of his works. He wrote they would return to England in the fall and sail for American before spring [MTP].
July 19 Wednesday – Joe Twichell wrote to Livy, this day or the next, July 20 [MTP].
July 20 Thursday – Sam’s notebook:
5 p.m. 20th. Jean fell in a spasm striking her head on the slop jar. A bad convulsion; she lay as if dead—face purple & no light in the eyes. I ran & brought Harry; his father soon followed. They are working at her now. She is better [NB 40 TS 58].
July 21 Friday – Robert G. Ingersoll died in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. of congestive heart failure, age 65. Sam admired Ingersoll, called the “Great Agnostic” for views Sam couldn’t publicly take himself. Audio recordings Ingersoll made at Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory survive and are accessible online. See Sam’s letter of Nov. 12 to Eva L. Farrell, Ingersoll’s niece. Also, Schwartz’s May 1976 article, “Mark Twain and Robert Ingersoll: The Freethought Connection” in American Literature Vol. 48, No. 2, p. 183-93
July 23 Sunday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam replied to Richard Watson Gilder (incoming not extant). Sam praised the cure they’d been taking—“it takes all the old age out of you & sends you for the feeling like a bottle of champagne that’s just been uncorked” [MTP].
July 24 Monday – A letter by Clemens to Joseph Hatton was assigned this date by a June 25, 2003 auction sale of Bonhams & Butterfields. The text is not available; the catalog listing from the MTP shows the letter pasted to the front flyleaf of a First English Edition of PW, “an Autograph Letter Signed, July 24 [1899], to Mr. Hatton, regretting that they will be unable to meet prior to his trip to Sweden, signed (“S.L. Clemens” pasted to front flyleaf” [Sale 7443z, Lot 3171].
July 25 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook:
July 25, ’99, Sanna: Jean had a convulsion in bed at noon—fortunately the Director had just entered the roon.
It was tolerably severe. He relieved her.
At 5 she had another while sitting on the porch, Livy & I present. We were not able to carry her in—so laid her on the floor & did what we could till we sent for & got Miss Moore. By & by it passed & we got her to bed [NB 42 TS 57].
July 26 Wednesday – Jean Clemens’ nineteenth birthday.
July 29 Saturday – The New York Times, p.BR500:
Mark Twain’s Editions in London
July 30 Sunday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to Phyl:
July 31 Monday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam and Livy wrote condolences to Charles M. and Mary P. Fairbanks on the death of their mother, Mary Mason Fairbanks (died Dec. 8, 1898 in Providence R.I.).
Sam explained he could not write earlier for lack of her address [MTMF 279 for Sam’s; MTP for Livy’s enclosed].
Sam also wrote again to Phyl, noted as “an autograph collector.”
Dear Phyl:
August 3 Thursday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote a long letter to H.H. Rogers
“Yours of July 6 [not extant] is just at hand. I wondered where it could have been spending its vacation; but I find by the N.Y. postmark that you didn’t mail it until it was 14 days old. …”
August 6 Sunday – Elizabeth Robins wrote from Vulpera Switzerland to Sam. “Your beautiful letter reached me last night and it has made me very happy. I have been proud for so long to sit at your feet, that to have you …speak such words is enough” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “From Miss Robbins, author of ‘An Open Question.’ Keep it. SLC”
August 7 Monday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote an aphorism to E.S. (not further identified):“Nearly all of us have Music & Truth in us, but the most of us can’t get it out” [MTP].
August 15 Tuesday – About this day Sam wrote the introduction for T. Douglas Murray’s use of the Official Records of the Joan of Arc Trial, which would not appear until 1902 as Jeanne d’Arc: Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France [Aug. 25 to Murray].
August 18 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “August 18, 1899. Three years ago, to-day, Susy Clemens, aged 24 years & 5 months. / Escaped out of this life” [NB 42 TS 57].
August 19 Saturday – Joe Twichell wrote to Sam from Antwerp, Belgium. He explained why he hadn’t written—being far away from his “base which furnished the staple of my communication,” and keeping up with the pace of his Chicago friend (unspecified). Joe landed in Southampton July 5 and would sail again from there for home on Sept. 23. They were disappointed at being unable to see the Clemenses. He told of their adventures so far and of plans to go to the Hague, then to Milan, the Tyrol, and perhaps Venice.
August 20 Sunday – In Sanna, Sweden, Livy and Clara Clemens wrote to Chatto & Windus; Clara requested a copy of The Open Question by Elizabeth Robins (C.E. Raimond) and Livy asked for selections of Robert Browning’s poetry, “something not very expensive” [MTP].
August 21 Monday – The Polish Countess Emily De Laszowska wrote from Corinthia, Austria, a long, mostly illegible letter to Sam. “Dearest Mr. Clemens I have always put off writing letter to because I hate writing you a short letter, so the result has been a disgraceful silence” [MTP]. Note: Sam must have had a migraine trying to read this one. See Dolmetsch for more on the Countess.
August 22 Tuesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.
I have looked over the originals of the Dream Sweetheart & Wapping Alice, & perceive that the first does not convey my idea clearly at all; & so, for me it has no value & must remain unpublished. And I perceive that a part of Alice needs re-writing—so she can’t be publishable as she stands. She’ll never get that re-writing. She should have applied while I was interested in her—& she didn’t. I wash my hands of the business.
August 23 Wednesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to General John Tatlock, Jr., 32 Nassau St., NYC. Only the envelope survives [MTP: eBay item 1839204511]. Note: Tatlock (d. 1902) was an astronomer and assistant actuary of the Mutual Life Ins. Co. of NY. He was also secretary of the Actuarial Society and a member of the American Mathematical Society.
August 24 Thursday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to Hans L. Braekstad
Unhappily for me I was obliged to telegraph a request to the National Theatre Director. Kellgren has promised to deliver me from an ailment of six years standing; I think it is rather plain that he is going to succeed; so it would not be fair to interrupt the process in the middle & risk the loss of the ground gained.
August 25 Friday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to T. Douglas Murray, who was working on publishing the Official Records of the Joan of Arc Trials in Rouen, and the “Rehabilitation.” Sam had agreed some time ago to write the introduction.
Yours (undated) has arrived [not extant]. I do hope his Majesty will give you leave, & I am very glad you think the prospect of it so good….
August 29 Tuesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to T. Douglas Murray.
“Stop—I may be wrong; my bad memory may be deceiving me; I may be mistaken in thinking that the bulk of Joan’s history lies in the Rehabilitation Process. But you will know, & will pay no attention to me if I am in error. It is five years since I have seen the records.”
Sam had done some editing on the introduction for Murray’s Joan of Arc book to suit Livy and himself , and estimated it now ran 3,500 words [MTP].