Publishing Innocents Abroad - Day By Day

October 18 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Livy. He engaged in name-dropping with Rev. Joseph H. Twichell, whom he met a week before. Sam had determined to live up to the standards of the Langdons in order to win Livy. He cheerfully accepted being “rebuked” by Livy, in much the same spirit he’d always done with his mother and also with Mary Fairbanks. It wasn’t entirely a game with Sam, however much he enjoyed the cycle.

October – The first appearance of “A Californian Abroad – A Medieval Romance” ran in the Overland Monthly. This piece was later collected in IA [Slotta 15].

October 19 Monday – Sam spent the afternoon and evening with the Twichells, driving “10 miles out in the country & back.” Sam and Rev. and Mrs. Twichell were accompanied by “two young ladies, sisters of Mrs. T” [MTL 2: 272].

October 2 Friday ca. – Sam arrived in Hartford and stayed with the Bliss family, where after “two or three days” he wrote Mary Mason Fairbanks.

October 21 Wednesday – Sam met with Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield (Mass.) Daily Republican and of the Weekly Republican, founded by his father. Bowles had just returned from the west and was interested in the Pacific coast [MTL 3: 267n1]. In an article Sam wrote dated Oct. 22, he described an International Boat Race (see Nov 15 entry.)

October 22 Thursday – Sam wrote the Alta California of his meeting with Sam Bowles [MTL 3: 267n1].

October 24?–27 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to his mother and family about Twichell, his book’s scheduled publication in March, and his desire to begin lecturing soon at Cleveland [MTL 2: 270-1]. Lorch says Sam had received an invitation to lecture there from Colonel John F.

October 30 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Livy about his outing of the previous Monday, more raves about Twichell, spiritual matters, and his upcoming plans to lecture. About Mary Fairbanks, Sam wrote: “I like to tease her because I like her so.” He added a P.S.

October 31 Saturday – Sam wrote from New York to Mary Mason Fairbanks: “I’ll be in Cleveland Nov.8—lecture there Nov. 17—so you can get ready to scratch. I’ll expunge every word you want scratched out, cheerfully” [MTL 2: 277].

October 4–5 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Livy, about fearing he “unsettled Mrs. Fairbanks’ mind, somewhat, concerning her Elmira visit” on account of the health of Jervis Langdon.

October 5–30 Friday – In Hartford, sometime between these dates, Sam wrote a sort of riddle to Frank Fuller:

“If a man were to signify however which he was not & could not if he had the power, which being denied him he will endeavor anyhow, merely because it don’t, would you? I should think not” [MTL 2: 260].

October 7 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Edward L. Burlingame about seeing Edward’s father Anson and family in New York and about the Treaty article which appeared in the Tribune.

See The Life of Mark Twain: The Early Years, 1835-1871:

September 11 to 20? Sunday – Sometime between these dates Sam traveled on to Chicago and St. Louis, while Charles remained in Cleveland. Sam wrote on Sept. 24 he was “mighty busy in that town [Chicago] too” [MTL 2: 252].

September – The first appearance of “A Californian Abroad – Three Italian Cities” ran in the Overland Monthly. This piece was later collected in IA [Slotta 15].

Sometime during the month Sam inscribed a copy of The Celebrated Frog of Calaveras County to I.N. Higgins: “To I. N. Higgins, Esq./ With best wishes / & friendly regards of / Mark Twain / Otherwise Samℓ L. Clemens./ Sept. 1868” [MTPO]

September 21 Monday – Sam wrote from St. Louis to Livy. After expressing his gratitude at receiving her letter and picture (which she had refused to give him in Elmira):

September 24 Thursday – Sam wrote from St. Louis to Mary Mason Fairbanks.

I shall start day after to-morrow (Saturday) at 8 A.M., which will bring me to Cleveland Sunday morning. Then I will leave Cleveland Monday morning. I have some idea of spending Tuesday in Elmira—will talk with you [MTL 2: 252].

September 26 Saturday – Sam left Cleveland by train for Elmira [MTL 2: 252n1].

September 27 Sunday – Sam wrote on Buffalo Express letterhead to unknown gentlemen:

Gentlemen:—

I am going to lecture only a little over half the season, & my present engagements render it impossible for me to go further west than Pittsburgh. Otherwise I would be most happy to profit by your kind invitation.

Very Truly Yours / Samℓ. L. Clemens

Sam arrived in Elmira where he was to stay with the Langdons for a day and a night.

September 28 Monday – As Charles Langdon and Sam started for the train depot they were thrown from the wagon. Charles suffered head cuts and Sam was stunned. The accident delayed Sam’s departure. (Willis claims 3 additional days, but Sam left on Sept. 29 [MTL 2: 256 n2]. (See Sept. 29 entry, also a full account of Sam playing possum in MTA 2: 107-110.)

September 29 Tuesday – Sam left Elmira for New York. Livy wrote to Alice Hooker: “Mr Clemens spent two days here on the way to Hartford from St. Louis; he intended to remain one day” [Stowe-Day collection per Tenney].

September 3 Thursday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Elisha Bliss, enclosing an Excelsior Monthly Magazine reprint of his toast to “Woman” made on Jan.

September 30 Wednesday ca. – Sam arrived in New York, where he stayed a day, then left for Hartford, probably arriving there about Oct. 2.

September 6 Sunday – Sam wrote the Alta California about Hartford: “Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see this is the chief. I never saw any place before where morality and huckleberries flourished as they do here” [MTNJ 1: 498].

September 7 and 8 Tuesday – Sam had fallen in love with Olivia Louise Langdon and evidently had expressed this openly to her, asking for marriage. The “rules” of Victorian society required her to refuse such a sudden and precipitous proposal, but Olivia allowed Sam to write her “as a brother to a sister,” which he did before leaving Elmira. In the early hours of this day Sam wrote her the first of many love letters. Olivia numbered each of Sam’s letters until their marriage in Feb.