July 15 Saturday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam replied to Daniel Willard Fiske (incoming letter not extant).
Then inside of 3 weeks we shall see you! Good! God could not arrange it better. Except in one way; to reduce the 3 weeks to 3 days. That would increase my reverence & compel my praise.
July 15 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “About this time make week-end at Cambridge with Livy” (Prof. A.C. Haddon, F.R.S.) [NB 43 TS 22]. Note: Dr. Alfred Cort Haddon (1855-1940) an influential British anthropologist and ethnologist.
July 16 Sunday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus, asking that he send “a couple of the very best of Clark Russell’s sea-tales.” He also wanted some smaller pictures of himself, and asked if they hadn’t heard from daughter Clara to please write her. He ended with, “Jönköping is pronounced Zhenshepping—think of that!”[MTP].
July 16 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “PLASMON 12 / Smythe, 16 Adams st Portmon Square” [NB 43 TS 22].
At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to C.F. Moberly Bell, editor of the London Times, and enclosed, “The Missionary in World-Politics,” which he wanted printed anonymously. He did not send the note nor the essay, however.
Dear Mr. Bell:
Don’t give me away, whether you print it or not.
July 17 Tuesday – Richard Watson Gilder of Century wrote to Sam (who enclosed this letter to H.H. Rogers on Aug. 17):
Before leaving London I had your telegram [July 6] about the impossibility of “promising.” While that, of course, disappointed me a good deal, still the very word “promise” leaves a little hope that perhaps a promise might be made later; that is, within a certain time when it would still be available for us.
July 18 Tuesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to Mollie Clemens. His letter is not extant but was transcribed in a letter from Pamela A. Moffett to her son, Samuel on Aug. 3. Sam wrote of the biographical sketch that his nephew had done of him for the Uniform Edition of his works. He wrote they would return to England in the fall and sail for American before spring [MTP].
July 18 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Write George Standring, 7 & 9 Finsbury st. E.1 Printer” [NB 43 TS 22].
Note: George Standring (b.1855), author of The People’s History of the English Aristocracy (1891) [Gribben 657]. Standring visited Sam some time during the Dollis Hill stay, enjoying a smoke with him. See Jan. 1, 1903.
July – Anne E. Keeling’s article, “American Humour: Mark Twain,” ran in the London Quarterly Review, p.147-62. Tenney: “(Source: Asselineau (1954), No. 18; reprinted in Anderson (1971), pp. 221-27.) Discusses the joking in IA, the irreverence in CY, the indictment of slavery in PW and FE, calling MT ‘this sturdy foe of oppression and injustice, this lover of the heroic and the magnanimous…who still continues to provide clean, wholesome food for laughter, under the familiar style of Mark Twain’” [30-1].
July 19 Wednesday – Joe Twichell wrote to Livy, this day or the next, July 20 [MTP].
July 19 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “The time we supported young Bartlett on surreptitious remittances & he pretended they came from a rich uncle. Told of the Lizt days in Weimar—’53-‘54” [NB 43 TS 22].
July – In London, England Sam inscribed a copy of Stories from Old Fashioned Children’s books, etc. to Percy Spalding: “To / Mr. Spalding / with the kindest regards of / Mark Twain / July 1900” [MTP]. Note: in another hand the book bears this inscription: “To Mark Twain / from And: W. Tuer / with admiration & apologies./ p. XVI Intro: / Nov. 1899” [MTP]. Note: it appears this book was originally inscribed to Sam by Andrew W. Tuer, the author.
July 2 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Sun [July] 2—Sunday. Mrs. Aklom” [NB 40 TS 57]. )
The New York Times, p. 17 ran a notice about the special English edition of Mark Twain’s works:
LITERARY EXODUS FROM LONDON
Publishing Season is Over—New Edition of Mark Twain’s Works.
July 2 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Drove out to Dollis Hill (4.35 to 5.10) in the rainstorm & took possession. It is certainly the dirtiest dwelling-house in Europe—perhaps in the universe. / Plasmon 12? / Goerz, 7.30” [NB 43 TS 20].
The Clemens family moved to the Dollis Hill House on the outskirts of N.W. London.
Sam gave a private reading, place and time unknown; he may or may not have stopped by John Y. MacAlister’s home [July 1 to MacAlister].
July 20 Thursday – Sam’s notebook:
5 p.m. 20th. Jean fell in a spasm striking her head on the slop jar. A bad convulsion; she lay as if dead—face purple & no light in the eyes. I ran & brought Harry; his father soon followed. They are working at her now. She is better [NB 40 TS 58].
July 20 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “There is a divinity that roughs our ends, smooth-hew them how we will” [NB 43 TS 22].
July 21 Friday – Robert G. Ingersoll died in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. of congestive heart failure, age 65. Sam admired Ingersoll, called the “Great Agnostic” for views Sam couldn’t publicly take himself. Audio recordings Ingersoll made at Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory survive and are accessible online. See Sam’s letter of Nov. 12 to Eva L. Farrell, Ingersoll’s niece. Also, Schwartz’s May 1976 article, “Mark Twain and Robert Ingersoll: The Freethought Connection” in American Literature Vol. 48, No. 2, p. 183-93
July 23 Sunday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam replied to Richard Watson Gilder (incoming not extant). Sam praised the cure they’d been taking—“it takes all the old age out of you & sends you for the feeling like a bottle of champagne that’s just been uncorked” [MTP].
July 24 Monday – A letter by Clemens to Joseph Hatton was assigned this date by a June 25, 2003 auction sale of Bonhams & Butterfields. The text is not available; the catalog listing from the MTP shows the letter pasted to the front flyleaf of a First English Edition of PW, “an Autograph Letter Signed, July 24 [1899], to Mr. Hatton, regretting that they will be unable to meet prior to his trip to Sweden, signed (“S.L. Clemens” pasted to front flyleaf” [Sale 7443z, Lot 3171].
July 25 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook:
July 25, ’99, Sanna: Jean had a convulsion in bed at noon—fortunately the Director had just entered the roon.
It was tolerably severe. He relieved her.
At 5 she had another while sitting on the porch, Livy & I present. We were not able to carry her in—so laid her on the floor & did what we could till we sent for & got Miss Moore. By & by it passed & we got her to bed [NB 42 TS 57].
July 25 Wednesday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow. Inviting him to “Come out & see me,” and giving directions, then advising, “Don’t get lost—it takes an artist to do it.” After his signature Sam added, “If my friend J.Q. Adams of 88 Oakley street calls, you can freely talk about ‘Hadleyburg’ with him, you being my agent” [MTP]. Note: John Quincy Adams II, namesake of the President, died in 1894; so this JQA is not identified but may be a descendant.
July 26 Wednesday – Jean Clemens’ nineteenth birthday.
July 26 Thursday – Jean Clemens’ twentieth birthday. Sam’s notebook: “Rev. Mr. Fowler came out to tea” [NB 43 TS 22].
At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to Daniel Willard Fiske, having just received Fiske’s note (not extant).
“Do run out, to-morrow or next day, or any day but Sunday (which is pre-empted) & take tea with us—or dinner if you can” [Sam gave directions] [MTP].
July 27 Friday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to Miss Helen F. Levy, Franconia, N.H.
“The signature in that telegram is genuine, but I think the date is an error. Whenever we can get half of a thing genuine let us be content, & hope it will not happen often enough to become monotonous” [MTP]. Note: neither Miss Levy nor the telegram are further identified
July 28 Saturday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to John Campbell Gordon (1847-1934), aka Marquess of Aberdeen:
July 29 Saturday – The New York Times, p.BR500:
Mark Twain’s Editions in London