May 28 Wednesday – Sam was on the train en route to St. Louis, sleeping well the second night [May 23 to James R. Clemens].

John B. Briggs wrote from New London, Mo. to Sam. “Dear ‘Mark’:– / I see by the St. Louis Republican where you are to be in Hannibal, Mo., in the course of a few days, and if I am well enough would like to see you…and talk over old boyhood days” [MTP].

May 29 Thursday – Sam arrived in St. Louis around 7:30 a.m. He had planned to meet James Ross Clemens at the Planters House, but James and his cousin Lamotte Cates met him at the station and took him to Planters. (Note: Paine writes Horace Bixby also met him at the station MTB p. 1167).

May 30 Friday – It was a full first day In Hannibal, Mo. Sam gave an autograph to Minnie Dawson. Sometime during his stay in Hannibal (May 30 to June 9) he also gave an autograph on St. Louis Country Club letterhead in Clayton, Mo. to Sophie Sloan. Sam stayed up till after midnite into May 31, when he wrote Livy about the day .

May 31 Saturday – In the wee hours of May 31 in Hannibal, Mo. Sam wrote of the trip and the previous full day to Livy. See May 29 entry.

Later in the day Sam attended a reception for the 1901 Hannibal High School graduating class in the Windsor Hotel and told of his boyhood attempt to get measles. They gave Sam a spoon engraved with an image of his old home on Hill Street [Sorrentino 21]. Note: see MTCI p.447.

Sam’s notebook: “7.30 p.m., hotel. Meet class of 1900, High School. / 8.30 Reception” [NB 45 TS 15].

June – Sometime during the month Sam inscribed two photographs to Katharine Boland Clemens:“with the love of her cousin,” and “with the love and affection of her cousin” [MTP]. Note: Katharine married Sam’s cousin James Ross Clemens.

Sam also wrote an inscription to John Garth. “In reverent memory of John Garth, and in unbroken friendship of 55 years, June, 1902” [MTP].

June 1 Sunday – In Hannibal, Mo. Sam wrote to Dr. Everett Gill of Hannibal.

I find it too formidable! I should not be able to sit in the pulpit on Sunday & feel that I was doing a right & decorous thing; I should be under my own censure all the time. Therefore I shall sit where any sinner may sit without offence, & where all sinners are welcome. I shall be comfortable there, & free of self-reproaches [MTP].

June 2 Monday – In Hannibal, Mo. Sam had breakfast at the home of Colonel and Mrs. Hatch

[Sorrentino 21].

Sam’s notebook: “Miss Lakenan, 10 a.m. will call with a carriage. / Mr. Crookshank’s house—reading. / Wister will call at 5.30 / Supper before at George Clayton’s / The girl was lost in the cave—they only find bones, —sweetheart of Bates” [NB 45 TS 15]. Note: the last a story idea.

June 3 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Guest of E.W. Stephens. / Publish ‘Herald’ / Walter Williams, Editor ./

Columbia, Mo. / James Thayer Girauld, Secy P.B.K. will elect me honorary member” [NB 45 TS 16]. Note: P.B.K. =

Phi Beta Kappa. Paine gives E.W. Stevens [MTB 1172]..

Livy’s diary: “The Misses Dodge here for tea” [MTP: DV161].

June 4 Wednesday – In Columbia, Mo., The University of Missouri conferred an honorary Doctor of

Law degree, LL.D., upon Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Paine writes of the ceremony:

June 5 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “J. Ross Clemens / 110 N. 8th st. St Louis / smoker. / Rochambeau reception./ Mayor Wells. / The stolen watermelon. & skiff” [NB 45 TS 16].

Livy’s diary: “Mrs Orton Bradley & Mildred Holden here for tea, beside Mrs Whitmore” [MTP: DV161].

In Columbia, Mo. Sam wrote to Charles E. Still. “I remember you very well, & I wish I could accept your kind invitation, but my time is filled up & I am obliged to deny myself the pleasure” [MTP].

June 6 Friday – Paine writes of Sam’s appearances in St. Louis:

he was due in St. Louis again to join in the dedication of the grounds, where was to be held a World’s Fair, to celebrate the Louisiana Purchase. Another ceremony he attended was the christening of the St. Louis harbor-boat, or rather the rechristening, for it had been decided to change its name from the St.

