December 21 Tuesday – In Vienna, Austria Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.
Sam agreed that the letters from many of the creditors made his “heart glad.” With the “hateful burden” of debt soon to be extinguished, made his “same heart as light as Colby’s brain or the soul of the Mount Morris.” He commented on Rogers’ praise of FE and of the struggle he’d made to write it:
December 18 Saturday – In Vienna, Austria Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus, requesting that a book (FE) be sent to Frau von Versen (née Clemens) in Berlin [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Katharine I. Harrison, the letter not extant but referenced in Harrison’s Jan. 7, 1898 letter [MTHHR 314].
December 17 Friday – H.H. Rogers wrote to Sam, letter not extant but referred to in Sam’s Dec. 29 reply.
Richard Watson Gilder wrote to Sam letter not extant but referred to in Sam’s Jan. 13, 1898 reply [MTP].
December 16 Thursday – In Vienna, Austria Sam wrote to Frank Bliss, requesting a copy of his new book for Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Metternich. He’d ordered one from Chatto but they didn’t put any illustrations in their edition, so he would wait until Bliss could prepare a special copy: “Please bind it in crushed Levant, & make it very neat, & simple, & modest, & bully.” Sam wanted it sent to him without any mention of it in the press.
December 15 Wednesday – Sometime in mid-December Sam began sitting for an alabaster bust by the Russian sculptress Theresa Fedorowna Ries [Dolmetsch 277]. The famous picture of Mark Twain sitting in Ries’ studio may be found on p. 279 of source. See also Apr. 20, 1898 news article.
December 14 Tuesday – Charles F. Chichester for Century Co. wrote to Sam, acknowledging a check from Miss Harrison last week for $204.51 as partial payment [MTP].
December 13 Monday – The New York World ran an article, “Mark Twain in Vienna” p.6, that contained Sam’s reply to the question, had he ever seen the like of this Austrian parliament?
December 12 Sunday – In Vienna, Austria Sam wrote an aphorism to an unidentified person: “The proper proportions of a maxim: a minimum of sound to a maximum of sense. Truly yours, Mark Twain. Vienna,
Dec. 12/97” [MTP: Philip C. Duschnes catalog].
December 11 Saturday – Here—as in London—Livy & the girls find that the name Clemens is no sufficient disguise. They have Pleasant adventures.
Sam related an episode of Clara and Katy Leary’s the day before, with a cabbie and a box office man at a theater, who softened once Clara gave the name Clemens.
Livy has adventures, too. And Katy—but you know Katy. If I should start in on Katy’s adventures with this family’s name, a certain amount of time would be consumed.
December 10 Friday – At the Metropole Hotel, Vienna, Austria, Sam replied to Harold Godwin’s Dec. 9 that “a gratifying large per centage” of his creditors had written letters to him that he was “proud to keep.” Sam thanked him personally for his personal letter and “for the spirit which moved” Godwin to do what he did “in the matter of the indebtedness” [MTP]. Note: For Sam to have answered Godwin’s Dec. 9, he must have received a cable from Katharine Harrison regarding the matter. The cable is not extant.