April 28 Thursday – May Cline wrote from Harmony, N.J. questioning Sam’s evidence for “Mental Telegraphy” [MTP].
Agnes V. Kelley wrote from N.Y. for permission to write an essay on Sam’s life, accompanied by his picture, for use with her upcoming book, “Sons of the Bright Brigade,” which was planned as a sequel to her nearly-finished “Daughters of the Bright Brigade.” Agnes asked for a few biographical facts [MTP].
April 29 Friday – At the Hotel Molaro in Rome, Susy Clemens wrote again to Louise Brownell.
April 30 Saturday – Sam’s notebook in Florence:
May 2 Monday, after † – From Florence, Sam wrote two notes to Miss Page, the first thanking her for her “seasick remedy” which he felt the family would benefit from since he was never seasick, and announcing he would be at Mrs. Carolyn S. Fahnstock’s “with a sample of the family.” The second note informs Miss Page that Livy had already made an engagement for the family for the following day. Sam suggested a later day. “Would 4 p.m. Monday do? — or 3.30?” [MTP].
May 3 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook in Florence:
Madonna, child & child St. John. Three children, for the Madonna is a physically developed woman 9 years old. St. John is wretchedly drawn. The whole picture is poor. With Raphael’s name removed it would be dear at $1.50. / The Wrestlers are wonderful. / They try to tell when a picture or other work was made by the character of the workmanship — forgetting that there are good & bad workmen in all ages.
May 4 Wednesday – Ceyton Saxe sent a form letter soliciting Sam’s comment on the use of tobacco for an article Saxe was preparing for “several American newspapers” [MTP].
May 5 Thursday – At the Hotel Grande Bretagne & Arno in Florence, Italy Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore advising that “Three good-size boxes will leave Rome for Hartford about this time,” and to “pay the duties” on them, “which will be small, for the contents cost less than $150.” Sam gave instructions as to what to unpack and where to store the items, including glassware, and to ship the rest to Elmira for Susan Crane.
May 6 Friday – Sitting in an art museum at Uffizi Palace in Florence, Italy Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow. Sam’s letter is an obvious response to Bigelow’s (not extant) question about seeing Kaiser William II.
Did I “have a chat” with him? Yes, and heard others chat with him, also. He was in great form. I will tell you about it when I see you; it is too long a story for a letter.
May 7 Saturday – The Boston Literary World, under “Fiction” reviewed Merry Tales:
May 8 Sunday – Sam’s notebook entry in Florence: “May 8, 9, 10. These days Joseph [Verey] has been about as idle & hard to find as ever, though the seat at the door is comfortable” [NB 31 TS 41-2].
May 9 Monday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam (letter not extant) [May 22 to Hall].
Sam’s notebooks:
May 9. ’92 Luncheon to-day with Lady Fitzmaurice & her mother. Present, Sir James Lachalte (can’t spell the name,) the Comtessa —- (name gone from me), the young Lord Granville & a charming Miss Granville — not related. Talk was general. … [NB 32 TS 6].
May 9/92
May 10 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook in Florence:
May 10. Luncheon at Marchesa [Spinola]. Present, Admiral Page (80 & blind, a lovely old gentleman), Mrs. Page, Miss Page, Mr. Gilbert (an ass), the Marchesa, Mrs. Clemens & Sir George Bowen. This last has made a great name for himself as an able executive by thirty years service as governor in Australia, Hong Kong, the Mauritius, &c & has now been in retirement in London some years.
May 11 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook of May 12 relates a luncheon of this day:
Yesterday Mrs. C. & I lunched at the Villa Ross. I forgot to deliver the invitations to Susy & Clara, so they were not there & the table was not full. Had a fine time — Mr. & Mrs. Ross & their niece are lovely people. Fiske & the Arab were there.
Mrs. Ross took us over to a villa in the neighborhood, & we shall try to rent it [NB 32 TS 10].
May 12 Thursday – Sam’s notebooks in Florence (he used two this day):
May 12 ’92 — 10 a.m. Several companies of soldiers came marching along & passed with its spirited music on down the Lung’arno, & this most strange fact was again observable: that not a boy, not a youth, not anybody trotted at the head or tail of the procession, & nobody on the sidewalk stopped to look. How different from Berlin or any other city in the world! What is the explanation of it? [NB 32 TS 10].
May 13 Friday – Putnam Phalanx sent Sam a printed circular and form to enlist in their June 17 observance together with the Amoskeag Veterans of N.H. and the Worcester Continentals of Mass in a joint observance in Worcester [MTP].
May 14 Saturday – Based on a two-week stay in Florence, the Clemens family by now would have traveled on to Venice, Italy where letters from May 17 to May 25 exist. Also, a letter from Susy to Louise Brownell, not postmarked until May 29, by which time the family had continued on, reveals the family had been in Florence “since Saturday,” which has to be this day. Sam’s unpublished notebook clears up the mystery:
May 15 Sunday – In Venice, the Clemens family moved from the Hotel Brittania to the Hotel Danieli [NB 31 TS 43].
The Chicago Tribune printed an interview with “colorless” Orion Clemens. Budd calls this “an oblique sign” of Sam’s “eminence” [Our MT 121].
May 16 Monday – Sam’s notebook in Venice:
Monday, May 16, took Antonio the gondolier at 7 francs a day.
Smoking party Monday 8.30 to 12 p.m. at Horatio Brown’s, 559 Zattere (Ca. Torresella) [NB 31 TS 46].
† – Susy Clemens wrote to Louise Brownell of the trip and the first few days in Venice, which she called “this strangest of strange places,” and that they’d arrived Saturday (estimated here as May 14).
May 17 Tuesday – In Venice, Italy Sam wrote to Augustin Daly, enclosing a play he’d had read to him in Rome, written by Julian Corbett. It sounded good to Sam but he admitted knowing nothing about how it would play. If Daly liked it he might write to Corbett at the village of Thames Ditton, Surrey, England. Otherwise, Frederick J. Hall would ship it back to Corbett [MTP].
May 18 Wednesday – Angelo Heilprin for Academy of Natural Sciences wrote from Phila. to Sam soliciting funds for the relief of Lt. Peary, “wintering in the Arctic north” [MTP]. Note: Robert E. Peary would claim to be the first to reach the North Pole in 1909.
May 19 Thursday – Tillotson & Son wrote to Sam [Reference card only at MTP].
May 20 Friday – In Venice, Italy Livy wrote to Grace King concerning the family’s change in plans for the next winter:
We have given up Paris and have taken a villa in Florence for next winter. Mr Clemens had a great dread of Paris and even a suburb did not attract him. We found the singing advantages would probably be good for Susy and so decided rather suddenly to take up a villa a little way out of town [Rodney 144].
May 21 Saturday – Sam’s notebook in Venice, dated May 22:
Tried to make the Johnsons, Browns, Sarah Orne Jewett, Mrs. James T. Fields, Mr. Washington understand (with Clara’s help) the old puzzle of Whitmore taking me around the loop in his buggy. Of course they all laughed at my stupidity at first, but this is just a “$100-bill & pair of boots” puzzle before they get done with it.
May 22 Sunday – In Venice Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall having received his May 9 letter (not extant), which Sam wrote, “sounds very good.” Sam wanted Mr. Halsey of Wall Street to invest the funds using “his own best judgment”; Sam didn’t want to “meddle.” He cited Susan Crane’s agreement on the matter, which suggests she knew and respected Halsey. Sam also forecasted his return on business matters:
May 24 Tuesday – Charles D. Taylor wrote from Kingston, R.I. to Sam: “Although a stranger to you, I venture to enclose to you a farce I have written entitled “Ye Old Militia Muster.” Taylor thought Sam might handle the subject with humorous treatment better [MTP].
M.E. Waring for Atlantic Lyceum Bureau in Baltimore wrote to Sam seeking his lecture for one night in a winter series course of lectures for the benefit of “a prominent church” [MTP].