Day By Day Dates

February 19 Friday – Sam’s notebook:

Feb. 19/97. Lunched with the Henry M. Stanleys. Anecdote by Mrs. Tennant of the American who wanted his portrait painted by Sir John Millais.

Dennis McCartney’s description of Jim Townsend’s voice—“A strong bass—immensely powerful—but raucous, reedy, raspy—sort of a horse-fly voice, you know.[”]

February 20 Saturday – The London Athenaeum p. 244 reviewed TS,D: “The title story is a disappointment, ‘How to Tell a Story’ does not make its case, and the chapters on Paul Bourget “hardly seem worth reprinting” [Tenney 26].

February 22 Monday – J.A. O’Brien wrote from Sydney, Aus. to Sam. The short note is half illegible, but refers to a tribute which “should be framed in gold.” He wrote he was “nobody” [MTP].

February 23 Tuesday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to William Dean Howells. He thanked Howells for his “splendid phrases, so daringly uttered & so warmly” in his review of the first five volumes in Harper’s of Mark Twain’s “Uniform Edition” (HF, LM, P&P, CY, TSA, TSD).

February 26 Friday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, “nervous about the contracts” since Frank Bliss had delayed signing. Bliss’ contract specified an advance, non-refundable advance of $10,000 on Sam’s new book, (FE). Sam confessed to not being “strenuous now” and suggested they grant concessions should Bliss want them. He was pondering a good offer from a London publisher for FE, and wanted “to strike Chatto for a new and better arrangement,” but not until Bliss signed.

February 28 Sunday – Orion Clemens began a letter to Sam that he finished on Mar. 5 and 6. “$50 was gratefully received from you and Livy on the 25th. I paid Ed Brownell $5 making $100 I have paid him, and leaving $350, as I have a written agreement to pay him $5 a month….” Mollie was abed suffering from “La Grippe” and a boil in her nose [MTP].

March – McClure’s Magazine ran a full page frontispiece portrait of Sam by Charles Noel Flagg (1848-1916) This was the painting commissioned by Livy in 1891 which hung in the Hartford House

March 2 Tuesday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to John Y. MacAlister at 20 Hanover Square, London, declining his “kind invitation” to an unnamed gathering due to his “bereavement [MTP]. Note: MacAlister obviously replied, his letter not extant but implied by Sam’s Mar 2 to 24 response.

MacAlister was editor of Library magazine and member of the Savage Club.

March 3 Wednesday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to Gilbert Burgess (local), declining his “suggestion” of honorary membership in an unspecified club. He declined due to his bereavement.

March 4 Thursday – H.H. Rogers sent Sam a cable c/o “Bookseller” that the contracts had been signed. This cable was returned on Mar. 5, so a second one was sent c/o Chatto & Windus, which was delivered  [Mar. 23 to Chatto & Windus]. Note: neither cable is extant.

March 5 Friday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to James Ross Clemens in London.

Your note [not extant] has just arrived this evening—it has been searching round for one for a day or two.

March 6 Saturday – Orion finished his Feb. 28 and Mar. 5 letter to Sam. “In thinking over the past is it best to say, If this event had not occurred a train of events would have ensued whose end would not be misplaced by some unforeseen intervening occurrence?” [MTP]. Note: Orion’s letters were often a mixture of family and local goings-on, rooting for Sam, and this sort of splash of philosophical wonderings.

March 7 Sunday – Miss Mary L. Craig wrote from Punxsutawney Penn. to Sam. She wrote that she took care of Sam’s mother “during the last year of her life,” and wanted his permission for her sister to do a portrait of Jane from a photogiven to Mary [MTP]. Note: Craig had written on Jan. 5, 1891 asking permission to write a sketch of Jane; see entry.

March 8 Monday – The day Sam invited Dr. James Ross Clemens to tea. The doctor likely made the appointment, or at least visited before Mar. 25 when Sam mentioned seeing him [Mar. 5 and Mar. 25 to JR Clemens].

March 9 Tuesday – The official publication date for How to Tell a Story and Other Essays [M. Johnson 78]. Note: the title piece, “How to Tell a Story” ran first in the Oct. 1895 issue of Youth’s Companion. See Apr. 9 as official date for two copies registered to the Library of Congress.

March 13 Saturday – In London Sam wrote to an unidentified man who had suggested a lecture for him. Sam replied that literary work would fill his schedule with no time for lecturing [MTP].

March 18 Thursday – Julian Ralph (1853-1903) inscribed a copy of his book, Alone in China, and Other Stories, London (1897): “To S.L. Clemens, Esq / With the warm regards of / Julian Ralph / 35 Courtfield Road S.W. / March 18 ‘97” [Gribben 568].

Sam’s notebook:

March 19 Friday – In London Sam wrote to Frank E. Bliss.

I enclose renewal-application & letter about it. Please attend to the matter for me.

I finished the book (in the rough) March 1st, then spent a week gutting it. I gutted a third of it out, & then began a careful revising & editing of the remaining two-thirds. I shall complete this revision in two or three days. I set the type-writer to work on the first 10,000 words a couple of days ago.

March 23 Tuesday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote a postcard to Chatto & Windus, asking why Rogers’ first cable of Mar. 4 had not been received. Sam quoted from H.H. Rogers’ letter (not extant):

March 24 Wednesday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to American Publishing Co.

correcting his cable address to “Care Bookstore London. / I gave it to you wrong before, I believe” [MTP]. Note: Sam had provided “Bookseller London” as his cable address, to Bliss and to Rogers, which caused Rogers’ Mar. 4 cable to be returned.

Sam also wrote a postcard to John Y. MacAlister, having survived a bout of lumbago, asked him to “come down & have another smoke” [MTP].

March 25 Thursday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus to correct an oversight in JA, which he’d intended to be his silver-wedding gift to Livy when he began it in Florence in 1893. He had forgotten to request the dedication in the front pages and now sent the copy he wished them to insert: ,

TO MY WIFE 1895  Olivia Langdon Clemens

March 26 Friday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam made a dental appointment. He noted in his Mar. 25 to James R. Clemens that it was his only appointment since he’d seen him (probably on Mar. 8).

March 27 Saturday – Orion Clemens finished his Mar. 26 to Sam. He discussed a City “Platform” about water and meter rates, and included a clipping from the Keokuk paper of the Platform [MTP].

This is the day that Sam suggested James Ross Clemens visit [Mar. 25 to J.R. Clemens].

March 28 Sunday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote to Pamela Moffett. Evidently Pam had written and sent a book, Belief of Unitarians for Sam and Livy to read. He wrote that he’d directed Harpers to send her a copy of JA, something he “supposed” he’d “attended to long ago,” which infers she might have asked for it. She also must have complained about Sally Moffett leaving too much money to her daughter (unnamed) for Sam replied:

April – The April issue of Atlantic Monthly included Charles Miner Thompson’s “Mark Twain as an Interpreter of American Character,” p. 443-50. Tenney: “‘He is not a great or a skillful writer,’ and lacks the taste of an Oliver Wendell Holmes.