March 13 Monday – In Florence Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall, enclosing two articles for magazines.

The Story contains 3,800 to 4,000 words [Possibly, “Is He Living, or Is He Dead?”]

The “Diary” contains 3,800 words. [“Adam’s Diary”]

Each would make about 4 pages of the Century.

The Diary is a gem, if I do say it myself…

Sam felt they should sell for $600 each, and if Cosmopolitan didn’t want them, Hall was to send them to the Century without naming a price,

& if their check isn’t large enough I will call & abuse them when I come. I signed and mailed the notes yesterday [MTLTP 342 & notes].

Note: notes signed, no doubt more debt to the Mount Morris Bank. “Is He Living or Is He Dead?” was first published in Cosmopolitan for Sept. 1893, and was inspired by Sam’s friendship with the artist, Francis Davis Millet, who would go down with the Titanic in 1912. In 1900 it was collected in The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories and Essays, and in 1903 in My Debut as a Literary Person, with Other Essays and Stories [Budd, Collected 2: 1001].

Sam’s notebook in Florence:

Monday 13th. / Driving down to Prince Corsini’s Monday night — incident. The Nelsons there. Appointment made for dinner — no date — but any before I sail. / Sir Henry Layard & Lady Layard — at Mr. Ross’s. / The King’s birthday — large crowds in streets. / Calls to make / Laffan & wife arrived. Also Prof. Fiske [NB 33 TS 2-3].