Life in Exile: Day By Day

November 9 Tuesday – This is the day that Sam had invited Francis H. Skrine to dinner at their Metropole hotel apartment [Nov. 3 to Skrine].

November 9 Thursday – In London, England Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.

October 1 Thursday ca. – On or about this day a portion of a letter Sam sent to Orion appeared in the Keokuk Gate City; it survives in scrapbook 20 at the MTP:

October 1 Friday – Dolmetsch connects Laura Rothmann’s note with Bailey Hurst, American Consul in Vienna, who, by Sept. 30 had located a house for the Clemens family—the Villa Silling, in suburban Döbling. This may or may not have been the same house, as Rothmann’s note is not extant and Sam’s reply says nothing of the consul’s efforts or his prior request while in Weggis. Dolmetsch writes that because of Sam’s sudden attack of gout,

October 1 Saturday – In Kaltenleutgeben, Austria, Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, thinking he’d been indiscreet in writing J. Henry Harper on Aug. 30 (see entry).

October 1 Sunday – At the Queen Anne Residential Mansions & hotel, London, Sam wrote to Frank Bliss.

We reached England last night. May remain here till spring, to let Jean continue the treatment which is restoring her health.

I have signed the application for copyright & will send it.

What have the Harpers to do with my English editions?

Mrs. Clemens hereby acknowledges receipt of your check for $2246.34.

October 1 Monday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to Percy Spalding, with a glowing recommendation for the butler, Robert Barker, and the staff at Dollis Hill. “…all the family like him and are sorry to part with him; all the family and all the servants—gardener and coachman and their families included—detest the cook; all recommend Barker, except the cook. The cook does not—and this, I think, is greatly to his credit…” [MTP: Parke-Bernet Galleries catalog, Jan. 28, 1958, No. 1802, Item 42].

October 10 Sunday – An interview with Mark Twain ran in a supplement to the Vienna newspaper Fremden-Blatt. Dolmetsch calls the interview “The most significant, certainly most penetrating, of the myriad of interviews and articles appearing about Mark Twain in Viennese newspapers during the early days of his stay.” He also writes that while freedom of the press as Sam knew it back home had never existed in Austria-Hungary, “official censorship was sloppily enforced” [32].

October 10 Monday – In Kaltenleutgeben, Austria, Sam wrote to Edward W. Bok, editor, Ladies’ Home Journal.

A good deal of the Autobiography is written, but I never work on it except when a reminiscence of some kind crops up in a strong way & in a manner forces me; so it is years too early yet to think of publishing— except now & then at long intervals a single chapter, maybe. I intend to do that. Someday. But it would not answer for your magazine.

October 10 Wednesday – The Clemens family was at sea en route from London to New York on the SS Minnehaha. Sam’s notebook: “ Captain Robinson—very fine man. Knew him 18 years ago” [NB 43 TS 27]. Note: John Robinson (1856-1922) had a long caereer with the Atlantic Transport Line, and was the first Captain of the Minnehaha, he held that position until 1908, when, at 60, it was customary for Captains of the line to retire.

October 11 Sunday – In London Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore responding to a recent letter. Whitmore hadn’t enclosed a newspaper notice of Susy that he said was enclosed. Livy wanted to leave the matter of the rugs in the Farmington Ave. house in Ellen O’Neil’s charge to take care of. He also agreed that they wanted the furnace & ceilings to be safe, but wanted to “let the expense stop there.”

October 11 Monday – The ledger books of Chatto & Windus show that 1,500 additional copies of CY were printed , totaling 32,500 [Welland 236].

October 11 Tuesday – In Kaltenleutgeben, Austria, Sam wrote to the Paul E. Wirt Fountain Pen Co., Bloomsburg, Penn. with what appears to have been a prepared testimonial:

With a single Wirt Pen I have earned the family’s living for many years. With two, I could have grown rich. / Mark Twain [MTP].

