May 11 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “See Jan. 7 . Will send carriage 1.45 the Sherman, 159 W. 48th. Dr. Elizabeth Jarrett. Normal College Chapel along aobut 3—68th & Park Ave. Read or talk. German Lesson” [NB 44 TS 10].
Mark Twain spoke at Normal College (renamed in 1914 Hunter College , after its founder Thomas Hunter) and spoke to 1,500 alumni of the school. The New York Times, May 12, p.21 reported his talk:
May 11 Sunday – Sam’s notebook entry lists ideas for the “50 years after” tale, where Huck and Tom met up with the old gang back in Hannibal 50 years after their boyhood escapades; never finished [NB 45 TS 12].
Livy’s diary: “Mr Rodman Gilder here for luncheon & tea / Mary Forth called” [MTP: DV161].
May 11 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Frank E. Bliss, suggesting if he came now Sam would discuss “the details of some very important talks” he’d been having, things which Bliss would want to know about [MTP].
Hill gives this as the date Sam signed the deed on the Hartford house, purchased by Richard M. Bissell [60].
Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.
May 11 Wednesday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to Dorothy T. Stanley, widow of Henry M. Stanley.
May 12 Monday – George H. Daniels, General Passenger Agent for New York Central & Hudson River Co. wrote to Sam. “Referring to conversation with my Secretary, Mr. Laing, this morning. I find that there are no state-rooms in the sleeping cars on train No. 33, leaving New York at 9:20 PM. So I have reserved for you a drawing room, the cost of which, from New York to St. Louis, will be $22.00.” The total fare was $46.25; Daniels asked for a check and he’d send the tickets [MTP].
May 12 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “If God invented the fly, that is enough. It gives us the measure of His character. If a man had invented the fly, we should curse his name forever. And he would deserve it” [NB 46 TS 16].
Henry C. Griffin, attorney, wrote again about details and how to mail tax payments for the Tarrytown house [MTP].
May 12 Thursday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote a letter to Richard Watson Gilder that he added to on May 13.
May 13 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Story of the Coward who did one stupendously brave deed—& then had to go on all his life in like manner to live up to his reputation. His monument ‘To the Bravest of the Brave’ moves his old friend to reveal his secret to me a stranger. / Satan says, ‘Proud of being a King? Why? He was born to it—he didn’t earn it. Why not be proud of being a coward—it is a talent due wholly to birth’ Put into this Satan’s mouth all that was to have been put into the other Satan’s” [NB 44 TS 10].
May 13 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote on Blanche E. Weekes’ May 7 and sent it to Elisabeth Marbury. “Above letter is referred to Miss Marbury by / SL. Clemens / who is weary of corresponding with alleged dramatists. / May 13/02. / I do not remember having heard of Miss Weekes before” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Mr. Wolfe (not further identified): “After endorsing your check over to the Harpers I found I did not need to buy a book—I found one on hand, & am forwarding it” [MTP].
May 13 Wednesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore asking what delayed sending the mantel-piece design; if it couldn’t be sent the day of this letter’s receipt, to telegraph [MTP]. Note: see May 11 to Whitmore.
Sam’s notebook: “APH / It is bad enough for a Christian to lose his temper, it is worse for a razor to do it” [NB 46 TS 16].
May 13 Friday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam finished his May 12 to Richard
Watson Gilder.
“May 13, 10 a.m. I have just paid one of my pair of permitted 2-minute-visits-per-day to the sickroom. And found what I have learned to expect—retrogression. Blue lips, the pallor of the dead, & that pathetic something in the eye which betrays the secret of a waning hope” [MTP].
May 14 Tuesday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Frank Bliss, including his May 4 to George B. Harvey and Harvey’s reply of the same date: “This is Col. Harvey’s reply. I will ask about the Californian’s Tale—otherwise you must leave it out, for I don’t want it in the book before it appears in the magazines” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote “The Californian’s Tale” in late summer, 1892; the germ of the story was his stay at Angel’s Camp in 1864-5.
May 14 Wednesday – Livy’s diary: “Mrs Ruth McEmory [sic McEnery] Stuart & Mrs Gen. Custer gave us a reception in New York” [MTP: DV161]. Note: a check of NY papers for this event came up empty.
May 14 Thursday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Charles S. Fairchild, now in London.
Day before yesterday I quitted my bed after 5 weeks in it. I am ever so much obliged to you for yours of Apl. 22 [not extant]. I at once cabled the Plasmon Co acknowledging receipt of dividend.
I am very glad you got acquainted with Hillier. He is fine.
I don’t suppose you will get this letter, still I’m going to send it, any way [MTP].
May 14 Saturday – The Italian Gazette of May 17 reported:
Mr. S.L. Clemens was the honored guest of the Ponte Vecchio Club at the usual Saturday dinner last week…“Mark Twain”…proceeded to tell an excellent story of how he drove an unwilling man into matrimony [“Wapping Alice”; quoted in Hill, p.83; See Keene’s letter of Apr. 28 about this club].
May 15 Wednesday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote a PS to an unidentified person, that in reading a form he found the person would have to have his signature notarized; “That’s putting you to too much trouble; therefore I will come down & we will get up some other arrangement” [MTP]. Note: the prior letter that goes with this PS seems to be lost, since it does not fit with recent letters by Twain.
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
210 Self 300.00
May 15 Thursday – Sam’s notebook entry lists ideas for the “50 years after” tale, never finished [NB 45 TS 13].
Hill claims the MS “is one of the very few that, in his entire life, Mark Twain actually may have destroyed” [43].
Livy’s diary: “Mark McGinnis & Mr Borce, took tea with us” [MTP: DV161].
May 15 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Acorns, Cooper Inst? / Dr. Rice, 7.30” [NB 46 TS 16].
May 15 Sunday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto Sam wrote to Dr. William Wilberforce Baldwin.
I hope that you will come with your mind & conscience all prepared to commit a lofty & righteous deception—if need be—to save Mrs. Clemens’s life. Tell her you want to make a more thorough examination by the light, of the past few days’ regime, & then tell her there is nothing the matter with her heart that need alarm her.
May 16 Thursday – Adirondack Park Co. per George V. Duryee wrote to Sam acknowledging his check for $150 and a signed copy of the lease for the camp cabin [MTP].
May 16 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam replied to his old Nevada friend, William R. Gillis, whose incoming letter is not extant:
Dear old Unreconstructible!
May 16 Saturday – Sam went to Fairhaven, Mass. to visit H.H. Rogers, who was recovering from an appendectomy. The men played billiards, went on a ride, then after dinner Rogers took to his bed; Sam and William E. Benjamin (Rogers’ son-in-law) played more billiards till 11:30 p.m. [May 17 to Livy].
May 17 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Judson Smith has an impediment in his veracity. / Paraphrase the E.G. Cable make Ament a young lady who publishes her own unchastity. Because she does it in only one cablegram it isn’t worth noticing” [NB 44 TS 11].
May 17 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, enclosing a letter from Thomas B. Reed to the Rev. M.M.J. Cooper, Rector of St. Christopher’s, Rum Cay, Bahamas. The letter announced a donation of a church organ by Reed.
May 17 Sunday – In Fairhaven, Mass. Sam wrote to Livy.