June 25 Friday – Percy Mitchell in the Paris, France office of the NY Herald, sent a telegram to Sam, which he mentioned in the following letter to Rogers: “Mr. Bennett says he has not received any letter from you if important will you not kindly repeat it to him as he says glad to do anything” [MTP]. Note: James Gordon Bennett, Jr., of the Herald.

At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, about Livy being “strong in her approbation” of the Herald fund for his relief, and of his writing Bennett on June 19, asking him to stop the drive.

I wrote [Percy] Mitchell yesterday, & learn today by telegram that my letter had not been received by Bennett, but B. would be glad to do anything he could. So I wrote Bennett the following; today I asked him to cable it to the Herald.

I suppose that will appear in the Herald in New York day after tomorrow June 27 & close the incident.

But I send you this copy so that you may know just what I did write, in case any cable mistakes occur.

Mrs. Clemens had an operation performed on her eye today & is ill in consequence. But it had to be done, & we hope she will get benefit from it. I am too solicitous about her to be able to worry much about this other distress [MTHHR 288-9]. Note: the doctor who operated on Livy is unknown. See source n3 for a critical editorial of Sam’s published letter by The Outlook on July 15.

Sam wrote again to James Gordon Bennett, Jr., enclosing the “brief letter” he wished published. This is marked “copy” so may be a draft of the one written June 24 [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Dr. James R. Clemens, addressing him as “Dear Junior”:

I find that my rupture (four years old—groin) is bulging very much. If no harm, I want to do nothing with it till we reach Vienna in September. Give me your surgical advice now, & in return you shall have all the literary advice you want [MTP]. Note: Sam’s wish that he hoped his cousin “got home all right last night” implies a visit by James on June 24.

June, prior to June 26 – Sam replied to a note (not extant) from James B. Pond, who was in London with his wife. Sam headed the note “Private & Confidential address; (Do not divulge to any one[)]” He could be found home daily at noon but had lately been “out with some frequency on business” after noon since the family was preparing to leave London. “The family do not go out or see people, but you will see me” [MTP]. Note: This had to have been while the family was still at Tedford Square; MTP catalogues this as “July.” However, on Univ. of California’s new ThisisMarkTwain.com site is an inscribed photo of Mark Twain which reads: “Mark Twain at his Chelsea home where Maj. & Mrs. Pond visited June 26, 97.—Here is where ‘Mark” is reported to be dying in poverty. He never looked better.” If the visit was indeed June 26, then this note would have preceeded the visit.