Louis—[Originally the Elon G. Smith, built in 1873]—to the Mark Twain. A short trip was made on it for

June 7 Saturday

Sorrentino gives a 6:30 p.m. dinner at the St. Louis Club and an 8:30 p.m. reception at the University Club [21]. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 8, Mark Twain spoke to the University Club:

June 8 Sunday – Clara Clemens’ 28th birthday.

June 9 Monday – Sam arrived home in Riverdale at 6 p.m. after a 30 hour trip from St. Louis [June 10 to James R. Clemens].

T. Shaw Hall, N.Y.C. paper dealer, wrote to Sam, recalling his “Golden Arm” story in Chickering Hall, which made a fat lady shoot “a foot and a half into the air” when he got to the punch-scare line. He enclosed a copy of an advertisement (booklet) and asked if Sam “possibly had some old jokes” he might offer for next year’s advertisement [MTP].

June 24 Tuesday – The Clemens family, sans Clara, who was in Europe, left Riverdale on Rogers’ yacht, the Kanawha, for York Harbor Maine . H.H. Rogers was not along but put his yacht at their disposal in order to make the trip a comfortable one for Livy. Sam sent the Plasmon Co. a postcard with the new address and a request for Plasmon biscuits and cocoa to be sent there [Christie’s London Auction Nov. 12, 2007, Sale 5141, Lot 145].

June 25 Wednesday – The Kanawha and the Clemens family’s first stop on their way to York Harbor, Maine was Fairhaven, Mass. In his June 26 to Rogers Sam wrote of the trip from Riverdale to Fairhaven.

June 26 Thursday – On board the Kanawha, en route from Riverdale, N.Y. to York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers. The weather on the trip was perfect, but Jean caused Livy some sleepless nights: More of his above letter relating to this day:

June 27 Friday – The Kanawha docked in York Harbor, Maine, and the Clemenses took possession of their cottage, “The Pines,” so named because it stood in pines. Sam sent a telegram to H.H. Rogers:

“Housed and home by noon a perfectly lovely voyage / SLC” [MTHHR 489].

Livy wrote to Susan Crane of the place.

October 15 Wednesday – The Clemens family and Sue Crane left York Harbor, Maine about 9 a.m. utilizing an “invalid car.” They rode to a point south of Boston, then on to N.Y.C., arriving at 5:40 p.m. 20 minutes more brought them by special engine to Riverdale, N.Y. at about 7 p.m. [Oct. 16 to Hutton; Oct. 16 Jean Clemens to Sewell; Oct. 19 to Crane]. Sam thought Livy arrived in “pretty good physical condition” [Oct 18 to MacAlister].

October 24 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to John White Alexander to decline the same dinner that he declined to Chauncey Depew on Oct. 23 [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Samuel E. Moffett in Mt. Vernon, N.Y. “I am just leaving for Princeton, but stop to say she is getting along pretty well, but will be bedridden some months” [MTP].

November 28 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Train at 7.07. / 7.07 / Birth-day, dinner (not the 29th or 30th) Train leaves here at 7.07. / Wounds our conventions rather than our convictions. The convictions of one age are the conventions of the next” [NB 45 TS 34]. Note: evidently there had been some changes of the birthday dinner date; Sam entered a few things to say at the event in his Nov. 30 NB entry, and specified there it was to be the 29th; it wound up being this day. The 29th he was in Elmira at his niece’s wedding. The Nov. 30 entry:

December – The North American Review included the first installment of Mark Twain’s “Christian Science” (p.756-68) series written in 1897-8 in Vienna. The installments ran monthly through the Apr. 1903 issue. A book would result from these articles, though Harpers would delay it till 1907.

December 3 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Jean, Katy & I returned from the Elmira wedding” [NB 45 TS 34].

Note: Sam dared not travel alone with Jean due to her epilepsy, and so took Katy along, who had family in Elmira.

December 30 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam was allowed to see Livy for nearly four minutes [Dec.31 to Twichell].

Sam also added a short pararaph to his Dec. 29 letter to Susan Crane.

“Dec. 30. 6 a.m—(which is about dawn.) I have been up to Jean’s room, & find all quiet there—Jean sleeping. Miss Tobin whispered, ‘She has had a splendid night.’ The doctor (& Clara) had put in an appearance a couple of times in the night & gone back to bed, finding things going well” [MTP].

December 31 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Saw her for 5 minutes” [NB 45 TS 36].

In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote a long letter to Joe Twichell that he added to on Jan. 1, 1903. Sam headed the letter The Last day of a—in some respects—Tough Year being A.D. 1902”: