February 10 Wednesday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to Robert Barr (1850-1912), who had sought a meeting with Sam for a piece about Mark Twain he would publish in the Century (Jan. 1898), Idler (Feb. 1898), and other magazines. But at this time Sam wasn’t having any interviews or contributing to any biographical features.

My desire is to keep wholly out of print for a long time yet; for until the hurt of my bereavement shall have healed in some degree I have no heart for publicity…I am at work & shall go on; indeed there is no fear that I shall fall into idle ways, since when one works one lives in another world & can make his own heaven—a most desirable thing to do when death has darkened this one. I do not go out, & do not see anybody; & this is well when one has a long book under way & no surplus time in stock…[MTP: Swann Galleries, Inc. catalog, 14 Mar. 1991, Item 284].

Note: Robert Barr would write a couple of works listed by Gribben in Sam’s library, one in March of this year in The Bookman that Sam wrote his enjoyment of on Sept. 29. See p. 48-9. He is most remembered for finishing Stephen Crane’s The O’Ruddy and for creating the French detective Eugene Valmont. He wrote about 30 novels and dozens of short stories. Also, he was the founder and publisher of the London literary monthly, The Idler.