Italy and the Villa Viviani: DBD

January 22 Sunday – The San Francisco Examiner published “Daggett’s Recollections,” a description of Mark Twain’s appearance on his first arrival in Virginia City (before Sam used the pen name). [Tenney 21; Fatout, MT in Va City p.7-8].

January 23 Monday – Sam mailed his endorsed notes for Mount Morris Bank loans [Jan. 24 to Hall].

Mary B. Willard wrote to Sam in response to his Jan. 21 chewing-out letter of daughter Clara:

January 24 Tuesday – In Florence, Italy Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall.

I sent the notes yesterday.

A friend of ours who is intimate with Alden says he was aggravated because he did not get the £1000000 Story; so I stopped my work a day or two ago to see if I could write something that would meet his views. However I’ll not send the article now yet awhile.

January 28 Saturday – In Florence, Sam wrote a short note to Andrew Carnegie, and enclosed it in a letter to Frederick J. Hall:

Won’t you let me introduce to you my partner, Mr. F.J. Hall — & won’t you let him submit a project of mine to you & see what you think of it? [MTP]. Note: likely the desire to unload LAL.

To Hall:

January 29 Sunday – In the evening, Sam dined with William James. James wrote the next day (Jan. 30) to Francis Boott:

January 3 Tuesday – Sam added a PS to his Jan. 2 to Whitmore.

Is Mr. Arnot’s receipt for $50,000 worth of royalties still in the Safety Deposit, or in the course of the Mallory negociations did it get back into his hands? SLC

Merry-next-Christmas & Happy-last-New years to you!

It is a wonderful day — Florence is a ghost — looks a ghost — this is the first time she has put on snow. And, as always, it is merely to show herself off [MTP].

January 9 Monday – In Florence, Sam answered a “very charming letter” (not extant) from daughter Clara. He wanted to forward her letter to Ned Bunce, as he was sure he would enjoy it.

March 1 Wednesday – On or about this day Clara Clemens played the lead role in a play at Mrs. Willard’s school for girls in Berlin [Mar. 4 Eagle article — see entry].

March 1-20 Monday – Sometime during this period Sam sent one of his early aphorisms to Constance Lloyd Wilde (Mrs. Oscar Wilde 1858-1898):

March 10 Friday – Frederick J. Hall answered Sam’s Jan. 24 letter with a four-page, single-spaced typed response, which, among other things, asked about selling PW as a subscription book, published through American Publishing Co.

March 11 Saturday – Sam’s notebook in Florence was a list of things to do/get:

March 11. / Fund-butter. / Shaving things. / Writing paper & envelops. / Tobacco & cigars. / Ship-cap. / MSS. / Cash. / Furnish cable-address. / Get Joan Arc trial in Hartford. / flask [NB 33 TS 2].

March 12 Sunday – In Florence Sam wrote to daughter Clara. Summer had arrived, “The sun is gratefully hot.” The Hillyers had left Florence, and “Uncle Larry” (Laurence Hutton), would soon arrive, though after Sam sailed on Mar. 22. Many other guests came through Florence:

“Yas” [William Walter Phelps] is coming, too. He arrived in Rome a few days ago, I judge. He will spend a week there with the Binghams, then come to Florence; so I shall see him before I go.

March 13 Monday – In Florence Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall, enclosing two articles for magazines.

The Story contains 3,800 to 4,000 words [Possibly, “Is He Living, or Is He Dead?”]

The “Diary” contains 3,800 words. [“Adam’s Diary”]

Each would make about 4 pages of the Century.

The Diary is a gem, if I do say it myself…

Sam felt they should sell for $600 each, and if Cosmopolitan didn’t want them, Hall was to send them to the Century without naming a price,

March 14 Tuesday – Frederick J. Hall responded to Sam’s Mar. 8 letter that the “emergency fund” he’d suggested should hold $30,000 “in the bank entirely separate from our regular accounts….Whenever we ran a little ahead we could put money back into this fund and use it as a sinking fund to pay off our indebtedness to you and to the Mount Morris Bank. Sam wrote on the envelope, “No more expense this summer & fall (’93)” [MTLTP 341n1;MTP].

March 15 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook in Florence:

Wednesday. To Duomo, Piazza della Signorini, Palazzo Vecchio, Ufizzi & Pitti with Laffans.

Thursday. Laffan left for London last night [Mar. 15], Mrs. Laffan drove out & dined with us [NB 33 TS 3].

March 16 Thursday – In Florence Sam wrote to Laurence Hutton, who was to arrive in the city shortly after Sam left for New York. Hutton had been in Egypt.

March 18 Saturday – Sam’s notebook in Florence:

To dine Saturday Eve at Poggio Gherardo to meet Sir William Mackby & Lady Mackby, Chief Judge. Ask if he knows Douglas Straight, who is back from India lately, retired and knighted [NB 33 TS 4].

March 19 Sunday – Susy Clemens’ 21st birthday. In her late March letter to Louise Brownell, Susy wrote:

Mr. Phelps was with us on the 19th my birthday, twenty first, and he tried to tease me past bearing but I didn’t mind. He is very charming but so naïve! A naïve ambassador. He has accepted the judgeship [Cotton 101219]. Note: see Feb. 14, 1893 entry on Phelps.

March 2 Thursday – In Florence Sam wrote a two-sentence note to Frederick J. Hall. They’d received the check for £102.5.0 the night before and “were very short.” Sam repeated his hope that Hall would “have Carnegie convinced & converted by the time” he “arrived 30 days hence” [MTP].

March 20 Monday – In Florence Sam wrote to Richard Watson Gilder of the Century, asking if he knew the head of the Agricultural Dept. in Washington. Would he write and ask for a hand full of seed-corn, two or three of the best kinds and send them to Livy? They were for Janet D. Ross, their Florence neighbor [MTP].

March 3 Friday – Andrew Chatto inscribed a copy of John O’Hagan’s Joan of Arc (1893) to Sam: Laid at the feet of / Mark Twain / by Andrew Chatto / Mar 3 ’93 [Gribben 514].

March 4 Saturday – Sam’s notebook in Florence:

Settignano, March 4, ’93, 9.30 p.m. Mr. Cleveland has been President, now, two or three hours, no doubt [NB 33 TS 1].

The Brooklyn Eagle, p.4 Mar. 5, 1893, ran a list of German news items under “The German Army Bill” with this dateline, Berlin. At the end of the article these tidbits appeared:

March 5 Sunday – Susy Clemens’ letter to Louise Brownell written from Frenzensbad, Italy, was postmarked this day and is all melodramatic over-the-top mush. No family events or activities are mentioned [Cotton 101201].

March 6 Monday – In Florence Sam sent thanks to Chatto & Windus for a Joan of Arc sketch sent — one he knew of but had not seen. He also advised his English publisher of his sailing plans [MTP].

Sam’s notebook:

† Telegram from Laffan. He is at Hotel Cosmopolitan, Nice. I came near sending answer to New York — supposed of course it was a cable [NB 33 TS 2]. Note: This entry between Mar. 4 and Mar. 7 entries, estimated this day.

March 7 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook in Florence: “The dream again — no noticeable difference in the details” [NB 33 TS 2].

March 8 Wednesday – In Florence Sam answered Frank Bliss’ Feb. 21 proposal, agreeing to a cheaper edition of Sketches New and Old for a ten per cent royalty. He released Bliss “from the requirements of the 50,000-clause appended to the original contract.” He advised that he’d also cabled his agreement, then hit Bliss with a matter that had been a burr under his saddle: