May 8 Saturday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam replied to another (not- extant) invitation to dine from John Y. MacAlister. Yes, he would come “pretty soon” and would also like to “get out the manilas and repeat our smokes,” but Livy was ailing and he needed to spend his evenings with her for now. Also, the addition to the book for S. Africa “comes hard” after he’d thought he was done but expected to finish up in about ten days [MTP].

George Griffin, longtime Clemens butler and friend, died in the morning of heart disease. He was about 47 years old and left behind a wife and infant son. He was buried on Tuesday, May 11 in New York City

[May 17 from Munsey].

The NY Times, p.7, “Mark Twain Alive and Well,” ran a wee article:

London, May 7.—The report that Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) is dead is false. He is in London, and in excellent health.

Harper’s Weekly, p.462 ran “This Busy World,” by E.S. Martin. Tenney: “A brief note describes MT’s original plan to dedicate JA to his wife Olivia as a silver-wedding present; through oversight the dedication was omitted from the first copies sold, but it will be on an inserted slip in copies sold in the future” [27].

Harper’s Weekly, p.463 ran “Foreign Notes,” by Poultney Bigelow. Tenney: “MT finished his new book (FE) last night; he and his family are well and happy in London, the daughters enjoying their bicycles” [26].