Vol 3 Section 0164
Theodore F. Wolfe’s “Literary Shrines of Hartford” ran in The Peterson Magazine, p.92-6. “Includes a description and full-page photograph of MT’s Hartford home [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Third Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1979 p. 185].
Review of Reviews (London) reviewed More Tramps Abroad, (FE). Tenney: “Chiefly summary and extensive quotation of a ‘first-class book of travel, entertaining, interesting, up-to-date, genial, full of Mark Twain’s descriptive charm, and richly spiced with his extravagant non-sense’” [28].
American Monthly Review of Reviews, p.116-17 ran an anonymous review of FE. “Whether old admirers of Mark Twain will agree with the New York SUN in its opinion that his latest book is his best is doubtful, but that it will take a very high rank in the long catalogue of Mr. Clemens’ contributions to our knowledge of the world and of human nature is certainly true” [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Third Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1979 p. 185].
January 1 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Fine sunny day” [NB 42 TS 52].
In Vienna, Austria Sam inscribed a copy of More Tramps Abroad, (FE) to Ida Speiser- Wegenstein: “To / Mrs. Ida Speiser-Wegenstein / Wishing her many Happy New Years. With the kind regards of, / The Author / Vienna, New Years’ Day 1898” [MTP: Sothebys London catalogs, July 13, 2000, Item 48].
He also wrote an aphorism to an unidentified person:
There is but one way to keep well, according to the doctors:
Eat what you don’t want,
drink what you don’t like,
and do what you would rather not. / Truly Yours / Mark Twain / New Year’s ‘98 [MTP: Randall catalogs, No.
266].
January 2 Sunday – Fatout lists a Vienna dinner and dance where Sam gave a speech or read a story [MT
Speaking 665]. Note: Fatout gives no particulars and none were found.
January 3 Monday
January 4 Tuesday
January 5 Wednesday – H.H. Rogers wrote to Sam; letter not extant but referred to in Sam’s Jan. 20 reply.
Sam, and perhaps the family as well, saw the premiere of Theodor Herzl’s play Das neue Ghetto (The New Ghetto) at the Carltheater, a mid-nineteenth century theater. Here Sam may have met Sigmund Freud for the first time. Dolmetsch writes:
They might actually have met some four weeks earlier at the Carltheater ….Herzl, a neighbor and friend
of Freud and an acquaintance of Mark Twain, “papered the house” for his opening, sending both of them tickets. Both attended. Twain, in fact, considered and may even have started an abortive translation of Herzl’s play for Broadway, so it is not inconceivable they were introduced to each other in this small theater on such a convivial occasion…hence Freud’s reference to Twain as “our old friend” in his letter…[270]. Note: Sam had met Herzl, the “Father of Zionism” (1860-1904) in 1894 when Herzl was covering the Dreyfus trial for the Neue Freie Presse—see 1894 year entry, vol. II.
January 6 Thursday – At the Hotel Metropole in Vienna, Austria, Livy wrote for Sam to Frank Marshall White, thanking him for his note which reinforced Sam’s belief that White could not “be guilty
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.