July 5 Saturday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to James B. Pond. “Your belated pad of paper arrived last night. Why didn’t you send your letter & pad together—like a rational person. Shall I write the 26 again?” [MTP].
Sam also wrote again to Pond. The beginning of the letter is missing.
July 7 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.
July 8 Tuesday – In York Harbor, Maine, Sam’s notebook again contains ideas for the 50 years after story: “Shooting the bird in the tree—no more murders. The boys discuss it. / Partridges in fall on houses / [line separating:] Make this brief: Tom’s selling Huck as a nigger. See the discarded Conspiracy [Line separating:] Reading 3 Spaniards at 2 a.m.—Cat” [NB 45 TS 20-21].
July 9 Wednesday – In York Harbor, Maine, Sam’s notebook again contains ideas for the 50 years after story: “Debating Society. Guts & all (Sid). Sally Robards—pretty [sic]. Describe her now in her youth & again in 50 ys After when she reveals herself. / Cadets & Doughnuts. / The little cigarman—dead in his chair” [NB 45 TS 21].
June 24 Tuesday – The Clemens family, sans Clara, who was in Europe, left Riverdale on Rogers’ yacht, the Kanawha, for York Harbor Maine . H.H. Rogers was not along but put his yacht at their disposal in order to make the trip a comfortable one for Livy. Sam sent the Plasmon Co. a postcard with the new address and a request for Plasmon biscuits and cocoa to be sent there [Christie’s London Auction Nov. 12, 2007, Sale 5141, Lot 145].
June 25 Wednesday – The Kanawha and the Clemens family’s first stop on their way to York Harbor, Maine was Fairhaven, Mass. In his June 26 to Rogers Sam wrote of the trip from Riverdale to Fairhaven.
June 26 Thursday – On board the Kanawha, en route from Riverdale, N.Y. to York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers. The weather on the trip was perfect, but Jean caused Livy some sleepless nights: More of his above letter relating to this day:
June 27 Friday – The Kanawha docked in York Harbor, Maine, and the Clemenses took possession of their cottage, “The Pines,” so named because it stood in pines. Sam sent a telegram to H.H. Rogers:
“Housed and home by noon a perfectly lovely voyage / SLC” [MTHHR 489].
Livy wrote to Susan Crane of the place.
June 28 Saturday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Harry Leon Wilson after reading his book, The Spenders; A Tale of the Third Generation (1902).
“Between you & me & the gate-post, I think it’s a dam-nation good book! It cost me my day yesterday.
You owe me $400. But never mind it. I forgive you, for the book’s sake” [MTP].
June 29 Sunday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to cousin, Dr. James R. Clemens in St. Louis.
We arrived here day before yesterday & are comfortably & smoothly keeping house already; I am at work & we are all feeling at home & in condition to put the summer through in good shape.
June 30 Monday – Livy wrote Harriet Whitmore thanking her for referring Isabel Van Kleek Lyon (1863-1958) for hire as a personal secretary. Livy wanted Miss Lyon to visit for “a few days” and interview. They had a guest room until Clara returned. If hired, Livy preferred that Isabel would find a boarding place outside of the home [MTOW 19]. Note: see source for full letter. Lyon came in mid July and was hired; she began employment with the Clemens family early in October.
October 1 Wednesday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Theodore Weld Stanton in N.Y.C.
“Welcome home! / Mrs. Clemens is slowly recovering from a long & wasting illness, but we believe that a fortnight hence we shall be able to move her to Riverdale, where I shall hope to see you when you can run up” [MTP].
October 10 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “THE DUEL. Next month tell it at the East Side House Settlement, for the purpose of drawing an instructive moral from it—& then forget what the moral was. ‘Now I come to the moral’ Reflect long (& embarrassingly for the audience). Give it up & sit down” [NB 45 TS 30].
October 11 Saturday – In from Boston with him the
York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to William Dean Howells after returning day before: “Say—stay where you are till you die. I’ve written 28 letters to-day connected with moving” [MTHL 2: 747].
