December 31 Thursday – Sam’s notebook:

The family arrived in their quarters at the Hotel Royal 1.30 p.m. Dec. 31.

Left Körnerstr. 7 in the hands of the servants to clean it & put it in order.

Wrote Mr. Mosse [not extant] that I wanted Prachtel to come & take possession of the furniture & see that everything was in proper condition; that some trifles of crockery were broken, also two windows which I would make good; but that Mr. P. must not rent the Wohnung to any one not approved by Rittmeister Killisch.

December 29 Tuesday – Mr. Robert George Brown and Dr. Lucy M. Hall, sent Mrs & Mrs. Clemens an announcement of their marriage in Brooklyn [MTP].

Rudolf Mosse, Berlin attorney, wrote to Sam concerning Mr. C. Prächtel, rental agent of the Körnerstrasse property. “He will bring the matter before his senior partner immediately and will let me know the latter’s decision shortly [MTP]. Note: from a translation in the file of Mosse’s letter in German.

December 28 Monday – Sigourney J. Cowles wrote from Westfield, Mass. to Sam about “Mental Telegraphy” [MTP].

December 27 Sunday – The Boston Daily Globe, p.20 “A NEW STORY BY MARK TWAIN.” announced that in next Sunday’s edition would carry the first installment of “The American Claimant.”

A unique feature of this story is that each instalment contains some special feature, so that if you have missed a chapter or two you can still enjoy the quaint humor of Mark Twain in another.

December 26 Saturday – In Berlin Sam wrote a “Happy New-Year!” to Frederick J. Hall:

PLEASE RENEW MY LETTER OF CREDIT! / Expires Jan. 7.

December 25 Friday – Christmas – In Berlin, Sam inscribed a copy of CY to Mary B. Willard: To / Mrs. Willard / with the / Sincere regards of / The Author. / Berlin, Xmas, 1891. [MTP].

December 24 Thursday – In Berlin Sam wrote to Rudolf Lindau, enclosing a photograph he said was “pretty old — nearly 8 years — but it is the last that was taken. Now I’ll look for yours” [MTP].

December 23 Wednesday – In Berlin Sam finished the Dec. 22 letter to Hall, all written in a PS and PPS longer than the Dec. 22 segment. Edmund C. Stedman wanted an increase in his royalties from LAL. Sam addressed the issue:

Mrs. Clemens urged that I wait over night and then write something pleasant anent the LAL increase of royalty.

December 22 Tuesday – In Berlin Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus asking for four P&P’s “nicely bound.” He enclosed the second of six syndicate letters.

I will send the rest myself from month to month as they appear, so that you can set up the little book at your leisure [MTP]. Note: Sam proposed a booklet named, “Recent Glimpses of Europe” made from the six syndicated Europe letters.

December 21 Monday – The Boston Daily Globe, p.17 ran this interesting article on Orion Clemens:

MARK TWAIN’S BROTHER

Would be a Good Character for One of the Humorist’s Books.

Mark Twain has a brother living in Keokuk, Ia., who is absent-minded enough for Mark to “put in a book.”