Vol 3 Section 0091

June, prior to June 26 – Sam replied to a note (not extant) from James B. Pond, who was in London with his wife. Sam headed the note “Private & Confidential address; (Do not divulge to any one[)]” He could be found home daily at noon but had lately been “out with some frequency on business” after noon since the family was preparing to leave London. “The family do not go out or see people, but you will see me” [MTP]. Note: This had to have been while the family was still at Tedford Square; MTP catalogues this as “July.” However, on Univ. of California’s new ThisisMarkTwain.com site is an inscribed photo of Mark Twain which reads: “Mark Twain at his Chelsea home where Maj. & Mrs. Pond visited June 26, 97.—Here is where ‘Mark” is reported to be dying in poverty. He never looked better.” If the visit was indeed June 26, then this note would have preceeded the visit.

June 26 Saturday – At 23 Tedworth Square in London, Sam wrote a postcard to Chatto & Windus: “Please send for some more MS.—say 10 or 11 Monday.” Sam wanted them to send the entire typewritten lot of pages to H.H. Rogers [MTP].

Sam also wrote a note to Helen Lucy Stewart Skrine (Mrs. Francis H. Skrine) confirming his attendance at her dinner for Thursday at 8 p.m. The dinner date was changed to Wednesday, June 30, as shown in the to-do list below (#14) [Alexander Autographs, Sale 38, Lot 1349, Oct. 9-10, 2008].

Sam’s notebook: “Saturday, June 26, mailed Goerz cheque No. 58919 for £65.5 & a New Orleans cheque No. 20496 for £10.4.1 to City Bank for deposit to Livy’s credit”

Right below this entry Sam wrote a to-do list, striking out items he completed:

         See bank about letter of credit.

         Cable Sue stop at Grosvenor

         Ship Chatto contract home.

         Take books to Chelsea library

         Write London Library

         Take Joan to Goertz.

         Order some shirts

         A suit of clothes.

         Write & thank Garth for house.

         Take home Macalister’s book.

         Call & thank Bram for Dracula [see June 1]

         Get smoking tobacco & pipes.

         Visit Chapins.

         Dine Skrine Wednesday [June 30]

         Sup Gillette Thursday [July 1]

         Ask Chatto for July settlement.

         Get passes from Austrian Emb. [NB 41 TS 32].

First appearing in the London literary journal Academy p. 653-5 as “Mark Twain, Benefactor” on June 26 [Tenney 26], this unsigned article on Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling ran later in several US newspapers, including the Salt Lake City Tribune on July 11 and the NY Times on July 17 with various headlines:

Mark Twain as Kipling’s Progenitor

A few years ago Mr. Kipling called on Mark Twain in Hartford. Afterward, in an account of his visit, he described the temptation which had beset him to steal the great man’s corncob pipe as a relic. It was a nice touch of homage, coming from the man who has done more than any other to carry on the traditions established by the American writers, and in so doing in a large measure to supersede him. These traditions

SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.