March 25 Wednesday – Muriel M. Pears wrote from Menton, France to Sam. “Our Golden Dear Magician. Don’t please Don’t let the papers put in that sort of ‘joke’—it isn’t a joke to us, it’s the sort of thing that brings down a sudden feeling on one’s head of being chilly and forlorn…” [MTP]. Note: she didn’t specify.
To The Person Sitting in Darkness: Day By Day
March 26 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Hutchinson, 114 W. 32d / Ask Julie to go. 4 p.m” [NB 46 TS 13].
Laurence Hutton wrote from Phoenix, Arizona to Sam, replying to Sam’s Mar. 18; it was hard for them to think of Livy as an invalid and wanted to shout out their love for her. “Phoenix is about as cheerful a spot as is the Wailing Wall of the Jews at Jerusalem…” [MTP]. Much of Hutton’s backhand scrawl is illegible.
March 27 Friday – Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Franklin G. Whitmore.
“Mr. Clemens wishes me to say that he is very glad to know you have the wills, and would like to have you send them to him by registered mail.
“Mrs. Clemens continues to improve a little, and sat up today for quite a while” [MTP].
March 28 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Andrew Carnegie’s / 2 E. 91st st. 8 p.m. / to meet Sidney Lee. / [Horiz. Line separator] / John P. Jones / 237 Stuyvesant / Bet. 16 & 17th & 2d & 3d ave” [NB 46 TS 13].
March 29 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Geo. Riggs, lunch—& Jean with me?” [NB 46 TS 13].
March 30 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to David Rowland Francis, President of the 1904 St. Louis Fair. The letter ran in the New York Times, Mar. 31, 1903 p.9.
RACES ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
Mark Twain’s Suggestions for Repetitions at the
Fair of Old-Time Contests Between Steamboats.
March 31 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam replied to Lawrence J. Anhalt’s Mar. 30.
April – Mark Twain’s humorous article “Instructions in Art” first ran in Metropolitan Magazine this month and in May, 1903. In part, with some of his drawings (inserts).
April 1 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Robert Collyer, who descended from the forge to the pulpit. Mr. Rogers puts a bust of him in Cooper Institute. / (C’s daughter objects to ‘Preacher…Blacksmith,’ wants the latter suppressed in the inscription” [NB 46 TS 13]. Note: Rev. Dr. Robert Collyer, pastor of Rogers’ NY Church of the Messiah; see prior entries.
April 2 Thursday – An unspecified doctor and specialist conferred and concluded that Livy would recover fully. They “ordered” her to go to Italy for the next winter. Clara Clemens wrote a Florence friend to locate a villa nearby [Apr. 7 to MacAlister].
Sam’s notebook: “Harry Rogers [illegible number?] pm / 38 E. 38. / Mr. Rogers put up monument to Drake in the oil regions (1902)” [NB 46 TS 13].
inserts: Drake monument.
April 3 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Plasmon, 11.30. / John Bergheim. English Co. has declared 5% div. / 6 Founders Shares. / When do you issue stock?” [NB 46 TS 13].
April 4 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote a note to Livy.
April 5 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote two notes to Franklin G. Whitmore.
Our common everyday & absolutely unavoidable expenses are now $4,000 a month. For the Lord Jesus H. Christ’s sake sell or rent that God damned house. I would rather go to hell than own it 50 days longer. / Yours ever …
April 6 Monday – Mr. and Mrs. John Bergheim lunched with Sam in the Riverdale house. They would sail for England the next morning [Apr. 7 to MacAlister].
Adeline W. Sterling wrote to Sam, enclosing letters and clippings on Christian Science. After investigating “alleged cures” of the cult, Sterling decided not to join [MTP].
April 7 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam cabled John Y. MacAlister in London, receipt of £35 “in full payment for article entitled ‘Amended Obituaries,’ sold …to Lloyd’s Weekly” [MTP].
Sam also wrote a letter to John Y. MacAlister that he forgot to post and finished on May 8.
April 9 Thursday – Sam’s notebook : “Gave Francis Perry Elliott my Postal-Check scheme for examination, he to return the MS in a fortnight” [NB 46 TS 14]. Note: Sam later penciled in, “Returned,” Francis P. Elliott (1861-1924), author, editor, with Harper & Bros. (1898-1900), at this time managing ed. of Home Magazine.
April 10 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to John White Alexander, illustrator.
I have an engagement & must lose the pleasure of being there, but I thank you heartily for remembering me & offering me a chance to share in the good times you are going to have. We shall never have a more capable or a kinder Secretary than Mr. Gage was. When I was in Europe two years ago I asked him to pass two tons of baggage for me duty free, & I offered to divide. Not many would have done that [MTP].
April 11 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore.
“Is the man still in the market who offered you $20,000 & a house on Gillette street? If so, take him up— then sell the Gillette street house straight off, for the best price you can get. Rid me of the Hartford house. If any man wants to pay $25,000 cash for it, let him have it” [MTP].
April 13 Monday – Sam took to his bed with a “heavy cold” which turned into bronchitis. He wrote of the five day stay in bed on Apr. 17 to Bigelow.
April 14 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to William Dean Howells.
I shall do my best to enclose the enclosure, & be to that degree eccentric.
April 15 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Marriage of Julian Hawthorne’s daughter / Ch[urch] New Jerusalem / 35th bet. Park & Lexn / 3 p.m. / [Horiz. Line separator] / J.P. Jones, 237 E 17th / dinner—8” [NB 46 TS 14].
April 16 Thursday – Frederick A. Duneka of Harper & Brothers wrote asking Sam if there was “any hope for a story or an article for the Christmas” issue; he suggested a couple of possible topics, and apologized for doing so, but was “striking in the air in the hope of firing your imagination” [MTP].
April 17 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to John Livingston Wright.
April 18 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y., Sam was still in bed with bronchitis.
April 19 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y., Sam was still in bed with bronchitis.