Note: See insert: 1904 advertisement claimed that Sam used the Wirt pen for 25 years, or since 1879.

October 11 Wednesday – On a day when England’s ultimatum to the Boers expired and war was to begin, Sam wrote a squib, just to whom has not been determined..

October 11 Thursday – The Clemens family was at sea en route from London to New York on the SS Minnehaha.

October 12 Monday – Harper & Brothers wrote that they’d had no response to their May 12 question as to whether they might include some of Sam’s essays in a volume for their “Contemporary Essayists” series. Sam’s enclosure answer to them in his Oct. 13 to Rogers, would suggest Sam answered the May 12 letter, not this one [MTP].

October 12 Tuesday – John G. Kreer (“U.S.A.”), S. Von Armon (S.F. Cal. U.S.A.”), F. Goldschmidt, L. E. Schlemm (“N.Y. U.S.A.”), and Hugo Viewega (“Hannover”) each signed a picture postcard to Sam. The text of the card, in German, appears to be the same hand as Viewega’s. The card pictures Marktkirche – Altes Rathhaus, and Liebniz – Haus in Hannover.

October 12 Wednesday – In Kaltenleutgeben, Austria, Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus, to give them his new address at the Hotel Krantz, NeuerMarket, Vienna. “We go there tomorrow” [MTP]. Note: The family did not check into the Krantz until Oct. 14 [NB 40 TS 47].

October 12 Thursday – At 30 Wellington Court, London, Sam replied to James Henry Wiggin’s Sept. 30 letter. Wiggin was one of the editors who revised Mary Baker Eddy’s “bible.”

October 12 Friday – The Clemens family was at sea en route from London to New York on the SS Minnehaha. Sam wrote a letter to John Y. MacAlister, the only one extant from the voyage. He did not date the letter but headed it, “2,000 miles at sea,” which would have put the ship just short of 2/3 of the way to New York on a ten-day voyage; thus it’s estimated at six days at sea, or Oct. 12. The letter was postmarked Oct. 16 after arrival in N.Y.C.

October 13 Tuesday – At 23 Tedsworth Square in London Sam wrote H.H. Rogers.

I enclose answer to Mr. Harper’s question. You can retain it if you prefer, and convey the decision to him by your own hand.

October 13 Wednesday – At the Metropole Hotel, Vienna, Austria, Sam wrote to J. Henry Harper asking for a copy of JA to be “bound in a style proper to a personage of such exalted degree” for Queen Victoria’s granddaughter (daughter of Empress Frederick). The lady had been to Vienna and told Sam she’d read the book three times and given her copy to a girls’ school which she founded. Sam closed with,

October 13 Thursday – Joe Twichell wrote to Sam, enclosing a note of thanks from Brander Matthews, to whom Joe had sent compliments from Sam. “Here is also a leaf from a recent issue of “ the Spectator” he thought interesting. “What wouldn’t I give for a few afternoons of our pedestrian company out on the country roads and into the autumnal woods just now beginning to turn.” He added that Sam’s article in the last Forum on play-acting was perfect.

October 13 Saturday – The Clemens family was at sea en route from London to New York on the SS Minnehaha. In New York, the steamer Lucania of the Cunard Line, came into port. Some were disappointed Mark Twain was not on board. Major-General Wesley Merritt, once Supt. of West Point was reported “a close personal friend” of Twain’s, and that there had been frequent interchange of friendly calls between the two” in London [no particulars of visits were found].

October 14 Thursday – At the Metropole Hotel, Vienna, Austria, Livy wrote for her husband to Eduard Pötzl. Sam was “pressed for time,” so Livy wrote to say they were sorry Eduard had a cold. She added Sam would not be able to write anything for the Vienna newspapers as he had promised so much to American publishers. She accepted his invitation for her daughters to see the Carnival under his auspices [MTP]. Note: he replied the next day.

Sam’s notebook:

Servants’ fees. Oct. 14. ’97.    Monthly