Vol 3 Section 0158

brought back. Well, there was an assembly then something like this Reichsrath that began by hanging the accused and then sat in judgment of him afterward. I dare say a good deal of the language then used was like what I heard tonight, but which, to my regret, I did not always catch correctly” [MTCI 329-31].

December 14 Tuesday – Charles F. Chichester for Century Co. wrote to Sam, acknowledging a check from Miss Harrison last week for $204.51 as partial payment [MTP].

Laurence Hutton wrote to Sam that Chatto had sent the new book (FE). “We are hungry for some word of you all, & more than we find in the papers.” He talked of the place they’d bought on the outskirts of Princeton, N.J.. and the work he was doing on the place. He mentioned the fund raising effort for Helen Keller; he and the wife had been involved in it [MTP].

December 15 Wednesday – Sometime in mid-December Sam began sitting for an alabaster bust by the Russian sculptress Theresa Fedorowna Ries [Dolmetsch 277]. The famous picture of Mark Twain sitting in Ries’ studio may be found on p. 279 of source. See also Apr. 20, 1898 news article.

December 16 Thursday – In Vienna, Austria Sam wrote to Frank Bliss, requesting a copy of his new book for Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Metternich. He’d ordered one from Chatto but they didn’t put any illustrations in their edition, so he would wait until Bliss could prepare a special copy: “Please bind it in crushed Levant, & make it very neat, & simple, & modest, & bully.” Sam wanted it sent to him without any mention of it in the press. “That is why I say private up there. The Harpers gave me away, which was not right. I think the world of those illustrations” [MTP]. Note: in NB 42 TS 42 Sam disclosed that he rec’d a letter from Princess Metternich this day. It is not extant, nor is the place of origin or date sent known.

Note: Henry W. Fisher, at this time Journalist for Dalziel’s News, London and Galignani’s Messenger, Paris, in his 1922 reminiscences, quoted Twain: “The Princess Pauline Metternich, in particular, is a bully old girl. If she were to write her memoirs, the world would gain a book as bright as Mme. De Sevigne’s Letters.” Fisher told the story of the Princess putting a death warrant before her husband, Prince Metternich, Austrian ambassador in Paris, who was used to signing without reading. The next morning soldiers came into his apartment with his signed death warrant; the Prince fainted [Abroad with Mark Twain 43-4].

Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.

We are delighted with your plan. Go on with it, on the lines you propose. Only, don’t leave the Barrows out. Apparently that claim has been inherited by some women—daughters, no doubt. We don’t want to see them lose anything. Barrows is an ass, & disgruntled; but I don’t care for that. I am responsible for the money, & must do the best I can to pay it.

Leaving out Grant & the Mt. Morris [Bank], how much will it take to clear us entirely of debt?

Sam then covered several other topics:

A World’s championship billiards match in Madison Square Garden he wished he could have seen (there were several big matches played: Frank C. Ives v. Maurice Daly, and George Sutton v. George Slosson (Nov. 30); Slosson v. Daly, and Jacob Schaefer v. Sutton (Dec. 1), etc. [NY Times, several articles Dec. 1-5] Sam asked about the new “balk-line” rule and drew a diagram of what he thought it might look like.

He asked that a $171 dividend on Gas stock paid to Charles J. Langdon not be used for creditors. He noted the effect of Orion’s death, and covered other subjects:

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