August 17 Sunday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “Sue starts a.m.” [NB 45 TS 23]. Note: Sue Crane, to nurse Livy.
York Harbor DBD
August 18 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “Sue due here 11.45 a.m. At 9 this morning, Jervis handed in a telegram to Boston to say he & Sue would arrive here at 11.45—which they did. 2 hours later (at 1.45) the telegram reached me! It had then been in the York Harbor office one hour & a half (since 12.14. B. to Y.H. 4 ¾ hours by telegraph. / Chg 25 for deliver. / Don’t divulge its leaving-time” [NB 45 TS 23].
August 20 Wednesday – About this day H.H. Rogers made a quick visit to Sam at York Harbor [Aug 21 to Rogers].
August 21 Thursday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.
As soon as you had been gone 2 hours & I had sent off an urgent letter to Boston for an air bed, then somebody mentioned that you had air beds on the yacht.
It is just my luck. I believed Mrs. Clemens had lost a whole day by that accident. Up to now she hast lost several. Of all the impossible places for the meeting of emergencies promptly & successfully, this is the impossiblest.
August 22 Friday – Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.
“The air bed is on its way from Boston & will arrive tomorrow. And the same is good news.
“Mrs. Clemens is doing so well that at last she was able to partially quit plasmon this morning & take to solid food. She slept well last night & is sleeping a good deal to-day” [MTHHR 499].
August 23 Saturday – The Omaha Daily World Herald sent a telegram to Sam. The Omaha public library had banned HF and the newspaper solicited his reaction.
In York Harbor, Maine Sam replied to Omaha World Herald. His letter was published in the New York Times, Sept. 6, 1902, p.BR5 along with the story:
Mark Twain on “Huck Finn.”
August 25 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “Livy’s illness hangs on, & on, from day to day, & there is never any great improvement; never anything to rouse us & make us jubilant” [NB 45 TS 24].
August 26 Tuesday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to nephew Samuel E. Moffett.
No, I don’t think I shall ever give up the “Stale News” till I’m obliged to. I’ve had to drop it indefinitely, because I got at the finishment of a long tale here, & was so interested that I couldn’t get away from it. It is far from done, yet.
August 27 Wednesday – In York Harbor Sam wrote to Katharine B. Clemens (Mrs. James Ross Clemens) in St. Louis.
Your kind good letter of day before yesterday has just arrived—we got the former one, too, but we do not tell Livy anything; we only sit by & watch & nurse. She cannot bear excitement—& any talk would produce that.
We are not alarmed about her—it is the best I can say.
I steal a little while per day to answer letters with a line.
August 28 Thursday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Ida Langdon in Gloucester, Mass.
August 29 Friday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam finished his Aug. 28 to H.H. Rogers, only certain that Livy would not be able to travel within the next week.
August 30 Saturday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore.
I enclose $100.
I am not Brother Joseph—quite the reverse; & I don’t understand Sister Clement. Perhaps her letter was not intended for me.
I am quite willing to pray for her, if she will take all the risks. For this I will charge nothing; but when I insure with [a] fool I must have ecclesiastical rates.
September – Sam signed the flyleaf of Jeanne d’Arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France, etc. by T. Douglas Murray: “S.L. Clemens, September, 1902” [Gribben 494].
September 1 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook “Monday 6 p.m.—tea / Mrs. Rogers— Clara & Mr. Young R. there—going away. / Yorkshire Men—cousin of Miss Jones who is singing—near Stephens store). / telephone if we can’t come. / [Line separator] / Offered $50,000 for the Tarrytown house. Declined. We paid $45,000 for it. ” [NB 45 TS 25].
Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.
September 2 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook:
AGREED.
In London in ’90. Col. & McIlv.
20 % roy. from beginning.
5-year contracts
Dramatic clause annulled.
Xn Science |
Huck Finn | weekly
Which Was It? |
_______
Gals in Review & over for a spring book.
_______
I was considering higher terms from McClure [NB 45 TS 25].
September 3 Wednesday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “Always Mr. Rogers keeps his yacht (Kanawha) in commission & ready to fly here & take us to Riverdale on telegraphic notice” [NB 45 TS 25].
Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.
September 4 Thursday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Eleanor V. Hutton (Mrs. Laurence Hutton).
Didn’t I answer your kind letter? I am afraid not, as I find it mixed-up in the long accumulation. Mails get neglected these days,—since Aug. 11.
Yesterday & to-day, however, I have been hard at it; for Mrs. Clemens has sat up in a chair a moment, both days, & is going to get well [MTP].
September 5 Friday – Sam’s notebook “Last year, this month, I wrote that short story in 7 consecutive days— 22,000 words, $4,400. My average is only 10,000 words a week” [NB 45 TS 25]. Note: “The Double-Barrelled Detective Story.”
September 6 Saturday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to John Y. MacAlister, thinking Livy would be able to travel within a fortnight.
She is slowly recovering from an alarming illness which struck her Aug. 11., & which continued to be alarming, by fits & starts, until 3 or 4 days ago; then we discharged the night-doctor & retained only the day-one. She sits up ina chair now, 10 minutes at a time, twice a day.
September 7 Sunday – Sam replied to Joe Twichell’s Sept. 2.
I don’t remember which book that convict’s letter is in. I think maybe it is in the back part of the Tramp Abroad; or might it be in Old Times on the Mississippi?
Bang away about me as freely as you please. When you include things from my letters it will be safest to select the extracts first & submit them to Livy—it will save wasting comment on passages which might perish under her blue pencil.
September 8 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “This election day at the town hall, Twombley [sic Twombly] sat by the deputy sheriff & saw him buy votes at $2 each & enter the names in note-book. Said he had laid out $116 in this way—later (5 p.m.) T. saw the list of names of the bought-&-paid for—80!” [NB 45 TS 26]. Note: E.D. Twombly, editor of the short-lived (1899-1901) Old York Transcript.
September 9 Tuesday – In York Harbor, Maine, William Dean Howells, on his way to a reception, stopped by to visit Sam during a rainstorm [Sept. 11 to Aldrich].
Sam’s notebook “It took 3: one bought [,] one saw the swine mark his ticket & enter the booth, & no. 3 received him at the end of the hall & paid him. / Republic of America. / Patriots. Funston / [Line separator]
September 10 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook “Mrs. Loring, supper 7 o’clock / Bridge’s cottage almost opp. The Albracca [Hotel]. / [Horiz. line separator] / The Polecat Battery. / The siege & storm” [NB 45 TS 26].
September 11 Thursday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Thomas Bailey Aldrich.
Mrs. Clemens, who loves you, is dragging along very very slowly. She thinks she will be strong enough a week from now, to travel on a bed, & can go home. We others have doubts, but do not say so, for that would make argument, & argument sends up the pulse & is forbidden. Sometimes we allow her to read a letter; & to-morrow she will see yours, & it will make her glad.
September 13 Saturday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “Cadwalader, 7.30 / Precepts & Principles for a New Religion: having, for its base, God & Man as they are, & not as the elaborately masked & disguised artificialities they are represented to be in most philosophies & in all religions” [NB 45 TS 26]. Note: John Cadwalader of Phila., staying in York Harbor. In his next NB entry Sam noted the presence of “Young Mercer” at Cadwalader’s dinner on this evening