Day By Day Dates

July 24 Sunday – In Bad Nauheim, Germany at the Kaiserhof Hotel, Sam began a letter to Frederick J. Hall that he finished on July 27.

I have not sent that “Ship” article yet — been revising it; but I will mail it within the next six days — and will register it. Please look out for it about August 12th to 15th.

July 25 Monday – Moses S. Beach died in Peekskill, N.Y. N.Y. Times obituary, July 27, p.4 reported:

July 26 Tuesday – Jean Clemens’ twelfth birthday.

Chatto & Windus wrote to Sam of publishing matters [MTP].

W.H. Langhorne wrote to Sam, the letter going first to America and then returning to Bad Nauheim. Langhorne inquired of any connection based upon his surname in order to trace his Virginia ancestor [MTP]. Note: Sam replied the name was from a friend of the family.

July 27 Wednesday – Sam finished his July 24 to Hall by adding a PS for this date: He would mail the “Ship” article within three days. He asked Hall to send Livy the “name & numbers of the investments” that Mr. Halsey had lately added, and closed by announcing another letter about Bad Nauheim (possibly “Down the Rhone”) was finished with about six or seven thousand words; he noted it was the same length as the six Europe syndicate letters he’d done last winter [MTLTP 313].

July 29 Friday – In Bad Nauheim, Germany at the Kaiserhof Hotel, Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus:

Yesterday I began a book. Please send me one ream of this paper [MTP]. Note: Pudd’nhead Wilson was conceived in Bad Nauheim. This may be the first mention of it. More likely, this was Tom Sawyer Abroad — see Aug. 5 entry.

Chatto & Windus wrote to Sam [MTP cites C&W’s Letterbook, Vol. 26, p.219].

August – Sam sent his double autograph to an unidentified person:

Yes indeed & with great pleasure / Sincerely Yours / Mark Twain / ~ / Known to the police & these tax-people as / SL Clemens / ~ / Bad-Nauheim, Aug./92.

Sometime between Aug. 1 and 17, Sam answered W.H. Langhorne’s July 26 inquiry as to a possible family relationship based on Sam’s middle name.

August 3 Wednesday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam that he’d been unable to get the August report off, due to a smaller staff and vacations. Hall had received SLC’s letter of July 22; shortly thereafter had received a draft of the contract with Daly to dramatize (CY?), but that he wouldn’t be able to bring the play out this year; so Hall signed “subject to S.L. Clemens’ approval.” Sam wrote on the envelope, “Daly will dramatize in ‘93” [MTP].

August 5 Friday – Sam’s notebook entry: “Began ‘Huck Finn in Africa’ August 5, 1892” [NB 32 TS 18]. This was to be called Tom Sawyer Abroad and would run serialized in St. Nicholas from Nov. 1893 to Apr. 1894, prior to Webster & Co. publishing it in book form. See Apr. 16, 1894.

August 7 Sunday – At the Kaiserhof Hotel in Bad Nauheim, Sam wrote to his brother-in-law, Charles J. Langdon, who had telegrammed him while in New York, a message which was forwarded by mail to Bad Nauheim.

August 9 Tuesday – In Bad Nauheim Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall.

…But if he should want it I think a good idea to trade with him, for his magazine is obscure & I don’t want to appear in print in the full glare of the big magazines too often…Of course Walker can take this Romance if he wants it…if he takes Puddnhead, he can’t take this too [MTP].

Note: John Brisben Walker was at this time Howell’s co-worker and editor on the Cosmopolitan.

August 10 Wednesday – In Bad Nauheim Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall.

I have dropped that novel I wrote you about, because I saw a more effective way of using the main episode — to wit: by telling it through the lips of Huck Finn. So I have started Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer (still 15 years old) & their friend the freed slave Jim around the world in a stray balloon, with Huck as narrator…. I have written 12,000 words of this narrative….so I shall go along & make a book of from 50,000 to 100,000 words.

