Back to Riverdale DBD

December 27 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam began a letter to William Dean Howells that he finished Dec. 28.

December 28 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam finished his Dec. 27 letter to William Dean Howells.

In bed, 8 a.m., Sunday. Katy has just been in to say Jean’s temperature is down to 102.

10 a.m. It is now down to 101 by Clara’s report.

Noon. I am up & dressed, & have been aloft, but Jean could not be disturbed—she was inclined to sleep. I had a glimpse of her. She looks like a survivor of a forest-fire.

December 29 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote a long letter to Susan Crane that he added a short pararaph to on Dec. 30.

December 3 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Jean, Katy & I returned from the Elmira wedding” [NB 45 TS 34].

Note: Sam dared not travel alone with Jean due to her epilepsy, and so took Katy along, who had family in Elmira.

December 30 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam was allowed to see Livy for nearly four minutes [Dec.31 to Twichell].

Sam also added a short pararaph to his Dec. 29 letter to Susan Crane.

“Dec. 30. 6 a.m—(which is about dawn.) I have been up to Jean’s room, & find all quiet there—Jean sleeping. Miss Tobin whispered, ‘She has had a splendid night.’ The doctor (& Clara) had put in an appearance a couple of times in the night & gone back to bed, finding things going well” [MTP].

December 31 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Saw her for 5 minutes” [NB 45 TS 36].

In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote a long letter to Joe Twichell that he added to on Jan. 1, 1903. Sam headed the letter The Last day of a—in some respects—Tough Year being A.D. 1902”:

December 4 Thursday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Frederick C. Harriott who had coughed up part of the $500 owing Charles W. Stoddard. For weeks Sam and William Dean Howells had been acting in Stoddard’s behalf to recover money owed from Harriott, a literary agent in Boston.

December 5 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam replied to William Denison McCrackan’s Dec. 4 letters:

I am glad to have the book and the other printed matter and I thank you. But as helps in “verifying or correcting statements of fact” in my articles they will not be of service to me. I have made no statements of fact that can require that sort of doctoring.

December 6 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Minnie Dawson, daughter or daughter-in-law of his old Hannibal schoolmaster, J.D. Dawson:

“I thank you very much for the pictures of the cemetery and the Brittingham Building. If the water melon had landed on John Meredith’s head instead of my brother Henry’s, I doubt if Henry would have shed any tears on that account” [MTP]. Note: see Apr. 14, 1847 and Jan. 13, 1885 entries, vol. I.

December 7 Sunday – Thomas B. Reed, Ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, died in Washington. In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam telegraphed condolence to Susan P. Reed (Mrs. Thomas B. Reed).

“There is none who knew him but is stricken with you & mourns with you. He could have achieved the age of the patriarchs if his friends could have been privileged to spare from their lives to lengthen his. I beg to lay the homage of my deepest & sincerest sympathy at your feet” [MTP].

December 8 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Get to Rices by 6.45. Julia Marlow[e]’s new play. Stay all night. Hot Scotch” [NB 45 TS 34]. Note: English-born actress Julia Marlowe, born Sarah Frances Frost (1865-1950), played the role of Charlotte Durand in

December 9 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Jean fainted again. Are these a result of the fall on the ice?” [NB 45 TS 34].

In Riverdale, N.Y. Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Franklin G. Whitmore.

“Mr. Clemens bids me send the enclosed check for one hundred dollars, to further say there is no special word except the very good one that Mrs.Clemens is getting on very nicely; each day sees a little improvement, which I know will make Mrs. Whitmore and you very happy” [MTP].

February 1 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Emilie R. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers).

Mrs. Clemens’s delight in those magnificent roses reached standard. I know it would when I saw them downstairs. I promised to thank you for them the first thing in the morning, & send you her love.

February 10 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Paul Kester in Accotink, Va. Only the envelope survives, but the subject matter was undoubtedly the same as he put to Howells on Feb. 9 [MTP].

February 11 Wednesday – Edward Bergiz wrote from Kivik, Sweden to Sam asking for his “monogram” [MTP].

Frederick A. Duneka of Harpers wrote to Sam.

“There should be an interval of six weeks between the receipt of a MS. and the publication of the book. This can be cut down, of course, but not very much. It is wise to issue the Christian Science volume not later than the last of April. Will this impose too great a burden upon you [?]”[MTP].

February 12 Thursday – William Dean Howells wrote a spoof to Sam of a dream he’d had:

February 13 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam responded to William Dean Howells’ dream by playing along and extending the joke.

I am infinitely sorry. I was lying awake at the time, & felt sure I heard voices; so sure, that I put on a dressing-gown & went down to inquire into the matter, but you were already gone. I encountered Sam coming up as I turned the lower corner of the house, & he said it was a stranger, who insisted on seeing me— “a stumpy little gray man with furtive ways & an evil face.”

February 14 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote a Valentine’s Day note to Livy.

Feb. 14—being St. Valentine’s Day.

And so this is to my Valentine—my especial Valentine & darling & best beloved—with kisses therewith, many! I have read that ½ page. Mr. Bryant was wonderful to do those early risings & all that at 80. If ever I get to be 80, I mean to do them, too. Go to bed, Livy darling, & sleep well—I shall get up as early as I can, & go out & get fresh air.

February 15 Sunday – Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Rogers came to the Clemens home for a visit [Feb. 6 to E. Rogers]. Sam’s notebook: “The Rogers? Send cab, ? lunch” [NB 46 TS 11].

February 16 Monday – Sam wrote to Henry Elias Howland, former Supreme Court Justice, president of the University Club, popular and witty speaker, declining an unspecified invitation due to his wife’s health. [MTP; Bauman Rare Books, Jan. 23, 2009 online].

Sam sent his butler to the Oppenheimer Institute to take the cure for his problems with alcohol. He would return inebriated a week later with the bill for the Institute’s services [Nov. 1905 to Oppenheimer Inst.]

February 18 Wednesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Mrs. Edward M. McCook, in Old Point Comfort, Virginia, where Jean Clemens had been recuperating from her bout with pneumonia.

February – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam replied with one line to Frederick A. Duneka: “This is a most dam good Conclusion—put it in, Duneka / SLC” [MTP].

Prof. William Milligan Sloane wrote from NYC to Sam. “I want you here on March 5th at one o’clock to lunch with Sidney Lee and I want you very badly. Do come, there will be some of your best friends.” Hearing “conflicting accounts” of Livy, Prof. Sloane hoped she was no worse but much better [MTP].

February 2 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y.: Sam’s notebook: “33d wedding anniversary. I was allowed to see Livy 5 minutes this morning, in honor of the day. She makes but little progress toward recovery, still there is certainly some, we are sure” [NB 46 TS 9; also MTB 1195].

February 21 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow.

February 23 Monday – Sam’s butler (perhaps Claude) returned from the Oppenheimer Institute. From the UC Berkeley 1973 Christian Science footnotes: