Day by Day entries are from Mark Twain, Day By Day, four volumes of books compiled by David Fears and made available on-line by the Center for Mark Twain Studies.  The entries presented here are from conversions of the PDFs provided by the Center for Mark Twain Studies and are subject to the vagaries of that process.    The PDFs, themselves, have problems with formatting and some difficulties with indexing for searching.  These are the inevitable problems resulting from converting a printed book into PDFs.  Consequently, what is provided here are copies of copies.  

I have made attempts at providing a time-line for Twain's Geography and have been dissatisfied with the results.  Fears' work provides a comprehensive solution to that problem.  Each entry from the books is titled with the full date of the entry, solving a major problem I have with the On-line site - what year is the entry for.  The entries are certainly not perfect reproductions from Fears' books, however.  Converting PDFs to text frequently results in characters, and sometimes entire sections of text,  relocating.  In the later case I have tried to amend the problem where it occurs but more often than not the relocated characters are simply omitted.  Also, I cannot vouch for the paragraph structure.  Correcting these problems would require access to the printed copies of Fears' books.  Alas, but this is beyond my reach.

This page allows the reader to search for entries based on a range of dates.  The entries are also accessible from each of the primary sections (Epochs, Episodes and Chapters) of Twain's Geography.  

Entry Date (field_entry_date)

July 14, 1905 Friday

Submitted by scott on
July 14 Friday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “After the Fall”—Mr. Clemens read tonight and Eve sums up all the reasons why she could love Adam, but doesn’t. It’s something else. It’s because he’s hers, dear little Eve.

Tonight at dinner Mr. Clemens talked about Mahommed [sic] and the wonder of him
Isabel Lyon’s journal # 2: “Wrote Mr. Duneka, suggesting that the word ‘Damn’ be struck from the title of You’re a Damnfool Mary, you always was” [MTP TS 23].

July 15, 1905 Saturday

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July 15 Saturday – In Dublin, N.H. Clemens heard a “bright little Japanese gentleman” give a talk in the nearby club house, among 50 or 60 ladies. Sam was asked to give a talk [July 16 to Clara; IVL Journal entry below].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: Tonight Jean came home. I drove over to Harrisville for her. Tired and big eyed and pale and hungry and full of C.C. and doings. Ugo is back again in the employ of Casa Clemens.

July 17, 1905 Monday

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July 17 Monday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam wrote to daughter Clara.

You dear, read these & return them. No, there is no need of “private”—no one will open your letter. Do not write about the letters —it is a secret of mine—just return them without comment.

Jean & I were out from 5 yesterday until 8, calling, & had a good time. We sup with Raphael Pumpelly this evening.

July 18, 1905 Tuesday

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July 18 Tuesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Yesterday Mr. Pumpelly called because Mr. Clemens and Jean dined there last night, and he paid such interesting respects to “Casa Clemens,” and I was the only one to hear them. He is tall and white bearded with a fine blue eye, and he’s handsome to look upon. He has been every where too. Mr. Clemens says that Mr. P. is two years younger than he.

July 19, 1905 Wednesday

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July 19 before – In Dublin, N.H. Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to George Porter. “Mr. Clemens has read the play & is greatly interested. He would like to talk with you. Name your day & hour” [MTP]. See July 23 entry.

July 21, 1905 Friday

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July 21 Friday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Today I set out for Dublin again, achieving all I planned to do. I reached the house at 8:30 to find Mr. Clemens and Jean having supper with Mr. and Mrs. Learned. Oh, the peace of the hills, the purity of the air, only I am too exhausted to know [MTP TS 81].

July 22, 1905 Saturday

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July 22 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: This afternoon [4 p.m.] Mr. Clemens spoke before the members of the Dublin Lake Club. It was all a surprise to them. They had imagined Mr. Thayer would speak. He was such a delight. I had never heard him before in public—so didn’t know that side of the magic of him. He touched on “Eve’s Diary,” and Eve’s characteristics, and then he spoke of the caprices of memory, introducing one delightful anecdote after another. I didn’t want to know what subject he was going to speak on, so I didn’t ask. He is so wonderful.

