Germany, Summer of 1892: DBD

August 10 Wednesday – In Bad Nauheim Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall.

I have dropped that novel I wrote you about, because I saw a more effective way of using the main episode — to wit: by telling it through the lips of Huck Finn. So I have started Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer (still 15 years old) & their friend the freed slave Jim around the world in a stray balloon, with Huck as narrator…. I have written 12,000 words of this narrative….so I shall go along & make a book of from 50,000 to 100,000 words.

August 11 Thursday – Yola Zurelli wrote from San Francisco to Sam, sending a MS for his comment — the left side of the letter has been water damaged to the point of illegibility [MTP].

August 12 Friday – At the Hotel Kaiserhof in Bad Nauheim (which Sam called “Bath No Harm”), Sam answered a letter (not extant) from Laurence Hutton, who was planning some traveling.

August 13 Saturday – At the Hotel Kaiserhof in Bad Nauheim, Sam answered a letter (not extant) from Augustin Daly.

I have your letter of June 28, from Chicago. It followed me here — no, beat me here a day or two, for I was in Chicago myself when you wrote it — spent the 28th there under a fictitious name, & left the 29th.

August 15 Monday – On this day or the next, the family took a trip to Frankfort On the Main, Germany, a short seventeen miles to the south from Bad Nauheim [Aug 9 to Ross].

August 16 Tuesday – The Clemens family was in Frankfort on the Main, Germany. Sam later wrote about meeting old friends here:

The Phelpses came to Frankfort & we had some great times — dinner at his hotel & the [Frank] Masons, supper at our inn — Livy not in it. She was merely allowed a glimpse, no more. Of course, Phelps said she was merely pretending to be ill; was never looking so well & fine [MTP, Sept 18 to Crane]

August 17 Wednesday – The Clemens family was in Frankfort on the Main, Germany.

August 18 Thursday – An envelope only survives from Susy Clemens’ letter to Louise Brownell, in Frankfort on the Main, Germany, which proves the family did make the Aug. 15 or 16 trip there as Sam’s Aug. 9 to Ross speculated [MTP].

August – Sam sent his double autograph to an unidentified person:

Yes indeed & with great pleasure / Sincerely Yours / Mark Twain / ~ / Known to the police & these tax-people as / SL Clemens / ~ / Bad-Nauheim, Aug./92.

Sometime between Aug. 1 and 17, Sam answered W.H. Langhorne’s July 26 inquiry as to a possible family relationship based on Sam’s middle name.

August 19 Friday – The Twichells arrived in Bad Nauheim for a visit [Aug. 23 to Orion].

August 20 Saturday – Sam and Joe Twichell went to Homburg, which Sam called “the great pleasure resort,” and dined with Chauncey Depew and other unspecified friends. Sam’s notebook:

Aug. 20. ’92. Dined with Chauncey Depew. Present, Rev. Joe Twichell, Earl & Countess Cork. Earl & Countess Allington[,] Sir Charles Hall, & the Misses Tournuse of New York [NB 32 TS 19].

Sam and Joe Twichell spent the night in Homburg.

August 21 Sunday – Sam’s notebook in Homburg:

August 22 Monday – In Bad Nauheim, Germany Sam wrote to Chauncey Depew, thanking him for the good time in Homburg.

I hold myself under obligations to you for many & varied & valuable kindnesses in Hamburg, the sum of them aggregating twenty-four hours of enjoyment memorably free from sin, & also as memorably free from dull spots. Joe [Twichell] hates dull spots, & I can’t stand sin; so both of our appetites got the right whet…

August 23 Tuesday – In Bad Nauheim Sam wrote to Orion and Mollie Clemens and headed the letter “Private,” then explained it was so “because no newspaper man or other gossip must get hold of it.”

Livy is getting along pretty well, & the doctor thinks another summer here will cure her.

The Twichells have been here four days & we have had good times with them. Joe & I ran over to Hamburg, the great pleasure resort, Saturday, to dine with some friends…

August 24 Wednesday – T. Childs wrote to Sam that he’d receivd the letter from Mrs. Carolyn S. Fahnstock and now had the cheque for 1500 from Frankfurt for the rent of the Villa Viviani [MTP].

August 25 Thursday – Sam’s notebook revealed he returned to Homburg:

Aug. 25. Came to Homburg per 12.20 tr.[ain] — distance, about 30 or 40 min. / Dined at the Kiersaal with Sir Charles Hall, to meet the Prince of Wales. 7 present. Sat at the Prince’s left. Depew at his right. Col Clark (aide) Mr. Atkins, M.P., J.L. Toole, the Comedian. All arrived & sat down on the minute named — 7.15. Much talk, many yarns, everything sociable, pleasant, no formality. Two hours delightfully spent [NB 32 TS 22].

August 26 Friday – Henry C. Robinson wrote to Sam that Paige had secured the promise of three million dollars capital by Chicago investors, allowing enough time to have at least one machine on display at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. This three-page double-spaced typed letter discloses much of what Robinson found out about Paige (his new salary $5,000 a month), the Webster Mfg. Co. (“has a good name in Chicago”); and the capitalization behind the firm [MTHHR 12; MTP].

August 27 Saturday – In Bad Nauheim Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore. Sam noted the failure of Marshall H. Mallory to come through with his offer to buy Sam’s interest in the typesetter. He was “already content with the situation” and would keep the royalties and wait. Sam mentioned receipt of Whitmore’s and Brer R’s letters (Henry C. Robinson).

August 28 Sunday – Chauncey M. Depew wrote from London asking Sam’s autograph for Lady Ann, Chandos-Pole, a friend. Depew misspelled “Clements” on the letter and envelope [MTP].

August 3 Wednesday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam that he’d been unable to get the August report off, due to a smaller staff and vacations. Hall had received SLC’s letter of July 22; shortly thereafter had received a draft of the contract with Daly to dramatize (CY?), but that he wouldn’t be able to bring the play out this year; so Hall signed “subject to S.L. Clemens’ approval.” Sam wrote on the envelope, “Daly will dramatize in ‘93” [MTP].

August 30 Tuesday – In Bad Nauheim Sam responded to Chauncey Depew’s Aug. 28 note.

If you ain’t gone yet, I hope this word may catch you, for its mission is to wish you good luck, a happy voyage & a torpid conscience [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Lady Ann, Chandos-Pole, probably in London (See Depew’s request for Sam’s autograph, Aug. 28:

August 5 Friday – Sam’s notebook entry: “Began ‘Huck Finn in Africa’ August 5, 1892” [NB 32 TS 18]. This was to be called Tom Sawyer Abroad and would run serialized in St. Nicholas from Nov. 1893 to Apr. 1894, prior to Webster & Co. publishing it in book form. See Apr. 16, 1894.

August 7 Sunday – At the Kaiserhof Hotel in Bad Nauheim, Sam wrote to his brother-in-law, Charles J. Langdon, who had telegrammed him while in New York, a message which was forwarded by mail to Bad Nauheim.

August 9 Tuesday – In Bad Nauheim Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall.

…But if he should want it I think a good idea to trade with him, for his magazine is obscure & I don’t want to appear in print in the full glare of the big magazines too often…Of course Walker can take this Romance if he wants it…if he takes Puddnhead, he can’t take this too [MTP].

Note: John Brisben Walker was at this time Howell’s co-worker and editor on the Cosmopolitan.

July 14 Thursday – On or about this day the SS. Lahn reached Bremen. Shortly, Sam continued on to Bad Nauheim to rejoin Livy.

August 5, At the Kaiserhof Hotel in Bad Nauheim, Germany, Sam wrote of ... a bit of traveling the past few days, without specifics,