May 23 Saturday – The Graphic (London) ran a notice:
“Humourists will delight in ‘The Mark Twain Birthday Book,” edited by ‘E.O.S.’ (Remington), which contains excerpts from Mr. Clemens’ writings. Each day is allotted several sentences, presumably summarising the character of the person who writes his name on the opposite page, such as ‘A Meddling Old Clam,’ or ‘She was attractively attired in her new and beautiful false teeth’” [Tenney].
May 25 Monday – In his notebook, Sam drafted a letter in German in response to a letter from her sister asking if Rosina Hay, their ex-governess, was still alive. Sam answered of course she was still alive, happily married and now Mrs. Horace Terwilliger, Elmira New York. The letter may not have been sent. [MTNJ 3: 150 & n78].
In his Autobiography, this date is given for more dictation about Grant’s book, and the startling fact that without advertising, Sam wrote:
May 26 Tuesday – Joel Chandler Harris’ unsigned review of Huck Finn ran in the Atlanta Constitution (p4, cols 2-3) [Griska 585]. In answering those critics who had followed lockstep with the Concord Library’s indictment of the book as “coarse, crude and inartistic,” Harris pointed out the falseness of that view and the true value of the book:
May 27 Wednesday – From New York City, Sam wrote a letter of introduction for Charles Webster to take with him overseas, in the securing of foreign publishers for the Grant book. Although Grant owned the foreign rights to the memoirs, Sam wanted to establish contracts with foreign publishers to protect copyright. This letter was not to any specific person [MTP].
From Sam’s notebook:
May 28 Thursday – In Hartford, Sam also wrote to Karl Gerhardt, answering a letter of May 27. Paraphrase: “Answered him with ‘No’—with thanks” [MTP]. From Sam’s notebook:
“May 28—At Western Union building was introduced to Jay Gould & lunched with his son. Damned insignificant looking people” [MTNJ 3: 155-6].
May 29 Friday – E. Evans wrote a begging letter from London [MTP].
Karl Gerhardt wrote: “Have Woodruff see Mr Green at Tiffany’s. They wish to control the bronze bust—The ‘Courant’ article changed their eyes” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Tiffany wants bust”
Slote, Woodman & Co. wrote sending paper and gum samples “as we understand your description given us yesterday” [MTP].
May 30 Saturday – In Hartford, Sam and Livy wrote to Hattie Gerhardt. Hattie had been ill, so coordinating a visit was the object of this letter, the body by Livy with PS added by Sam.
June – Sometime during the month, Sam wrote from either Hartford or Elmira to Charles Webster, suggesting the text and layout for business envelopes, which included “Personal Memoires of General Grant” in red ink [MTP].
June 1 Monday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to the Art Society of Hartford, accepting an invitation from the ladies there to give a reading in Unity Hall on the evening of Friday, June 5, and also the afternoon of June 6 [MTP].
June 2 Tuesday – Orion Clemens wrote: thanks for the $150; his history game research; “Ma is well, and takes lots of exercise”; Mollie was not well [MTP].
Pitts H. Burt wrote from Pittsburg about pottery sent and the thanks of the pottery crew [MTP].
Karl Gerhardt sent a telegram from Mt Vernon, NY: “Eve’s Lullaby has been awarded a diploma of honor by the Jury of fine arts at the New Orleans Exposition ward just received” [MTP].
June 3 Wednesday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to James B. Pond.
“Damn it, we could not get that donkey, after all, & so I hope you will get Homer to rush a gentle small burro to Elmira in a hurry, for Jean, or she will be dreadfully disappointed. We shall arrive there the 18th of June & go up to the farm a few days or a week later” [MTP]. Note: Jean would be five on July 26.
June 4 Thursday – Sam, wrote from Hartford to Karl Gerhardt, advising him to tag along with Webster to see General Grant “two or three days in succession” and to observe him in various poses so as to work on a large statue to be presented to the City of New York. Sam hoped for orders of it from other cities.
June 5 Friday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Howells. He had read the June installment of The Rise of Silas Lapham in the Century, and “found it as great & fine & strong & beautiful as Mrs.
June 6 Saturday – Sam gave a matinee reading, the second for the Art Society Benefit, Unity Hall, Hartford. His selections: “Trying Situation,” “Short Story” [Fatout, MT Speaking 656].
June 7 Sunday – The last entry in Sam’s “A Record of the Small Foolishnesses of Susie & ‘Bay’ Clemens (Infants),” was made this day.
Livy Clemens’ diary:
“I am reading with great interest George Elliott [Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)’s Life by her husband J.W. Cross.] It is most delightful….The only thing in the book that annoys me is her constant mentions of her ill health.”
June 8 Monday – Clara Clemens’ eleventh birthday. She received a lawn tennis set, Livy recording the gifts in her diary [Mark Twain News 39.2 (Summer 1995): 9].
Sam took the early morning train to New York and took a room at the Everett House. From Livy’s diary:
June 9 Tuesday – Sam was in New York. He gave notice to his canvassers that volume two of Grant’s work would soon be published. Perry writes that Sam:
“…contracted for the use of twelve more printing presses and seven more bindaries, all of which combined would produce one set of memoirs every second. All of Twain’s funds were now tied up in printing, marketing, and distributing Grant’s memoirs” [203].
From Sam’s notebook:
June 10 Wednesday – Sam was attending to “imperative business” in New York. This is the third day of a three day stay there [Sam to Moffett, June 12].
Daniel Whitford for Alexander & Green wrote they couldn’t get “the note of introduction to Mr Bates President of the Baltimore & Ohio Telegraph Company (which you desire) until tomorrow” [MTP].
June 11 Thursday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to the editor of the Christian Union. Sam’s letter, a reaction to a Union article, “What Ought He to have Done,” ran in that publication on June 16 on pages 4-5, and is a great argument for the proper application of a whipping to a wayward child, given in the right spirit “with hearts wholly free from temper.” Significantly, Sam ended the letter about proper parenting by referring to Livy:
June 12 Friday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to his sister, Pamela Moffett, explaining against her admonitions why he hadn’t written her.
Correspondence is the despair of my life. Suppose you had to have 15 teeth pulled every day; & every time you lost 3 days…
June 13 Saturday – Livy recounted the day’s activities in her diary:
June 14 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to the Gerhardts in New York City.
We arrive at the Everett House Wednesday evening & leave for Elmira on Friday morning, & shall hope to see one or two of you, if we can see the whole trinity [MTP]. Note: The family stayed at the Hotel Normandie (see June 19 entry).
June 15 Monday – The New York Times ran a short note on page 3 under “Literary Notes” that volume one of Grant’s memoirs would not be out till December and the second volume about March, 1885.
C.L. Webster…will go to Europe to arrange simultaneous issues in several other languages, besides French, German, and Italian.
In Hartford, Sam inscribed a copy of Huck Finn to an unidentified person [MTP].
June 16 Tuesday – General Grant left New York City a little after 8 AM and took a five-hour train ride to Saratoga, New York. From there he boarded a smaller-gauge train for the final twelve miles to Mt. McGregor, where a welcoming committee waited. It had been the doctor’s recommendation that Grant spend time in the Adirondacks, where the air was clean and much cooler than New York in the summer.
June 17 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam sent a short note to W. Minor.
“I believe if I were you I would continue to sort beans & sand sugar, & not stray out of my God-appointed beat & strain my capacities” [MTP]. Note: This implies the recipient is a grocer, but not much else.