July 23, 1905 Sunday

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July 23 Sunday – George Porter, playwright who had written a play on Joan of Arc, The Maid, A Drama in Five Acts (1904), visited Sam in Dublin, N.H. [Gribben 554: Note on July 19 from Porter]. On the inside of Porter’s July 19 letter Miss Lyon wrote, “He came—Sunday- July 23 and brought the play of Joan of Arc—and some sweet peas. He was chilled to the bones & shivering, so Mr. Clemens put his own cape about his shoulders, & gave him whiskey… / But oh dear— / He didn’t come to any point.

July 24, 1905 Monday

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July 24 Monday – On or after this day in Dublin, N.H. Isabel V. Lyon wrote a short note for Sam to reply to George B. Harvey’s July 22 (below). “M . Clemens has already stopped this & has sent something. Very sorry to hear that Maj. Leigh is ill, & that Col H is well If M .Duneka cannot stand the Hell—then compromise on Sheol” [MTP]. Note: MTP places this as “on or after July 22” the date of Harvey’s incoming. Same day delivery from NYC to Dublin, N.H. was unlikely, so it is estimated on or after this day.

July 25, 1905 Tuesday

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July 25 Tuesday –Isabel Lyon’s journal: He spoke yesterday morning of the gradual shifting of portions of the earth’s surface. The infinitesimal disintegration of a mountain heavy as the Himalayas, and he made you see the thousands and thousands of years it would take, and the time—Oh, you didn’t see years, you just saw the solemn embodiment of time. Oh, so majesting, and you were down on your spirit knees worshipping. Oh, the divine flame, that blows here now—-now there.

July 27, 1905 Thursday

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July 27 Thursday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam added a PS to his July 26 to H.H. Rogers.

P. S. July 27’05

Here the letters are, at last! Clara thought she had sent them to me. I am hurrying them off to you, because I dasn’t read them again, I would blush to my heels to fill up with this unearned gratitude again, pouring out of the thankful hearts of these poor swindled people, who do not suspect you, but honestly believe I gave that money! [MTHHR 592]. Note: see July 26 to Rogers note.

July 31, 1905 Monday

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July 31 Monday – In Dublin, N.H. Isabel V. Lyon replied for Sam to M.H. Crandall.

“M . Clemens directs me to write for him and say that he has so many calls upon his purse, for one cause or another, that he must decline your invitation to endow a scholarship in your university” [MTP]. Note: the university in question was Alfred University. See below entry from Crandall.

M.H. Crandall wrote on Alfred University, Alfred, NY to ask Sam to endown a “Mark Twain Scholarship” for $1,000 [MTP].

August 1, 1905 Tuesday

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August 1 Tuesday – H.H. Rogers wrote to Sam about the thankful letters from Joe and Harmony Twichell: “The letters are lovely. Don’t breathe. They are so happy! It would be a crime to let them think that you have in any-way deceived them. I can keep still. You must”[MTHHR 594-5].

Isabel Lyon’s journal:

August 2, 1905 Wednesday

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August 2 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “I walked with Miss Greene up to the top of Oak Hill” [MTP TS 83].

Helena Gilder wrote from “Four Brooks Farm,” Tyringham, Mass. to Sam, expressing it “a great pleasure to have Clara and find her like her old sweet self.” She was glad Sam and Jean liked Dublin. Her handwriting is somewhat inscrutable [MTP].

August 3, 1905 Thursday

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August 3 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Hock! Hock! dear Abott H. Thayer! Jean asked him to dine here tomorrow night with Mr. and Mrs. Pumpelly, but he said he couldn’t! He said it was so lovely to see Mr. Clemens all alone, and to hear him talk when there weren’t others around, that—Oh, he couldn’t—And that is only the borderland of it all, for if it is better to hear Mr. Clemens without an audience, then how best it is to just be near him in his beautiful silences [MTP TS 84].

August 5, 1905 Saturday

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August 5 Saturday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam responded to Roi Cooper Megrue’s request of Aug. 3.

I have your favor of Aug. the 3rd in which I understand Miss Marbury to suggest that I give Mr. Timmory an extension of one year on his contracts with me; also that I grant Mr. Timmory free choice of theatre. I beg you to say to Miss Marbury I am quite willing that she shall make these concessions for me [MTP]. Note: Gabriel Timmory, French playwright.