December 4 Friday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to William Dean Howells.
The Xmas No. is fine, & a worthy place for your moving & beautiful poem. How many it comes home to; how many have felt it, & having felt it once will feel it always. The crime of the Invention of the Human Race—how much it has to answer for!
December 5 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “The water was again shut off to-day. Upon inquiry, the Maestro di Casa was gone a brief journey” [NB 46 TS 31].
December 6 Sunday – The New York Times, p.4, “Mark Twain’s Wife Ill” squib announced what was really not news.
Theodosia Lawson Boone wrote to Sam, having received his “kind note” on Thursday morning. She could not visit the day suggested (not given) on account of illness of Mrs. Harrick, but would as soon as she recovered on “some other Thursday in the near future” [MTP].
December 7 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Miss Margaret Sherry (Livy’s trained nurse for the past 12 months & more) left for America to-day. We can never forget her, & shall always be grateful to her” [NB 46 TS 31].
December 8 Tuesday – William Deason for Thomas Cook & Son wrote to Sam, asking for “a declaration from your medical attendant” in the matter of his claim for a refund of Miss Sherry’s unused ticket [MTP].
February 1 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Princess de Rohan / Villa Maria 5 p.m. / Rifredi / [Horiz. Line separator] / Telephone worked at 3 p.m., the first time since it first worked, New Year’s eve / [Horiz. Line separator] / Ordered suit for damages, through Mr. Cecchi & gave him my papers” [NB 47 TS 5]. Note: Clara’s note below reveals that Jean and Clara were likely accompanying their father to the Princess’ villa.
February 10 Wednesday – John W. Luce for Robinson, Luce Co., Boston wrote to Sam asking his permission to use two of his aphorisms: Cauliflower, a cabbage with a college education; and Mine: a hole in the ground owned by a liar. These for a book they were about to issue, The Foolish Dictionary [MTP].
February 11 Thursday – Andrew Carnegie wrote this date on an invitation to Sam. On the back he wrote: “My Dear Young & Gay Boy / this is the literary Fellows dinner for the year—shall miss you much—Hope Mrs Clemens improves” [MTP]. Note: written sometime shortly before Feb. 11, obviously.
Samuel Whisby wrote from Florence to Sam, enclosing sketches of the first and ground floors of the Villa Loechino, with measurements [MTP].
February 12 Friday –Sam gave a reading this evening and the following afternoon at the amateur performance of Cousin Kate; in his NB entry for the next day he noted the location of the reading, “(second floor) via Cavour.” Sam was first on the program, a few minutes after 8:30 p.m. on Friday and a few minutes afer 3:30 p.m on Saturday [Feb. 3 and after Feb. 3 from Gordon].
February 13 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Aftnoon. 3.30. / 4 p.m. 8 (second floor) via Cavour / Senator Luchini
[Horiz. Line separator] / Send the cook here tomorrow (Sunday) / [Horiz. Line separator] / Also, Emilio / [Horiz. Line separator] / Also Celestino?” [NB 47 TS 6]. Note: the first entry was his second reading (after Friday night) at the amateur performance of Cousin Kate; see Feb. 12. Not in Fatout.
February 14 Sunday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to Thomas Bailey Aldrich.
The publishers sent me your book three or four weeks ago, & it gave me a most stimulating & delicious time—& did also partly & timely justify & reinforce some laudations of you which I had dictated the day before (in my Autobiography.)
February 15 Monday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to Susan Crane.
February 16 Tuesday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto Sam wrote to Lady Augustus Gregory.
February 17 Wednesday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to Susan Crane.
February 18 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Report that Count Massiglia is to arrive from Siam Saturday. Probably not very welcome news for his widow” [NB 47 TS 6]. Note: Count Annibale Raybaudi (Rebaudi) Massiglia (1853-1942), was a diplomat in several countries, but not all at once.
February 19 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “The peasant whose thumb was bitten off by the Countess’s mad donkey proposes to sue for damages. Recommended to him to Senator Lucchini” [NB 47 TS 6].
February – Fernando Fini wrote to Sam, sometime between Feb. and Apr. 1904. The letter is three pages of Italian [MTP].
G. Herbert Thring for Society of Authors, London sent Sam a printed announcement for their dinner at the Hotel Cecil on Apr. 20 [MTP].
T.M. Parrott’s article, “Mark Twain: Made in America,” ran in Booklovers’ Magazine, p. 145-54. Tenney: “An extensive, general discussion of MT’s writing, which is characterized by a sweet sunniness, across which no shadow of impurity ever falls” [40].
February 2 Tuesday – Isabel Lyon was “attacked” by the Countess Masiglia’s donkey [Feb. 8 to Duneka], if it was hers. Hill writes:
Then the countess’s donkey—or at any rate a donkey which Clemens said was hers, although she denied the ownership—joined the battle. It was Miss Lyon who suffered, by her own account,
February 21 Sunday – Lady Augusta Gregory wrote from Gort, Ireland to Sam, sorry to hear “so sad an account of your dear wife’s health.” Mr. Yeats was sailing home and she had given him Sam’s “kind message.” She was alone there making repairs from a great storm of last year, and would soon go to London to help her son, who had taken up art with charcoal and pencil.
February 22 Monday –Sam’s notebook: “At midnight Livy’s pulse went to 192, & there was a collapse. Great alarm. Subcutaneous injection of brandy saved her” [NB 47 TS 7].
February 23 Tuesday – George Gregory Smith wrote to Isabel V. Lyon, thanking her for her “very clear letter with enclosures of Express receipts, &c.” He had written the American Express agent in Paris and enclosed copies “of the whole matter” [MTP].
February 24 Wednesday – Miss Clara Anderson wrote from Moline, Ill. to Sam, having been given his name by an inventor of hearing-aid devices, Mr. M.R. Hutchison. She noted so much deception in the field and wanted to confirm Sam’s endorsement. On the back of the letter Clemens wrote” Answered Mar 13, 1904” [MTP].
February 25 Thursday – Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence: Sam began a letter to H.H. Rogers that he finished on Feb. 26.
February 26 Friday – Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence: Sam finished his Feb. 25 to H.H. Rogers.
Feb. 26, 8 a.m. News comes that Mrs. Clemens slept a little while lying down.The first time for many weeks. / P.S.[enclosure:]
February 27 Saturday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto near Florence Sam wrote to Dr. H. Laing Gordon, and marked it “Private” at the top: