June 15 Saturday – At Quarry Farm Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.

Since writing a P.S. to Miss Harrison a minute ago, your note has come and I am very glad you are back. Also, this mail has just brought a notification from Pond that he has got my first reading postponed a week; therefore we shan’t have to leave for Cleveland till Monday July 15. This ought to give me a chance to run down and see you and the Harpers a moment, about the 10th or 12th, or along there.

Sam felt it best to “remain unfettered” and not sign a contract with any magazine; so he was “inclining to Bliss” (to publish the world travel book, FE) He also felt he could write a subscription travel book “without any effort.” Further,

The Century people actually proposed that I sign a contract to be funny in those 12 articles. That was pure insanity. Why, it makes me shudder every time I think of those articles. I don’t think I could ever write one of them without being under the solemnizing blight of that disgusting recollection.

Sam added a PS that Livy said he was committed to the twelve articles.

Upon examining the documents, she seems to be right. Dam — nation!

P.S. 4.30 p.m. Miss Harrison’s telegram with Dr. Rice’s message just received per telephone. Good! If they don’t send for me again, you’ll come up here, won’t you? — and you’ll telegraph, so you can be met at the station [MTHHR 152-3]. Note: Sam would opt out of the articles.

Charles Battell Loomis’ article “The Author and His Style,” ran in Critic p.446. Unsure of the authorship of JA, Loomis wanted to wait until it was known, but wrote, “clearly…Mark Twain did not, for his style is sui generis.” [Tenney ALR supplement to the Reference Guide (Autumn, 1977) 330-1]. Note: See July 20 for “Cocksure Critic”s’ answer to Loomis.