September 6 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook:
Am sending to Bok “My Platonic Sweetheart” (about 9,000 words—price $1000). Am writing him if he doesn’t (or does) want it, inform Mr. Rogers.
Am sending “Concerning the Jews” to Mr. Rogers. If Bok keeps the above send this one to Harper. But if Bok declines, send both to Harper, let him have his choice, then send the remaining one to Century [NB 40 TS 32].
September 6 Wednesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.
September 6 Thursday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam replied to an invitation by Stanley W. Ball to speak at a new reading room for the local library at Kensal Rise. Sam wrote over the letterhead, “Duplicate of a letter which I lost, this morning between Dollis Hill & the station.”
September 7 Monday – In Guildford, England Sam wrote to J. Henry Harper on the back of his (a copy?) Aug. 7 to Harper, about the “Californian’s Tale” — whether or not it was considered published.
September 7 Tuesday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote to John Y. MacAlister. Sam didn’t know where MacAlister was spending his summer but hoped he was “having a recuperating good time.” He sent his regards also to Mrs. Kelly (not identified further), then asked if it were English custom to pronounce “trait” as “tray,” that there was a dispute about it in Weggis.
September 7 Thursday – In Sanna, Sweden Livy replied for Sam to Chatto & Windus (their incoming letter not extant) about the special English issue of the Uniform Edition:
He asks me to say that he shall not be able to send out the prospectus, as he could not have the face to suggest to his friends to buy his books. It may be English but it is quite un-American to advertize oneself in this way [MTP].
September 8 Friday – An anonymous article, “An American Defender of the Faith,” ran in The Jewish Chronicle (London), p.11. Tenney: “Excerpts from ‘Concerning the Jews; editorial commentary is brief and descriptive [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Fifth Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1981 p. 164]. From Tenney’s Bibliographic Issue #4: “‘An article by Mark Twain in the March number (1899) of Harper’s Magazine attracted many letters from readers asking what in the writer’s opinion were the causes of anti-Semitism.
September 9 Wednesday – Livy, daughter Clara, and Katy Leary arrived in Southampton. It is assumed they went directly to Guildford to be reunited with Sam [Sept. 10 to Rogers].
September 9 Friday – Sam’s notebook:
“Sept. 9. Man hanged himself today, leaving wife & 2 chn & nothing else. He had lost 28 gulden gambling. Countess Wydenbruck took up a collection. Result, 180 gulden—just ten times what he lost
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Man is fearfully & wonderfully made out of microbes” [NB 40 TS 32].
September 9 Saturday – The New York Times, p.BR 600, ran an article about Twain and Kipling.
MARK TWAIN ON RUDYARD KIPLING