March 11 Tuesday – Sam stood up at Francis Davis Millet’s wedding to Elizabeth (“Lil”) Greeley Merrill in Montmartre, an art colony in Paris. Also in attendance was Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), artist and good friend of Millet [The Twainian, June 1939 quoting from The Reminiscences of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, 1913)]. Note: Augustus later designed some of the most beautiful U.S. coins ever made.

In a Dec. 7, 1893 letter to Sam, Francis Davis Millet referred to the time in Paris Sam stood up for him at his wedding and the wedding breakfast, revealing that he’d not been at the breakfast: “…as I have a telegram…and can’t be here myself you’ll have to speak for me as you did at the wedding breakfast” [MTP].

Millet had painted Sam’s portrait in 1876 and was “adopted” by the Clemens family at that time. Now 33 years old, and living in Paris since Jan. 1877, he had a studio in Montmartre that would become a hideout for Sam and Livy when they felt too much pressure of visitors. Since the end of May, 1877 Millet was a war correspondent (Russo-Turkish War) for the New York Herald and the London Daily News. He also served as special artist for the London Graphic. After the wedding the newlyweds traveled to London where Millet had a first showing at The Royal Academy [Weinberg 4-5]. (See Mar. 3 by Livy). Sam and Livy went to Millet’s wedding breakfast (this may have been on Mar. 12).