Day By Day Dates

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)

September 5, 1906 Wednesday

September 5 Wednesday – Clemens’ A.D. of this day included: Items from “The Children’s Record Book,” showing their different characteristics [MTP Autodict2].

Frederic Chapin wrote from Oak Park, Ill. to Sam, enclosing Elisabeth Marbury’s Sept. 4 to him. Chapin’s long letter to Sam involved the many details, contracts, etc. regarding dramatizing P&P [MTP].

September 7, 1906 Friday

September 7 Friday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam sent a telegram to Henry Campbell- Bannerman, English Prime Minister.

Congratulations, not condolences. Before 70 we are merely respected, at best, & we have to behave all the time or we lose that asset; but after 70 we are respected, esteemed, admired, revered, & don’t have to behave unless we want to. When I first knew you, one of us was hardly even respected.

September 8, 1906 Saturday

September 8 Saturday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam wrote instructions for Isabel Lyon to reply to Minnie Maddern Fiske. “Write to M . Fisk. & say it has been suggested that the people in Spain If they together ask that the book be dedicated to the Queen of Spain. It isn’t the least likely that it can be done—but we think that you will not be afraid to try” [MTP].

Lyon wrote again for Sam to George B. Harvey, but this, another attempt to “give him abuse” also unfinished:

HORSES TALE

September 10, 1906 Monday

September 10 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Last night we sat out on the porch for a long time to watch the stars. The King & Jean & I. They were very wonderful. It seemed that almost never before were there so many & we couldn’t tear ourselves away.

September 11, 1906 Tuesday

September 11 Tuesday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam wrote to Mary B. Rogers. Only the envelope survives [MTP].

Sam also sent a night telegram to Frederic Chapin in Oak Park, Ill. relative to Chapin’s Aug. 19 concern about producing a play of P&P there: “My contract is in the Safe deposit New York. I do not remember the terms—My secretary goes down tomorrow—Wednesday— empowered to examine it & decide definitely with Miss Marbury” [MTP].

September 12, 1906 Wednesday

September 12 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “On the train between Boston & New York somewhere. Mrs. George Harvey & Dorothy are in the 2nd parlor coach ahead. I’ve been in to see them” [MTP TS 119]. Note: judging by this and her Sept. 14 entry, Clemens did not go on this trip, the purpose of which is not stated.

September 14, 1906 Friday

September 14 Friday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam replied to the (not extant) Sept. 12 letter of  Joe Twichell in Blue Ridge, N.Y.

It’s all right about the Westminster, I am hoping to get converted, & I don’t wish to leave any promising bait unswallowed. I see that you wish me to help you deceive the guide into believing that you enjoy the distinction of being acquainted with me, & so, out of the weakness of inherent good-nature I consent, though I’m damned if I think it is good morals.

September 16, 1906 Sunday

September 16 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Jean, 10:30—porch. 2 weeks & 2 days.

A dreadful kind of day, for Jean would not let me out of her sight. We tried to walk a little but she was not equal to it. Then I dressed up in a clown costume to cheer her up & then she began to read “Kim” aloud to me. But it was a dreadful kind of a day, for she couldn’t keep it up [MTP TS 120].

September 18, 1906 Tuesday

September 18 Tuesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

AB came back today, came back tired & brought me “Madame Butterfly”. He’s a thoughtful creature. I was so glad to see him—so very glad for when the King is away the loneliness of this place can be screaming, because I’m not alone. I can endure myself. It’s the rest of the world that chokes me so—a certain spirit world that is disastrous to me [MTP TS 120-121].


 

September 19, 1906 Wednesday

September 19 Wednesday – Sam left Fairhaven, Mass. on the Kanawha for New York City. On board he read 10,000 words of Charlotte Teller Johnson’s play [Sept. 20 to Lyon].

In the evening Sam spoke at the Associated Press Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in N.Y.C. The NewYork Times, Sept. 20, p. 4 reported on the event:  

SPELLING AND PICTURES AND TWAIN AT DINNER

The Associated Press Men Hear a Plea for Phonetic Forms.

September 20, 1906 Thursday

September 20 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Isabel V. Lyon in Dublin, N.H. 

Clara & I have just come in from dinner at the Grosvenor, & I am gone to bed.

Day before yesterday I told Mrs. Johnson frankly & in detail our judgment of the Joan play, & she took it in good part.

Yesterday on the yacht I read 10,000 words of the story, & to-day I read 10,000 more—both batches with great admiration & continuous & strong interest.

September 21, 1906 Friday

September 21 Friday – In N.Y.C. Sam began a letter  to Mary B. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers, Jr.) that he added to after reaching Norfolk, Conn. Sept. 22, where he finished it on Sept. 23. Daughter Clara was to make her American debut as a concert singer in Norfolk on Sept. 22.

[first page of letter written between typewritten lines of letter to SLC from W. M. Vanderweyde:]

September 22, 1906 Saturday

September 22 Saturday – At 3 p.m. in Norfolk, Conn. Sam added to his Sept. 21 to Mary B. Rogers. Norfolk, 3 p.m., 22

I have gone to bed—as usual. It is to be hope that you are in bed, too, & that last night’s hilarious late hours & this morning’s murderously early ones have not broken you down utterly & condemned you to Norfolk again. I had a marvelously narrow escape from death coming up in the train.

===

September 23, 1906 Sunday

September 23 Sunday – In Norfolk, Conn. at midnight, Sam added to his Sept. 21 and 22 letter to Mary B. Rogers.

Midnight. It’s over!,

Sack, it was a distinct triumph!—an unqualified triumph—a triumph without any alloying doubts hanging about it—a beautiful, & blood-stirring, & spirit-satisfying triumph; & I would rather have lost one of my ear than missed it, & I would have contributed the other one to have you there.

September 25, 1906 Tuesday

September 25 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave. in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Isabel V. Lyon, with a humorous end note to daughter Jean, in Dublin, N.H.  

About 10 last night Clara took the alarm & fled to the sanitarium in 69 street. It was because the tearing up of the avenue made such a pounding racket. I hope she will stay there—for two reasons. Miss Gordon is good company for her, & there’s none here; & up there she is close to Luckstone.

September 26, 1906 Wednesday

September 26 Wednesday – NYC: Sam inscribed a photograph of himself sitting up in bed to Katy Leary: “It is your human environment that makes the climate. To Katy Leary, with the affectionate regards of her friend. / Mark Twain / Sept 26/06” [MTP].  

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Petit mal all day.  / I got up to lie out in the sunshine with a piteously aching & suffering & quivering spine. AB came out with the mail & he took a lot of it away to dictate answers to Miss Hobby” [MTP TS 122].

September 27, 1906 Thursday

September 27 Thursday – In the evening at 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Ralph W. Ashcroft.

The Colonel [Harvey] has just gone. I expected he would not be willing that any but Harpers should issue the brochure, & he wasn’t.

He wants to put the 7 [photographs on being good] in the Xmas Weekly—a huge & elaborate number—& says he can print them perfectly; so I told him to go ahead. Miss Lyon is suffering a severe nervous collapse [MTP].