April 3 Sunday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to the Clowns of Barnum & Bailey Circus, who had cabled him this day asking him the following:
THE CLOWNS OF BARNUM AND BAILEYS CIRCUS RECOGNIZING YOU AS THE WORLDS GREATEST LAUGHMAKER WILL CONSIDER IT AN HONOR IF YOU WILL BE THEIR LUNCHEON GUEST AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN SUNDAY AFTERNOON APRIL THIRD AT TWO WILL YOU PLEASE ANSWER COLLECT BARNUM AND BAILEY [MTP].
Sam’s reply by collect cable:
March 4 Friday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Albert B, Paine in Redding, Conn.
March 6 Sunday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote a humorous receipt for Miss Helen S. Allen.
Received of S. L. C.
Two Dollars and Forty Cents
in return for my promise to believe everything he says hereafter.
[signed] Helen S. Allen
[verso] For Sale
March 8 Tuesday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Dorothy Quick. Text not available [MTP].
Albert B. Paine wrote to Sam. (Only the envelope survives) [MTP].
March 9 Wednesday — David Alexander Munro, age 66, assistant editor of the North American Review under Col. Harvey, died in NYC after a seven-week illness. Munro was also a Greek scholar [NY Times, Mar. 10, 1910, “David A. Munro Dead”]. See entries Vol. III.
March 10 Thursday — Albert Bigelow Paine wrote from Redding to Clemens about his bank statement and thanked Sam for his list of checks sent. He wondered if Jean’s estate should be settled and suggested a “Jean Clemens Memorial Library building on the lot Adams donated. Jean passed there every day on her way to the mail and the farm was her joy. She spent eight of her happiest months here in Redding, & she loved it here, and I would like the people to remember her and love her memory” [MTP].
March 11 Friday — Sam went to the Hamilton Hotel, Bermuda to hear the garrison band play. Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Collier arrived for a two-week stay in the Islands [Mar. !2 to Clara].
March 12 Saturday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Clara Clemens Gabrilowitsch and Ossip Gabrilowitsch.
March 13 Sunday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Dorothy Quick, who evidently had just been in Bermuda with her mother but had left on a family emergency.
March 16 Wednesday — Elinor Comstock wrote from NYC, trusting that Clemens wouldn’t mind including his name in her list of references for the formation of a new school in NY [MTP].
March 17 Thursday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam began a letter to Albert B. Paine in Redding, Conn. that he finished Mar, 18,
Dear Paine,
March 18 Friday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam finished his Mar. 17 to Albert B. Paine in Redding, Conn. after receiving Paine’s Mar. 12 (not extant).
Yours of March 12th just received.
It will be best for you to make stable arrangements, horses & so forth according to your own jugdement without consulting with Clara in Germany I desire this.
I have crossed out what I wrote about a monthly allowance for Clara. I didn’t know she took so much money with her[.]
March 21 Monday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Miss Sulamith Ish-Kishor.
Dear Miss Sulamith,
I think it is a remarkable dream for a girl of 13 to have dreamed, in fact for a person of any age to have dreamed, because it moves by regular grade and sequence from the beginning to the end, which is not the habit of dreams. I think your report of it is a good piece of work, a clear and effective statement of the vision.
March 22 Tuesday — Albert Bigelow Paine wrote from Redding to Clemens: “I went on yesterday & was advised by Freeman to buy ‘Am. Telephone & Teleg.’ At 140 & 141, a suggeston to which Loomis & Lark promptly agreed,” He bought 100 shares and wrote when the Harper money came they might want another 100 [MTP].
George Jay Gould and Edith M. Gould sent a wedding announcement and invitation at the wedding of their daughter Marjorie Gwynne on Apr. 19 [MP].
March 23 Wednesday — Sophie Easton Woods wrote from St. Louis, Mo. to Sam: “I enjoyed your steamer letter so much, and it was so sweet of you to have written it. I will keep it always.... I did not see Captain Fraser, so I could not give him your message.... I am your loving little friend” [MTP].
March 24 Thursday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Katharine Boland Clemens (Mrs. James Ross Clemens) in Redlands, Calif.
Dear Cousin Katherine:
I am grateful for the prayers of those good nuns, & for yours; they have already answered themselves, in giving me a deep pleasure.
March 25 Friday - In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam finished his Mar. 24 to daughter Clara, “March 25. The portrait-postcard has just arrived from Geneva, & is very welcome, with its loving word from you, dear. / With heaps of love to you both / Marcus” [MTP].
Sam also wrote per Helen S. Allen to Albert B. Paine in Redding, Conn.
Dear Paine,
Mr. Allen has made the corrections in the check book suggested by you and now my book exactly corresponds with the pass book.
March 27 Sunday - Easter —- Clara Clemens Gabrilowitsch and Ossip Gabrilowitsch spent the day in Rome, Italy, having arrived there the previous Thursday, Mar. 24. The New York Times reported, p. C3, Apr. 3, dateline Rome Apr. 2, with sub-headline “Mark Twain’s Daughter Has Unsatisfactory Experience and Leaves Town.”
March 28 Monday - In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote per Helen S. Allen to Albert B. Paine in Redding, Conn.
Dear Paine,
I reenclose the check indorsed.
Enclosed is the small library of 44 volumes which you may buy & send to Mrs,.Allen let the books be sent through Mr. Allen’s agent Depew, and you may prepay all charges if you can manage it.
March 29 Tuesday - Albert Bigelow Paine wrote from Redding to Clemens: “Your news about the pain distresses me, but I am glad you are coming home. The change and the quiet of Stormfield will no doubt be beneficial. I hope Collier will let you be very quiet in N.Y. Edward Loomis whom I saw this morning hopes you will spend a few days with him also.” More discussion about AT&T stock: Paine bought another 100 shares [MTP].
March 31 Thursday - Albert Bigelow Paine wrote from Redding to Clemens: “Here is the March statement. It is a bit more complicated than the others, as I grouped the disbursements, but I guess you'll be able to work it out. Clara & Ossip write that they are afraid we are not getting enough to eat, from the amount of the food bill, but as I weigh about 193 and Katy is approaching 300 I consider their alarm unjustified”
April 1 Friday
April 1 ca. — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Joe Goodman: “Come on and visit me once before we get so old we can’t hear each other swear” [MTP: San Francisco Examiner, 22 Apt. 1910 ].
April 4 Monday — Chauncey M. Depew wrote from Wash DC to ask Sam for an intro to a volume of his speeches, “no matter how short” [MTP]. Note: “Ans”
April 6 Wednesday— In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Charles T. Lark.
Dear Mr. Lark,
I have told Paine that I want the money derived from the sale of the farm, which I had given, but not conveyed, to my daughter Jean, to be used to erect a building for the Mark Twain Library of Redding, the building to be called the Jean L. Clemens Memorial Building.
April 9 Saturday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam inscribed his photo (1906 of him sitting up in bed reading) to Marion S. Allen (Mrs. William H. Allen). “To Mrs. William H. Allen, with the high esteem & guarded affection of / Mark Twain Bermuda, April 9/ 10.” [MTP].
Sam began reading Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (1840-1928). Gribben quotes Paine: