May 25 Wednesday – Before leaving Venice, Sam wrote to Mrs. Katherine C. Bronson.
Dear Mrs. Bronson:
You are wonderfully good — too good for here below. I thank you ever so much for those books, — which I shall treasure for your sake as well as their own — & I was hoping to see you & say all this with my mouth, & add the good-byes of Mrs. Clemens & me; & I took my daughters along, too, to exhibit them to you; but you were out philandering around & we missed you [MTP].
May 26 Thursday – The Clemens party was in transit to Lake Como and Cadenabbia.
May 27 Friday – The Clemens party arrived in Cadenabbia, where they would relax for a week. Sam’s notebook:
May 27. Cadenabbia, Lake of Como, Hotel Brittannia, 1st floor — all front rooms, looking across to Bellagio & the snow-clad peaks. Everything 90 fr. per day [NB 31 TS 49].
May 28 Saturday – The Clemens party was in Cadenabbia. Sam’s notebook:
May 28. Saturday. Took Salvitora & his boat at 8 fr. per day.
Asti is mighty dainty & good — when you call it good. But no man can tell it from champagne cider [NB 31 TS 49].
May 29 Sunday – In Cadenabbia, Italy Sam wrote to (Daniel) Willard Fiske, wealthy Cornell professor who was traveling around Italy collecting manuscripts (see Apr. 1892 listing). As Paine writes, it was through Fiske that the were directed to the Villa Viviani, which they rented for the next winter. The Villa was on a hill east of Florence, near Settignano [MTB 945].
May 30 Monday – Edward L. Starck, city surveyor in N.Y. wrote to Sam with the recommendation of Prof. W. James of Harvard, seeking $500 to publish his MS of a “philosophical nature” [MTP].
May 31 Tuesday – Daniel Willard Fiske wrote (not extant) to Sam concerning the arrangement of the Villa Viviani for the next winter, the livery addresses Livy had requested, and an offer of future help from Signor William Sordi, Fiske’s secretary [June 12 to Fiske].
June 1 Wednesday – In a letter to Grace King, Livy wrote that they were leaving Lake Como for Bad Nauheim, and that “Susy, Jean and I expect to start from there [Bourboule] aout the 22nd of this month” [MTP].
June 2 Thursday – Sam’s notebook in transit from Cadenabbia to Lucerne.
June 3 Friday – The Clemens family rested in Lucerne, Switzerland [NB 31 TS 50].
June 4 Saturday – Sam’s notebook:
June 4. Stayed 2 days at “The Balances” (Waage) Lucerne, & left there at 6.50 this morning for Frankfort (9-hour journey). An excellent hotel. / Changed at Basel, but in the same station — no trouble. / Get French money changed. / Verify Berlin train. / Get steamship tickets. / Telegraph Hotel Bellevue, Nauheim. / Buy trunk for Jean / 2 Cook tickets to Berlin & one to return. / Ask about a train from Berlin arriving in time to catch a Nauheim train [NB 31 TS 50].
June 5 Sunday – The Clemenses rested in Frankfurt, Germany at the Schwan Hotel [NB 31 TS 50].
Harriet Williams Strong (Mrs. Charles L. Strong) left her card for Sam with a note referring to an enclosed book: “The other day I was specially reminded of your seeing ‘The Story of Your Life & Work’ — I bought the book. The same day was published. The enclosed: Which may interest you for a moment, and remind you that your old friends still remain for you!” [MTP].
June 6 Monday – Sam’s notebook from Frankfurt, Germany:
Frankfurt a.m. June 6. / At Schwan hotel 2 days [NB 31 TS 50]. Note: Sam also listed tips he gave to the room-waiter, Portier, Chambermaid, “Boots (each)”, Elevator boy of 2 marks each except 1 mark for the elevator boy, and that “(Couldn’t find restaurant waiter.) / Everybody perfectly satisfied”.
The Clemenses left Frankfurt; Sam listed concerns in his notebook:
June 8 Wednesday – Clara Clemens’ eighteenth birthday.
June 10 Friday – In Bad Nauheim, Germany Sam wrote to his daughter Clara in care of Frau Koch, 151 Kurfürstenstreet in Berlin, where she was studying piano.
June 11 Saturday – In Bad Nauheim, Germany Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall of his departure on June 14 for New York. Livy and Jean and a French maid would stay at the resort at Bad Nauheim, with accommodations at the Villa Augusta Victoria. Susy and Sue Crane would travel around Switzerland. Clara would continue to study piano in Berlin.
June 12 Sunday – At the Villa Augusta Victoria in Bad Nauheim, Germany, Sam wrote a goodbye letter to daughter Clara in Berlin, enclosing a picture of three small puppies and the following spoof:
June 13 Monday – Sam left Bad Nauheim alone and traveled to Bremen, Germany, where he would take passage the following day for New York [June 12 to Fiske]. He took a room ath the Hotel de l’Europe in Bremen [NB 31 TS 53].
Sam’s notebook: “Arrived here at 5.23 June 13 — left Nauheim 9.05 a.m.” [NB 31 TS 53].
June 14 Tuesday – In Bremen, Germany at 7:45 a.m., Sam wrote a goodbye note to daughter Jean, back in Bad Nauheim with her mother.
I am up & shaved & got my clean shirt on & feel mighty fine, & am going down to show off before I put on the rest of my clothes.
Perhaps mama & Mrs. Hague can persuade the Hauswirth to do right; but if he don’t you go down & kill his dog.
June 15 Wednesday – Sam was en route to New York City on the Havel. His two surviving letters from the trip praised the luxury of the liner and revealed he spent a lot of time on literary work [June 19 to unidentified “captain”; and to an unidentified “doctor”]. However, Sam did write Livy two letters sent from Southampton, England on the way, as referred to in her letter June 18 in Bad Nauheim. See entry.
June 16 Thursday – Sam was en route to New York City on the Havel.
June 17 Friday – Sam was en route to New York City on the Havel.
June 18 Saturday – Sam was en route to New York City on the Havel. Livy wrote from Bad Nauheim:
June 19 Sunday – En route to New York City on the Havel, Sam wrote to an unidentified “captain” on North German Lloyd letterhead, giving us a clue into his activities during the voyage:
My Dear Captain:
June 20 Monday – Sam was en route to New York City on the Havel.