To The Person Sitting in Darkness: Day By Day

January 27 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam responded to Harper & Brothers’ Jan. 26 inquiry:

I can’t tell very much about the Christian Science volume yet. Because of my interest in it, and of the richness and prodigality of the materials it keeps growing on my hands, and as I like the job I do not try to discourage it.

Sincerely Yours

P.S. I have several applications for this book, one with a guaranteed sale of so many copies. I like that idea, and I wish you would do some ciphering on it yourselves [MTP].

January 27 Wednesday – In his Feb. 17 to Duneka Sam wrote that his sketch “Sold to Satan” was mailed to Duneka on this day, according to Isabel Lyon’s notebook.

January 28 Monday – Sam’s notebook:

January 28 Tuesday – In the evening in N.Y.C. Sam spoke to John D. Rockefeller’s young men’s Bible class. He’d been invited on Dec. 10, 1901. The New York Times, p. 9 reported on the event.

MR. ROCKEFELLER’S CLASS.

———

Bible Students Addressed by Mark Twain and Robert C. Ogden.

January 28 Wednesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.

P.S. Livy had a slight backset yesterday, so the doctor has just told me he is going to shut off my daily visit for a few days & then reduce it to 8 or 10 minutes a day. It will distress her, & may have an ill effect at first, but later results will show the wisdom of it no doubt.

January 28 Thursday – H.A. Lorberg wrote from Portsmouth, Ohio to Sam, sending a photo for Mark Twain’s autograph [MTP].

Hélène Elisabeth Picard wrote to Sam, assuring him that he never owed her a letter; that if she wanted to read him she could always get the Harper’s from her friends in NY; that she was horrified by the fire tragedy in Chicago. She also asked how to get an American book to translate into French [MTP]. Note: see Jan. 1 entry on Iroquois Theater fire, Chicago.

January 29 Tuesday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.

Dear Joe,—

I’m not expecting anything but kicks for scoffing, & am expecting a diminution of my bread & butter by it, but if Livy will let me I will have my say. This nation is like all the others that have been spewed upon the earth—ready to shout for any cause that will tickle its vanity or fill its pocket. What a hell of a heaven it will be, when they get all these hypocrites assembled there!

January 29 Wednesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam replied to the Jan. 19 of Alletta F. Dean: “Don’t you give away that oesophagus away again, or I’ll never trust you with another privacy!” [MTP].

Sam also wrote to attorney Augustus T. Gurlitz, about the trial against Butler Brothers. “…don’t put the matter before me till a day before the trial—I should forget every detail, otherwise” [MTP: Sotheby’s catalogs, Dec. 11, 1990, Item 384].

January 29 Thursday – At 7:30 in N.Y.C. Sam joined a birthday party for H.H. Rogers at the Rogers home. Rogers was 63 [MTHHR 518n2].

Sam’s notebook : “Marquis Lorne, Princess Louise, Prince of Wales (Homburg), Emperor Germany, [Emperor] Russia, [Emperor] Austria” [NB 46 TS 9].

January 29 Friday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to John B. Stanchfield.

Your letter [not extant] came yesterday, & I thought the Butters proposal over. As I understood it, it was this:

He will restore to me the 250 shares which he stole from me— 
Provided I buy some more (at a price above its value.)

I thought it over, & decided against it; & have now (3. p.m) sent to town a cable [not extant] to that effect which should reach Elmira this morning by 10 or 11.

January 3 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Mrs. Rogers dinner P O R T R A I T” [NB 44 TS 2].

At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote a postcard to Augustus T. Gurlitz, with afterthoughts about the possible copyright and trademark suit against Butler Brothers of Chicago [MTP].

January 3 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Frederick A. Duneka, asking for a Christmas Harper’s, which he’d lost. He disclosed he’d written two articles for the Weekly but had put both in the fire, then wished Duneka a Happy New Year [MTP].

Sam also wrote to W.R. Dunn Photographers in England, thanking them for another set of photographs taken at Dollis Hill [MTP: Sotheby’s, London catalog: Dec. 17, 1998, Item 128i; MTP].

January 3 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote on the top of p. 114 from the Jan. 1903 issue of The Atlantic, “A Song Composed in a Dream” to Susan Crane: Saturday evening. 

