October 26, 1899 Thursday

October 26 Thursday – In London, England, Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore, who evidently had requested more money for taxes and other expenses.

Such money as is in Mr. Rogers’s hands draws interest & we don’t want to disturb it; so I am enclosing a request that Bliss let you have it. I do it without blushing, for I have been spending a hundred dollars’ worth of time to beguile the Harpers to make a concession or two in Bliss’s favor & by this morning’s mail they have done it & will so inform Mr. Rogers…

October 25, 1899 Wednesday

October 25 Wednesday – At 30 Wellington Court (Albert Gate) in London, Sam wrote to H. Walter Barnett, photographer, complimenting him on recent pictures taken, writing that they “have the distinctions of their predecessors,” and that Barnett didn’t seem to know how to make a bad one [MTPO].

October 21, 1899 Saturday

October 21 Saturday – A New York Times article datelined London, Oct. 21, which ran Oct. 22, p.7, “Gen. Harrison in London,” cites Mark Twain was among the invitees to a banquet on Oct. 25. Sam did not go, as he was declining all public appearances for the present. See Oct. 26 to Whitmore.

Academy (London), p.445 ran a brief quotation from Mark Twain on his Christian Science article in Cosmopolitan [Tenney 30].

October 20, 1899 Friday

October 20 Friday – In London, Sam wrote on his calling card to T. Douglas Murray: “When I made it appear to my wife, My dear Mr. Murray, that you manifested an interest (which I enlarged,) in my portrait, she was mightily pleased, & hopes you will not regard it as an intrusion if she begs you to let her offer you this one” [MTP: ebay.com item #2254961173]. Note: evidently this card accompanied a photo of Sam as a gift.

October 19, 1899 Thursday

October 19 Thursday – At 30 Wellington Court (Albert Gate) in London, Sam replied to William Dean Howells’ Oct. 9 letter. Sam told of writing the Introduction to the Official Trial records of Joan of Arc to be published by T. Douglas Murray, and also about Basil Wilberforce asking him to speak “in his drawing room to the Dukes & Earls & M.P.’s” about Joan, which he couldn’t do because it would have taken him out of his seclusion.

October 16, 1899 Monday

October 16 Monday – At 30 Wellington Court (Albert Gate) in London, Sam wrote, a short note of introduction for Mark Hambourg to Richard Watson Gilder. Hambourg was an accomplished Russian pianist and student of Leschetizky in Vienna [MTP].

Sam also wrote a similar note of introduction to Georgiana R. Laffan (Mrs. William Mackay Laffan).

October 15, 1899 Sunday

October 15 SundayRene Doumic’s article “Revue Litteraire: Nos Humoristes” ran in the Revue des Deux Mondes, p. 924-5. Tenney: “Brief mention of MT (p. 932), citing The Stolen White Elephant as an example of his works famous in the English- and German-speaking countries” [30].

October 14, 1899 Saturday

October 14 Saturday – At 30 Wellington Court (Albert Gate) London, Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow.

(Don’t give that address away)

We waited and waited and yearned and yearned for you two Bigelows last night and you horribly disappointed us. See that you do better tomorrow night.

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