Day By Day Dates

January 28 Friday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Elisha Bliss, happy with the $4,000 due him for his latest royalties from Innocents Abroad.

“But $4,000 is pretty gorgeous. One don’t pick that up often, with a book. It is the next best thing to lecturing….I’ll back you against any publisher in America, Bliss—or elsewhere” [MTL 4: 40-1].

To date, Sam had totaled royalties of about $7,404 [MTL 4: 42n5].

January 29 Saturday – Sam’s article, “Around the World Letter No. 8,” subtitled, “Dining with a Cannibal,” was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 144].

February 2 Wednesday – Samuel L. Clemens married Olivia Louise Langdon. Congregational ministers Joseph Twichell and Thomas K. Beecher performed the ceremony at 7 PM.

February 3 Thursday – The newlyweds left in a private railroad car for their new home in Buffalo. On the train Sam entertained by singing an old British folk ballad that his niece Annie Moffett did not think proper for the occasion. The song would appear in different versions in HF and P&P.

February 6 Sunday – Sam wrote from Buffalo, New York to William “Will” Bowen:

My First, & Oldest & Dearest Friend,

February 7 Monday – Joseph and Harmony Twichell responded to Sam’s telegram for them to visit; they arrived in Buffalo this day [MTL 4: 66].

Mary Mason Fairbanks’ account of the Clemens wedding ran in the Cleveland Herald. Though the event was mentioned in many newspapers, her account is the fullest, since she was in attendance.

February 8 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to John Fuller, brother of Sam’s agent in 1867, Frank Fuller. Sam declined to lecture. “Am just married, & don’t take an interest in anything out of doors” [MTL 4: 64].

February 9 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Francis P. Church, of the Galaxy. Sam claimed his work for the Buffalo Express paid him an ample livelihood; that he wrote sketches, squibs and editorials for it; that he didn’t go to the office [MTL 4: 65].

February 10 Thursday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Charles Cole Hine, editor of the monthly journal, Insurance Monitor, declining to submit an article.

I have begun a new life & a new system, a new dispensation. And the bottom rule of the this latter is,

To Work No More than is Absolutely Necessary.

February 12 Saturday – Rev. Grosvenor W. Heacock, minister Lafayette Presbyterian Church, called on Sam and Livy at home. Reigstad writes: “Heacock spoke highly of The Innocents Abroad to Twain, and the new married couple enjoyed his company” [130].

February 13 Sunday – Sam again attended services at the Lafayette Presbyterian Church, Rev. Grosvenor W. Heacock, minister. This time Livy accompanied him [Reigstad 130].

Sam wrote from Buffalo to Mary Mason Fairbanks, and Livy added her comments.

February 14 Monday – Henry W. Shaw (Josh Billings) wrote to Sam; letter not found at MTP, but catalogued as UCLC 31952.

February 15 Tuesday – Elisha Bliss wrote to Sam. After pleasantries and tales of a “little ‘bender’” with Twichell, Bliss gave production numbers on IA, “Have sold about 5,000 so far this month,” then hit Sam with the bad news about Kitty (Kate) D. Barstow (Mrs. William H. Barstow):

February 17 – 19 Saturday – Sometime during these two days David Ross Locke (“Petroleum Nasby”) and Coleman E. Bishop (1838-1896), editor of the Jamestown NY Journal, made an afternoon call. Locke was in Buffalo to lecture on “The Struggles of a Conservative with the Woman Question,” likely being about suffrage [Reigstad 134]. Note: Bishop was Twain’s contact for his January 21 Jamestown lecture. See also Feb. 18; July 14, 1871 to Redpath; MTL 4: 76n1, 2.

February 18 Friday – Sam attended David Ross Locke’s lecture in Buffalo for the Woman’s Suffrage Association on “The Struggles of a Conservative with the Woman Question.” Sam published a review in the Buffalo Express on Feb. 19 [Reigstad, email 11 May 2013].

February 19 Saturday – The Hartford Courant reported that the 60,000 copy of Innocents Abroad had been printed, some 45,000 sold [MTL 4: 78n1]. An article attributed to Sam, “Nasby’s Lecture,” was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 153].

The San Francisco News-Letter, “Town Crier” page, carried a snide blurb about Sam’s marriage:

February 20 Sunday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Joel Benton (1832-1911), former owner of the Amenia Times. Benton wanted to sell the Buffalo Express some European letters. Sam said the Express did not need European letters [MTL 4: 73-4]. Sam and Livy again teamed up on a letter written to Livy’s mother . Sam teased Livy about her cooking and housekeeping:

February 23 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss, responding to his two letters (one now lost; see Feb. 15 for the other).

Friend Bliss—

Why bless your soul, I never have time to write letters these days—takes all my time to carry on the honey-moon. I would like to talk to Mrs Bliss [Amelia Bliss] two or three or four hours about my wife now, if she could stand it——she used to stand it very well when I was at your house.

February 24 Thursday – Sam wrote a eulogy for Anson Burlingame, which ran in the Buffalo Express the following day.

February 25 Friday – Sam’s eulogy for “Anson Burlingame,” was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 153]. Sam said of the man who helped him get the scoop on the Hornet disaster:

February 26 Saturday – Sam & Livy wrote from Buffalo to Jervis Langdon.

February 28 Monday – An article attributed to Sam, “The Blondes,” was printed in the Buffalo Express. The article criticized a dancing troupe called the Lydia Thompson’s Blonde Burlesque Troupe.

Late February – Livy’s cousin, Hattie Marsh Tyler, “who lived in the Buffalo area, dropped in. She filled Olivia’s ears with complaints about the female ‘help’ available in Buffalo. Around that time, just three weeks into running her new household, Olivia had needed to mildly scold servants Ellen and Harriet.

March – Between March 1870 and March 1871 – Sam wrote 87 pieces for the New York Galaxy [Wilson 109]. He was offered two and a half times the normal rate for a regular humorous section in the magazine. He agreed only if the label of humor was not applied to his work. He thus wrote under a column titled, “Memoranda,” and his first article was published in May.

Livy’s cousin, Anna Marsh Brown stayed with the Clemenses “briefly” [Reigstad 134].

March 2 Wednesday – The Clemenses invited George H. Selkirk and wife Emily over for the evening. Selkirk was one of Sam’s Express partners [Reigstad 133].

Jervis Langdon replied to the Feb. 26 from Sam:

Dear Samuel,