“We are all doing first-rate, Sue. I talked with Charley. / SLC” [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Joe Twichell on the bottom of Bowen’s Jan. 2 note, then adding more on the left margin on Jan. 4. Sam wrote to Joe of the proof:

January 3 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Villa Guicciardina / a Montughi” [NB 47 TS 2]. Note: Sam was already looking about Florence for a more suitable villa and this was likely one consideration. Following these two lines of entry was a list of items about the Villa that go down the page. Here they are listed, separated by commas to save space: “View, Bedrooms, Baths, W.C.’s, Sun-exposures, Exits, Water, Flowers, Stoves, Fireplaces, Dogs, Other noises, Stabling, Pigs rams chickens, Cows—milk” [TS 2-3].

January 30 Thursday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to A. Schönstadt, editor of Das Morgen -Journal, N.Y.C. that he had no photo of himself now, but would instruct Rockwood Photographers to send one [MTP].

According to Sam’s Jan. 31 to his nephew, Sam went into N.Y.C. this day and called on the Harpers.

January 30 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Butters, Wright & Kelsey arrive 7.11 p.m. / First visit of these thieves? / [Horiz. Line separator] / We go to the Grand Duchess’s palace to sign the visitor’s book—& what happened!” [NB 46 TS 9]. Note: Sam recalled Feb. 1898 mixup—see Feb. 3, 1898 to Twichell for the story.

Frank Bliss wrote from Hartford to Sam, enclosing a statement (not extant) and draft for $3,375.14 for royalties to Jan. 1 [MTP].

January 30 Saturday – The New York Times, p. BR73 ran a squib, “A New Novel from Mark Twain”:

January 31 Thursday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Irving S. Underhill. “Friday. Dear Mr. Underhill: will you call at my house at 10.30 a.m. to morrow or Sunday or Monday & talk about this” [MTP]. Note: Since Jan. 31 was a Thursday, either Sam had the day wrong or this is miscataloged.

January 31 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam replied to William Webster Ellsworth (incoming not extant).

When money is taken for the performance I don’t take part, except in a private house, —in New York City. I’ve played to money in private houses once or twice, & hope for other chances of the like, but I’ve declined every one of the other kind, & find it a good & wise rule.

January 31 Saturday – William Oliver Fuller, Jr. (J.O. Fuller, Jr.) wrote to Sam from Rockland, Maine. “Mr Aldrich has sent me your letter commenting upon the newspaper clipping I mailed you. I gather from your letter that you were not pleased with my sorry attempt to joke. The thing on my part arose out of our visit to Mr. Aldrich some months ago and the subsequent fooling over lost umbrellas and slippers—which possibly you recall.” Fuller felt that if he had overdone the joke, then he was apologetic [MTP].

January 4 Friday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote a postcard to Augustus T. Gurlitz: “You must do all things according to your judgment, & not ask for mine” [MTP: Sotheby’s, New York catalogs, 11 Dec. 1990, Item 382]. Note: Sam wrote three postcards on three consecutive days to Gurlitz.

Sam also wrote to Charles Major in Shelbyville, Ind.

January 4 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam replied to Joe Twichell, that, having declined five public functions pleading he did not go outside of the city, he could not very well accept Twichell’s to come to Hartford “upon any invitation to a function there.” Therefore, he would not let Twichell know if he was coming and if it got into the newspapers that he was, he would stay home.

January 4 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam added to the Jan. 3 note to Joe Twichell: “Jean & Livy doing finely. Jean no longer in danger” [MTP].

Sam then wrote to Herbert E. Bowen of Harper & Brothers.

It seems to a curious thing—to send me an uncorrected proof.

This has cost me 4 hours’ work—a corrected proof would have saved 3 of them.

January, on or before Jan 4. – Edward B. Caulfield of the Italian Gazette and Florence Gazette wrote to Sam.

I believed you at once the other day, but I had not all my wits about me as I was thinking what a nasty bit I had just escaped.

I wanted to turn the tables thoroughly on the man who tried to do me that evil turn and so it was that I selfishly asked you to help me to that end: you were quite right to refuse.

January 5 Saturday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote a postcard to Augustus T. Gurlitz. “Yes, I can testify for Kipling after Jan. 18. I leave on the 14th for Boston to visit Thos Bailey Aldrich…& return Jan. 17” [MTP]. Note: at this point Sam’s trip to Washington D.C. on Jan. 19 had not been foreseen.