August 11 Thursday – Yola Zurelli wrote from San Francisco to Sam, sending a MS for his comment — the left side of the letter has been water damaged to the point of illegibility [MTP].

August 12 Friday – At the Hotel Kaiserhof in Bad Nauheim (which Sam called “Bath No Harm”), Sam answered a letter (not extant) from Laurence Hutton, who was planning some traveling.

August 13 Saturday – At the Hotel Kaiserhof in Bad Nauheim, Sam answered a letter (not extant) from Augustin Daly.

I have your letter of June 28, from Chicago. It followed me here — no, beat me here a day or two, for I was in Chicago myself when you wrote it — spent the 28th there under a fictitious name, & left the 29th.

August 15 Monday – On this day or the next, the family took a trip to Frankfort On the Main, Germany, a short seventeen miles to the south from Bad Nauheim [Aug 9 to Ross].

August 16 Tuesday – The Clemens family was in Frankfort on the Main, Germany. Sam later wrote about meeting old friends here:

The Phelpses came to Frankfort & we had some great times — dinner at his hotel & the [Frank] Masons, supper at our inn — Livy not in it. She was merely allowed a glimpse, no more. Of course, Phelps said she was merely pretending to be ill; was never looking so well & fine [MTP, Sept 18 to Crane]

August 17 Wednesday – The Clemens family was in Frankfort on the Main, Germany.

August 18 Thursday – An envelope only survives from Susy Clemens’ letter to Louise Brownell, in Frankfort on the Main, Germany, which proves the family did make the Aug. 15 or 16 trip there as Sam’s Aug. 9 to Ross speculated [MTP].

August 19 Friday – The Twichells arrived in Bad Nauheim for a visit [Aug. 23 to Orion].

August 20 Saturday – Sam and Joe Twichell went to Homburg, which Sam called “the great pleasure resort,” and dined with Chauncey Depew and other unspecified friends. Sam’s notebook:

Aug. 20. ’92. Dined with Chauncey Depew. Present, Rev. Joe Twichell, Earl & Countess Cork. Earl & Countess Allington[,] Sir Charles Hall, & the Misses Tournuse of New York [NB 32 TS 19].

Sam and Joe Twichell spent the night in Homburg.

August 21 Sunday – Sam’s notebook in Homburg:

August 22 Monday – In Bad Nauheim, Germany Sam wrote to Chauncey Depew, thanking him for the good time in Homburg.

I hold myself under obligations to you for many & varied & valuable kindnesses in Hamburg, the sum of them aggregating twenty-four hours of enjoyment memorably free from sin, & also as memorably free from dull spots. Joe [Twichell] hates dull spots, & I can’t stand sin; so both of our appetites got the right whet…

August 23 Tuesday – In Bad Nauheim Sam wrote to Orion and Mollie Clemens and headed the letter “Private,” then explained it was so “because no newspaper man or other gossip must get hold of it.”

Livy is getting along pretty well, & the doctor thinks another summer here will cure her.

The Twichells have been here four days & we have had good times with them. Joe & I ran over to Hamburg, the great pleasure resort, Saturday, to dine with some friends…

August 24 Wednesday – T. Childs wrote to Sam that he’d receivd the letter from Mrs. Carolyn S. Fahnstock and now had the cheque for 1500 from Frankfurt for the rent of the Villa Viviani [MTP].

August 25 Thursday – Sam’s notebook revealed he returned to Homburg:

Aug. 25. Came to Homburg per 12.20 tr.[ain] — distance, about 30 or 40 min. / Dined at the Kiersaal with Sir Charles Hall, to meet the Prince of Wales. 7 present. Sat at the Prince’s left. Depew at his right. Col Clark (aide) Mr. Atkins, M.P., J.L. Toole, the Comedian. All arrived & sat down on the minute named — 7.15. Much talk, many yarns, everything sociable, pleasant, no formality. Two hours delightfully spent [NB 32 TS 22].