Sam also wrote to update H.H. Rogers on the impending move to Riverdale:
October 13 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Muriel M. Pears, his “Member for Scotland” in the Juggernaut Club. Had he sent her the Constitution and Laws for the Club? He wasn’t sure he had. Sam related the “disastrous two months & freighted with fears & anxieties” about Livy; he related plans to move her to Riverdale on an invalid car in two days; and noted he had leased the Riverdale house for another year. He was sorry he didn’t have more cheerful things to say [MTP].
October 14 Tuesday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Bliss Perry (1860-1954), editor of Atlantic Monthly (1899-1909). “It is quite true & not yet two days old. If it is worth hiding away in the curtained Contributors’ Club, do it. I can’t sign it, as I am a Harper exclusive” [MTP]. Note: Atlantic Monthly had a “Contributors’ Club” section where pieces were published anonymously. The feature was fun for contributors and readers alike, who would guess at who wrote the articles.
October, early – Isabel Van Kleek Lyon began her employment with the Clemens family early in the month. Initially, Lyon was to serve as Livy’s secretary, but very soon took on many other duties for Clara and Sam, including dictation, as well as chaperone for Jean and Clara at social functions. Lyon had worked as governess for the Franklin G. Whitmore family until late 1890, when she took a job with the Charles Edmund Dana family of Philadelphia.
October 2 Thursday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook : “Tax-bill, dated July 24, sent from Tarrytown collector’s office Oct. 1. Payable Oct. 31 or 12% added. …$588.02 / No word from Griffin these 2 months more” [NB 45 TS 29]. Note: Henry C. Griffin was the attorney hired to get the taxes on the Tarrytown house lowered to be more in line with the purchase price.
October 3 Friday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to William Dean Howells.
It is a charming book, & perfectly true. It ought to reproach me, for I am making Huck Finn tell things that are perfectly true, this last week or two. They are true, but with that qualification: he exaggerates; you don’t. Still, I have to keep him as he was, & he was an exaggeration from the beginning.
October 4 Saturday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore asking for a “supply of lecture-declinations”; he advised they wouldn’t be able to “get away for two or three weeks—the improvement [in Livy] is very slow” [MTP].
October 5 Sunday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “Sent winter-fuel letter (Secy Treasury) to Duneka for Weekly” [NB 45 TS 29]. Note: see the letter in Oct. 3, 1901 entry—there is some doubt about when it was actually written.
October 6 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Frederick A. Duneka.
“Oh, come, now, it is irreligious, the way you accept articles & postpone the payment. When you come to keep four doctors & two trained nurses all summer, with a war-price specialist from Boston now & then as an additional strain on your bank balance you will reform & follow custom” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore.
October 7 Tuesday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Jennie Starkey that it was Bill Nye who said it, though she had “his idea but not his phrasing” [MTP: Seven Gables Bookshop, Item 69]. Note: the famous line attributed most often to Mark Twain but which he laid at Nye’s feet was: “Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.” See MTA 1: 338.
Gertrude Swain wrote from Greeley, Neb. to Sam:
Dear Mr. Twain:
October 8 Wednesday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Frank Bliss.
If there is no Harper obstruction, or other thing in the way, I am willing that you shall newly issue the “Library of Humor” and pay me 4% as proposed Provided, that you will not object to my issuing a low-priced book when I want to. I have two books half finished, which I may wish to publish at a dollar each—I have had that thought in my head [MTP].
October 9 Thursday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “10 weeks to-day since Jean had an attack. Longest previous interval since July 12 (end of bromides) 1899 was 6 weeks & 4 days./ [Horiz. Line separator] / Am giving Bliss privilege to issue low-priced Library of Humor, provided he shan’t object to my publishing low-priced books, too” [NB 45 TS 30].
Sam wrote a line to an unidentified local man: “All the letters have arrived. If possible I shall call upon you to-morrow, toward 1 p.m.” [MTP].