April 16 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam telegraphed Joe Goodman in Fresno, Calif.
TAKE THE EARLIEST TRAIN EAST YOUR BUSINESS WILL POSSIBLY ALLOW JOE I THINK IT WILL PAY FIRST RATE ANSWER [MTP].
In the evening the Clemens family sans Jean went to a Nook Farm wedding; Miss Mary Robinson and Louis R. Cheney tied the knot [Salsbury 276]. Livy described the decorations at the wedding in a letter to her mother on Apr. 20.
April 15 Tuesday – Sam inscribed a copy of HF to an unidentified person: Everything in this book is true — at least in measure. / Mark Twain/ Hartford/ April 15/90 [MTP].
April 14 Monday – Mollie Clemens finished her Mar. 30 letter to Sam and Livy (clipping encl.):
I wrote the first of this upon the receipt of Livy’s letter — laid it down — and never got at it til now. Ma was quite comfortable for several days, but for three days is not nearly so well. Yesterday’s Gate City contained the enclosed printed letter. We suppose “Prince & Pauper” is in Chicago from this. Sam choose your own time to come, so you don’t put it off too long…Will you go to Elmira this season? [MTP].
April 13 Sunday – The Boston Sunday Globe, p.10 gave a glowing review of P&P with Elsie Leslie, which was in town for a two-week stand (See also the Globe display ad of Apr. 26, 1889, p.3.)
April 12 Saturday – An English version of the P&P play opened at the Gaiety Theatre in London [MTNJ 3: 482]. Note: this had been authorized by Sam and Andrew Chatto.
Moncure D. Conway wrote from London about the P&P play — he’d seen the first performance of it and could not sleep until he had “put on paper an assurance for you of its wondrous success.” He also thought CY was “a pretty book” [MTP].
April 11 Friday – Edgar W. (Bill) Nye wrote to Sam from Helena, Mont. that he “had recently the pleasure of meeting … the gifted cuss known as Joe Goodman.” Nye wanted to get together and smoke “the festive corn cob,” drink and play pool and smoke, “tell Sabbath school stories and stay up late” [MTP].
Daniel C. Smith ?wrote from N.Y.: was Sam open to lecture? Sam wrote “no” on the envelope [MTP].
April 10 Thursday – Paulo Fambry wrote from Italy seeking Sam’s permission to translate CY into Italian and to dramatize part of it [MTP].
April 9 Wednesday – Andrew Chatto wrote to Sam: “I enclose a copy of a letter just returned from Mefrs. Morgan & Ives, attorneys for Mr. House, concerning the dramatization of” P&P “together with a copy of our reply. Mrs Beringer’s play founded on the story is to be performed at the Gaiety Theatre on Saturday next, and will I hope prove a success.” CY was selling well. [MTP]. Note: Chatto was the only person in England who could authorize the P&P play.
April 8 Tuesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to John J. McCook, having mislaid McCook’s letter (Nov. 9, 1889?) until now. He’d forward McCook’s questions to Webster & Co., and offered this about Edward H. House’s lawsuit:
April 7 Monday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam of F.J. Schulte, a Chicago publisher who had a book he thought would be a second Looking Backward. The book, Caesar’s Column by Ignatius Donnelly (1831-1901) was forwarded to Sam though Hall didn’t know it until Schulte informed him by letter. He understood from Schulte that Howells “and others are taking a great deal of interest in the book” [MTP]. Note: The book would be published this year by Schulte pseudonymously, sales eventually exceeding 250,000. See Gribben 199.