March – Metropolitan Magazine ran “An Interview with Mark Twain” by Clara Morris, the actress [Tenney 39: The Twainian (Feb. 1943)]. “Recollections of ain interview, apparently years earlier, in Wallack’s Theatre; the conversation with ‘Mr. Twain’ is reconstructed vaguely and imperfectly from memory. Illustrated with a drawing of MT by Edmund Frederick. (NYPL)” [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Third Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1979 p. 189]. See Insert.

February – Fernando Fini wrote to Sam, sometime between Feb. and Apr. 1904. The letter is three pages of Italian [MTP].

G. Herbert Thring for Society of Authors, London sent Sam a printed announcement for their dinner at the Hotel Cecil on Apr. 20 [MTP].

T.M. Parrott’s article, “Mark Twain: Made in America,” ran in Booklovers’ Magazine, p. 145-54. Tenney: “An extensive, general discussion of MT’s writing, which is characterized by a sweet sunniness, across which no shadow of impurity ever falls” [40].

January to May, 1904 — Daniel Willard Fiske wrote a note on a brown scrap of paper:  Since 2 this a.m. I am enjoying a stalwart assault of gout.  Mrs. Schaeffer, sister of Eugene Schuyler, his biographer and the editor of his writings, with her interesting daughter, is at the Villino Montebello. I don’t [know] whether you know her or not. Kindest regards and best wishes to Mrs. Clemens & the house hold [MTP]

December – Sam’s story, “A Dog’s Tale” first ran in Harper’s Monthly this issue. Budd: “Shortly afterward it was published as a pamphlet…by the National Anti-Vivisection Society in London, dated 1903, although it was apparently not distributed until 1904. The story was published in a separate edition in September 1904 as A Dog’s Tale…and was included in the collection The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories (1906)”  [Collected 2: 1008].

November 6 Friday – The Clemens family arrived in Genoa, Italy. The last leg of their journey was to be by train to Florence, Italy, some six or seven hours. The New York Times ran a squib on Nov. 9, p. 7 which revealed that George Gregory Smith met the family in Genoa and accompanied them on to Florence, so likely he had arranged the rail travel, some 480 miles. This would make the family’s arrival in Florence at about 8 or 9 p.m.

November –This issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal contained Thomas E. Marr’s “Three Famous Authors Outdoors, p. 36-7, with four of the photographs Marr took of Sam Clemens with a porcelain cat, and John T. Lewis at Quarry Farm.

October 24 Saturday – The Clemens family and hired help sailed for Genoa, Italy in the Princess Irene [MTHHR 541n1]. Note: the voyage would take 14 days. Isabel Lyon and her mother would sail on Nov. 7 [NY Times, p.13, Nov. 7, 1903]; Sam thought their arrival would be about Nov. 22 or 23; Hill gives the delay and change of plans for Lyon due to her treatment for an eye infection [70]. Trombley gives it as “an injury” [MT’s Other Woman 28]. The injury may have led to infection.

October – Catani Ugo’s portrait of Mark Twain was published in International Studio, p. 291. No additional text was provided [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Second Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1978 p. 172].

Hartford Postmaster.

September – At Quarry Farm in Elmira, N.Y. Sam gave daughter five bird and animial-related books.

He inscribed Olive Thorne Miller’s True Bird Stories from my Note-Books: “To / Jean Clemens / with her Father’s love / Sept. 1903. / It is never too late to mend. There’s plenty of time. / M.T.” [Christie’s Auction, June 24, 2009, Sale 2272. lot 16].

Sam also gave Jean the following each inscribed slightly different:

August – At Quarry Farm in Elmira, N.Y. Sam inscribed his photograph with an aphorism to an unidentified person: “It is never too late to mend. There is no hurry. / Truly Your friend / Mark Twain ‘ New York, August 1908” [MTP].

August or September – In N.Y.C. Sam wrote to daughter Clara in Elmira.

Dear Ben, I expect to beat this letter home, but I don’t know yet.