April 26 Monday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam began a long letter to H.H. Rogers that he finished on Apr. 28. In his May 3 to Frank Bliss, Sam disclosed he’d received “Mr. Rogers’s letter a week ago,” which would have been this day, so it’s likely this long missive to Rogers is a same-day reply.

Sam wrote that in the 52 days since he’d signed the contracts, he had not heard from Frank Bliss, who had not taken the bait of a possible two -volume issue of the new book (FE). With no word from Bliss Sam had dropped the idea and finished it as one volume. Rogers argued for including the whole trip in the new book, including S. Africa. Sam resisted here, feeling that a S. African section would only contain politics (Jameson raid, etc.) and that those issues were “dead, and its interest will never be revived again.” Further, he was glad he’d received no cable from Bliss, because in a two-volume work he would have had to include S. Africa. In what has become a mantra for many writers since, that is, what to cut out and whom to write for principally (one’s self), Sam observed:

A successful book is not made of what is in it, but of what is left out of it. I have left out South Africa—& saved the book’s life.

The public are “expecting”—the public will be “disappointed,” etc. The public are in a position to expect only one thing, & one only, that is binding upon me; & that is, that I will make the best book I can; & if they know me they know that I will use my own judgment as to how to do that, & will consider it sounder than their own.

He had little good to say about Frank Bliss and his half-brother Walter Bliss. Rogers had negotiated with both men in arriving at the Dec. 31, 1896 contracts.

Walter Bliss suspects that I am keeping back the best stuff, to sell to another publisher. His father was a thief, & he has inherited the fancy that nobody is honorable.

Those people are scared. They have no pluck, no energy, no brains. They are going to fail on their $10,000 [meaning they’d lose the right to publish FE] & I shall be rid of them & not sorry. I mean to begin to rush the MS over to you soon. To be any good to any publisher for the fall trade, it is necessary that said publisher have the MS in his hands by the end of May. I mean to have it all in your hands by then. Then if Bliss’s money isn’t ready, straight off, we can cancel the contract & give the book to Harper, or Doubleday…

He argued that allowing for S. Africa might mean taking 300 MS pages out to make room. He added that  the publishers were “speaking up vigorously here—my latest offer is 25 per cent royalty.” (Ten per cent was customary.) Sam added to this letter on Apr. 28 [MTHHR 273-6].

Insert photo 1897 – Mark Twain in London