September 26 Tuesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to William Dean Howells, advising him to learn his lectures by heart, and describing “a trick” he learned in Vienna, by accident—to carry a book and use it to talk with, gesture with and making it seem he was not reading it. Sam also had read the recent installment of Howells’ Their Silver Wedding Journey in Harper’s, which he thought “delicious— every word of it. You haven’t lost any of your splendid art” [MTHL 2: 705-6].

Sam also replied to a letter (not extant) from James B. Pond.

I am glad the Jewish article is admired—I kind of admire it myself!

But I can’t come & lecture. I think there’s stuff in “Following the Equator” for a lecture, but I can’t come; we must remain in London & continue Jean’s cure till it is perfected, if it takes a year….

I see you are after Dreyfus, but I suppose he will have to wait till he regains his health.

This is our last day in Sweden—we leave for London to-morrow [MTP].

Frank Bliss replied to Sam’s Sept. 3 suggesting a subscription issue be made of T. Douglas Murray’s translation of the Joan of Arc Trials book:

I have just received your letter of Sept. 3 [not extant] in regard to the JOAN OF ARC scheme, and I should judge that it might result in considerable of a boom. It seems to me that while the trial book would be a very attractive one to the reader, it would be for your best interest to have a regular edition of the book go through the Harpers’ hands; inasmuch as they issued your first JOAN OF ARC book, it is natural that this should run with greater ease through the same mill, and it would also avoid confusion in the minds of buyers as to where to buy both books…. You should, however, reserve the entire rights for us to use the book in the Uniform set without having to pay the Harpers any royalty….The above is my honest opinion about the proposed book, but of course we could do it by subscription, and make a good sale of it… [MTHHR 410n1]. Note: Sam wrote on the envelope: “Sept. ’99. Bliss suggests that I put Joan into Harper’s hands—(no.)–& save him from royalty when book is added to the Uniform” [MTP].