England 1899-1900 DBD

November 20 Monday – In London, England Sam wrote condolences to H.H. Rogers upon learning of the death of Rogers’ mother.

November 21 Tuesday – In London, England Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.

November 24 Friday – In London, England Sam wrote to John Y. MacAlister to ask if a reference in the newly issued Life and Letters of Sir John Millais denoted Kellgren’s system. Could he find out?  [MTP]. See also Nov. 10 entry and Gribben p. 467 under Millais.

November 27 Monday – Livy’s 54th birthday.

November 28 Tuesday – In London, England Sam inscribed a copy of The Mississippi Pilot:To J. Prince Sheldon: “Hoping this will not be the last time I shall have the pleasure of meeting Professor Sheldon.  Mark Twain Nov. 28, 1899” [MTP: John Windle catalogs, 1991, Item 100].

November 29 Wednesday – Thomas Wardle Swainsley inscribed identically 2 volumes of Izaak Walton’s (1593-1683) Lives of John Donne, Henry Wotton, Richd Hooker, George Herbert, &c. Ed. by H.A. Dobson (facsimile editon 1898): “To Mr. and Mrs. Clemens / A little souvenir of a short visit to Izaak Walton and Charles Cotton’s country, Beresford dale, the Dove and Manyfold from / Thomas / Wardle / Swainsley / November 29th 1899” [Gribben 740].

November 3 Friday – In London, Sam wrote to Mrs. Keenan

Your letter has given me very great pleasure, & I wish to thank you for taking the time and trouble to write it.

I had half a notion to put Huck & Tom into the Spanish war, but I was so slow about it that the war was over before I got them in.

November 30 Thursday – London. Sam’s 64th Birthday.

Sam wrote to Frank Bliss:

“Dear Bliss: / Please send me, care Chatto, a copy of ‘Following the Equator.’

“How does the Harper assignment affect you—to your injury, or otherwise” [David Brass Rare Books; online Oct. 3, 2009; MTPO]

November 4 Saturday – In London, England Sam replied to James M. Tuohy of the N.Y. World, who evidently sent payment for Sam’s “Lie” article. He enclosed the receipt and responded that he didn’t believe he “could write on those subjects—& anyway, I mustn’t; because I must punch myself up & bang along with my regular work” [MTP]. See Oct. 30.

November 6 Monday – Sam restarted his osteopathy treatments at Kellgren’s facility [Nov. 9 to Rogers].

Joe Twichell wrote from Hartford to Sam.

November 7 Tuesday – Sam wrote to his sister, Pamela A. Moffett:

It was really very kind of Dr. Steele to invent Osteopathy after Kellgren (the actual inventor of it) had already been curing all kinds of diseases with it when Dr. Steele was in his cradle cutting his teeth.

November 8 Wednesday – In London, England Sam wrote to Dr. Sullivan, declining “an almost unresistable temptation” to appear at a club function, for he was a “bond slave to Fitzgerald’s Omar”. He didn’t want his name to appear in the papers while he was “doing the hermit act.” He thanked Mr. Walker for the invitation and Sullivan for conveying it. He also mentioned Livy, his family, and Dr. Jonas Henrick Kellgren:

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

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 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 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 14 Saturday – At 30 Wellington Court (Albert Gate) London, Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow.

(Don’t give that address away)

We waited and waited and yearned and yearned for you two Bigelows last night and you horribly disappointed us. See that you do better tomorrow night.

October 15 Sunday – Rene Doumic’s article “Revue Litteraire: Nos Humoristes” ran in the Revue des Deux Mondes, p. 924-5. Tenney: “Brief mention of MT (p. 932), citing The Stolen White Elephant as an example of his works famous in the English- and German-speaking countries” [30].

October 16 Monday – At 30 Wellington Court (Albert Gate) in London, Sam wrote, a short note of introduction for Mark Hambourg to Richard Watson Gilder. Hambourg was an accomplished Russian pianist and student of Leschetizky in Vienna [MTP].

Sam also wrote a similar note of introduction to Georgiana R. Laffan (Mrs. William Mackay Laffan).

October 17 Tuesday – At 30 Wellington Court (Albert Gate) in London, Sam sent a telegram to Percy Spalding: “CANNOT LUNCH TILL AFTER SEVERAL DAYS WILL EXPLAIN CLEMENS” [MTP].

October – Sam wrote “Private” to Richard Watson Gilder:

“Can’t you send to Professor Henry Ferguson, Trinity College, Hartford, & get him to photograph a page or two of Samuel Ferguson’s Diary for reproduction?”

October 19 Thursday – At 30 Wellington Court (Albert Gate) in London, Sam replied to William Dean Howells’ Oct. 9 letter. Sam told of writing the Introduction to the Official Trial records of Joan of Arc to be published by T. Douglas Murray, and also about Basil Wilberforce asking him to speak “in his drawing room to the Dukes & Earls & M.P.’s” about Joan, which he couldn’t do because it would have taken him out of his seclusion.

October 2 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Plasmon 11.30 Cornhill” [NB 43 TS 26].

At Brown’s Hotel in London, England Sam inscribed a copy of The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories and Sketches to Elise de Bouchere: “To Miss Elise de Bouchere with the kindest regards of the Author. Oct 2, 1900,” [MTP: Anderson Galleries catalog, Apr. 29, 1931, No. 3911, Item 106].

October 20 Friday – In London, Sam wrote on his calling card to T. Douglas Murray: “When I made it appear to my wife, My dear Mr. Murray, that you manifested an interest (which I enlarged,) in my portrait, she was mightily pleased, & hopes you will not regard it as an intrusion if she begs you to let her offer you this one” [MTP: ebay.com item #2254961173]. Note: evidently this card accompanied a photo of Sam as a gift.