Day By Day Dates

November 12 Sunday – Sam wrote from Boston to Elisha Bliss. He’d enjoyed a good many dinners with Howells, Aldrich and Keeler. Sam directed copies of Innocents be sent to the three men, in care of J.R. Osgood & Co., Boston [MTL 4: 489].

November 13 Monday – Sam lectured in Mechanic’s Hall, Boston, Mass. – “Artemus Ward.”

November 14 Tuesday – Sam lectured in Smyth’s Hall, Manchester, N.H.  – “Artemus Ward.”

November 15 Wednesday – Sam lectured in City Hall, Haverhill, Mass. – “Artemus Ward.” Sam wrote from Haverhill after the lecture to Livy.

November 16 Thursday – Sam lectured in City Hall, Portland, Maine – “Artemus Ward.” Sam wrote from Portland to Moses S. Beach, declining an invitation Beach had sent to Livy for the family to stay with the Beaches [MTL 4: 493-4]. Note: It was Mrs. Beach who had disapproved of Sam as a suitor for their daughter Emeline in 1868.

November 17 Friday – At 1 AM in Portland, Maine, Sam wrote a short note to Livy. Sam thought the Portland lecture enjoyable, and the Portland Eastern Argus agreed [MTP].

In the evening Sam lectured in Huntington Hall, Lowell, Mass. – “Artemus Ward.” [MTPO].

November 18 Saturday – With another open weekend, Sam arrived in Hartford in the afternoon or evening and spent the rest of the weekend at home [MTL 4: 493n8].

November 20 Monday – Sam took the morning train from Hartford to New York, and made connections to Philadelphia [MTL 4: 493n8]. Sam lectured in the Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – “Artemus Ward.”

In Hartford, Livy wrote for Sam to Robert M. Howland at the St. Nicholas Hotel in NYC:

Dear Sir

November 21 Tuesday – Sam lectured in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, New York – “Artemus Ward.” Plymouth was Henry Ward Beecher’s church. Sam evoked “continuous fits of laughter” [MTL 4: 497]. Advertisements like the one that ran on Nov.

November 22 Wednesday – Sam lectured in Washington Hall, Roundout, NY – “Artemus Ward.”

November 23 Thursday – Sam lectured in Court House, Easton, Penn. – “Artemus Ward.”

In MTP a receipt for $53 to W.B. Willard, Hartford dealer in flour, grain & feed.

November 24 Friday – Sam lectured in Reading, Penn. – “Artemus Ward.” The theater of Keystone Opera House, as reported by the Berks and Schuylkill Journal of Nov. 25:

Mark Twain, author of “Innocents Abroad,” delivered a lecture on the “Uncommon-place Characters he has met with” at the Keystone Opera House last evening to a full house.”

November 25 Saturday – The London Leisure Hour ran reprints from the St. Louis Republican and a story of how Sam took the name Mark Twain—this one relates him writing a sketch about Captain Isaiah Sellers, then asking “John Morris, now steward of the Belle Memphis,” what name he should sign to it. When the leadsman called out “Mark Twain,” it supposedly decided the issue [Tenney 4].

November 27 Monday – Livy’s 26th birthday.

Sam lectured in Bennington, Vermont – “Artemus Ward.” Afterward, Sam wrote to Livy:

November 28 Tuesday – Sam lectured in Tweddle Hall, Albany, New York – “Artemus Ward.” Sam wrote from Albany to George L. Fall, scheduler for the Boston Lyceum Bureau.

November 29 Wednesday – Sam lectured in Opera House, Newark, New Jersey – “Artemus Ward.”

On this day or the next, Sam wrote from Newark, N.J. to Redpath & Fall. “Well, Troy had telegraphed for Feb. 8. We telegraphed you. You answered with a ‘word with a bark to it—No’ ” [MTL 4: 503; paraphrased]. Note: see source n1 for a full explanation.

November 30 Thursday – Sam’s 36th birthday.

December – Sam’s article “My First Lecture” ran in American Publishing Co.’s in-house promotional monthly, American Publisher [Camfield, bibliog.]. Similar to Roughing It, Ch. 78.

December 1 Friday – Sam gave the “Artemus Ward” lecture in Doolittle Hall, Oswego, NY [MTPO]. 

December 2 Saturday – Sam gave the “Artemus Ward” lecture in Barber Hall, Homer, New York to a “large assemblage.”

Clemens gave a humorous autograph to an unidentified person. Cue: “It isn’t egotism that makes me choose a leaf so…” Not found at MTP but in catalog [MTP].

December 3 Sunday – Sam spent the day in Homer, New York.  He wrote a laundry list of concerns to Livy, including loans to his Express partner, Josephus Larned; money to his mother; bills for shirts; directing that Margaret (the maid) should be given “the nightly care of the cubbie”; and another lecturer from Virginia City days, C.B.

December 4 Monday – Sam gave the “Artemus Ward” lecture in Linden Hall, Geneva, New York. He wrote from Geneva to Livy, telling of being approached by “two-little-girl friends” of his “early boyhood,” Mary E. Bacon and Mildred Catherine (Kitty) Shoot.

December 5 Tuesday – Sam gave the “Artemus Ward” lecture in Academy of Music, Auburn, New York [MTPO].

Sam wrote from Auburn to Livy. He met again with Dr. Merrill in the morning:

Old Darling, I thank you very very much for so loving me & so missing  & me & remembering my birthday & wishing for me there—& I do reciprocate—I love you with all my heart & long to be with you again.

December 6 Wednesday – Sam telegraphed the American Publishing Company:

“Why have you not answered my telegram I particularly want proofs of the California part of the book expressed immediately to Reeds Hotel Erie Pa shall use some extracts in Public reading in place of a lecture if you have shipped none already maybe you better send duplicates to Toledo also answer. / Mark Twain”[MTPO].

December 7 Thursday – Sam gave the “Roughing It” lecture in Sprague’s Hall, Warsaw, New York. One version of this speech is published in Mark Twain Speaking, pp. 48-63. Sam experienced mixed results with the Artemus Ward lecture, and even faced charges of plagiarism for retelling some of Ward’s old jokes. He was ready to try a new lecture.