England 1899-1900 DBD

February 20 Tuesday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam sent an aphorism to Alfred E. Ann (b.1851) in Finsbury, a borough of London. “We ought never to do wrong when people are looking” [MTP]. Note: Ann is listed as a mine owner and owner of Mining and Scientific Press, a journal of mining, popular science and General news. See Feb. 23 to and from Ann.

February 22 Thursday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to Frank Bliss.

I suppose that when Whitmore called on you for asphalt money he did as before—brought you a written order from me. In that case it is all right & regular, but I have no recollection of sending him any such order. Did he bring you such an order? Please tell me; my memory may be at fault….

February 23 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “To the pure all things are impure” [NB 43 TS 6].

At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to Alfred E. Ann, having second thoughts about another letter [not extant] he had sent.

February 24 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Unposted Letters. The letter as finally sent” [NB 43 TS 6].

February 26 Monday – In London Sam wrote to Francis Henry Skrine, thanking him for the opportunity to meet Sir William Wilson Hunter on Jan. 24 (see entry). Letter not extant but quoted by Skrine “he was grateful for the opportunity to shake the hand and look into the kind eyes of that great and gifted and noble man” [Life of Sir William Wilson Hunter, etc. by Francis Henry Skrine (1901) p. 477].

February 27 Tuesday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam replied to John M. Hay’s Feb. 14. Hay had been concerned he’d been mischaracterized as resenting Sam’s allusion to him in the McClure’s article, “My Boyhood Dreams.”

February 28 Wednesday – Samuel S. McClure wrote to Sam, having reconsidered his Jan. 11 offer to Sam to be editor-in-absentia for his new magazine.

February 3 Saturday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow, that they would be glad to come. “Mrs. Clemens says she has sent an invitation to you two for the same evening; but she will name another day” [MTP]. Note: date of the gathering not specified.

February 5 Monday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, marking the letter “Private”.

February 6 Tuesday – In London, Sam wrote to Funk & Wagnalls Co.: “In my experience I have found that one can do without principles” [MTP]. Note: letter UCCL 13072 is currently unavailable at MTP.

Samuel S. McClure wrote from N.Y.C. to Sam.

February 7 Wednesday – Frank Bliss replied to Sam’s of Jan. 16, and enclosed statements of books sold from July 1, 1899 to Jan 1, 1900, totaling $5,644.36 in royalties.

Yours of the 16th ult., [Jan.] came duly to hand a few days since, and we are glad to hear from you, and thank you very much for your kindly desire to help us over the rough places. … We had already paid Mr. Whitmore $1200.00 in cash, and in addition, with the one or two small payments made in the fall, making $1500.00 in cash that we have given to him.

February 8 Thursday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to Susan L. Crane.

January 1 Monday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam replied to Will M. Clemens (incoming not extant).

January 10 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: contains a bus or train schedule for a.m. and p.m. times, “Neasden Lane, N.W. / Pillar Box” [NB 43 TS 5]. Note: an area of N.W. London.

January 11 Thursday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam replied to three lists of questions about his books from Adela M. Goodrich-Freer (1865-1931), English writer-traveler active in the Society for Psychical Research in Hertfordshire, England. She wrote under the pseudonym “Miss X”.

January 12 Friday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to cousin, Dr. James R. Clemens.

Are you home again, or still away?

Mrs. Clemens is up & out—yesterday, & again to-day. I think she only needs that Vienna albumen [Plasmon] now. Where does one get it? [MTP]. Note: Sam’s stationery continued to own a black-border for mourning.

On the back of an envelope dated Jan. 11, 1900, postmarked London, Sam wrote a list of notes about Samuel S. McClure’s offer

January 13 Saturday –At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.

McClure is here & has made me a proposition [see Jan.11]. As I wanted to ask your advice, I have postponed my answer to the 1st of March.

He is going to start a new magazine next fall, whose complexion is to be peculiarly American; its writers to be nearly all of that nationality; & one of its projects is to help hatch out & develop the rising young American literature.

January 14 Sunday – In New York, William Dean Howells wrote to Sam of the horrors of the platform after his 50 performances on the road.

January 16 Tuesday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to Frank Bliss.

“Yes date the portrait 1900; & if it comes from the engraver clean & nice,—& I hope it will—send it to Mr. Rogers with my best compliments.”

January 17 Wednesday – Jonas Henrick Kellgren Osteopath, billed £37.16.0 for the first half of January, Jan. 16 & 17, 1900 included, for Livy and Jean’s treatments [1900 Financial file MTP].

January 18 Thursday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote a postcard and a letter to Poultney Bigelow (now in Chelsea, London) forwarding Harpers’ Jan. 6 referral of a request by J. Boyd Douglass. Sam asked Bigelow, “Will you transact this business for me?” Sam noted on the top margin about Harpers: “They retire from the position of helping me own my dramatic rights” [MTP].

January 19 Friday – Sam also wrote to Henry Ferguson.

I tried to get that new book out of the Harpers’s hands, but you will see by the Enclosed [HHR’s of Jan. 9, top of] that they say it is in press—& therefore too late.

However, there are two volumes—the shipwreck [Hornet, 1866] is to be in the second one, I believe; so your emendations will reach New York plenty early enough, I have no doubt. They go by tomorrow’s steamer.

January – In London, England Sam wrote an aphorism to an unidentified man:

“We ought never to do wrong when any one is looking. / Truly Yours / Mark Twain / London, Jan. 1900”

[MTP: Charles Hamilton catalog, 21 May 1965, No. 4, Item 31].

January 2 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “San Remo—4 rooms & bath, $125 to 150 a month, ohne Nahrung.[without food] / John Tablock,[sic Tatlock] jr 32 Nassau” [NB 43 TS 4]. Note: in his Apr. 20, 1900 to H.H. Rogers, Sam wrote they might stay at the Hotel San Remo, N.Y.C. upon their return to America.

January 20 Saturday – From the Royal Huts in Hindhead, England, Livy wrote to “Youth dear”: