Vol 3 Section 0209
June 11, ’98. Clara’s birthday 3 days ago. Not a reference to it has been made by any member of the family in my hearing; no presents, no congratulations, no celebrations. Up to a year & nine months ago all our birth-days, from the beginnings of the family life were annually celebrated with loving preparations followed by a joyous & jovial outpouring of thanksgivings. The birthdays were milestones on the march of happiness. Then Susy died. All anniversaries, of whatever sort, perished with her. As we pass them now, they are only gravestones. We cannot keep from seeing them as we go by, but we can keep silent about them, & look the other way and put them out of memory as they sink out of sight behind us [NB 40 TS 25].
June 9 Thursday
June 10 Friday – In Kaltenleutgeben near Vienna, Austria, Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.
“I enclose with this a full authority from Mrs. Clemens to act for her with Bliss in regard to the books. “I would like Bliss to engage to furnish and ship to Chatto a de luxe edition at about cost.”
Sam also wanted Chatto to be able to buy only as many deluxe editions of his Uniform works as he “has a sure market for,” as he would act as Sam’s agent and take a ten percent royalty for his services.
I have lost Bliss’s letter, but I remember that his scheme was so gorgeous that it took my interest out of peat wool. I wonder what has wakened him up! In any case now is the time to work the market—for by & by there won’t be any market. I want him to pull his Klondyke in and materialize it, for I want to be able to come and die at home. Funerals are too expensive here for my means.
Sam expressed gratitude and again urged the Rogers to come to visit, this time to take the “cold-water-cure,” which had “an immense reputation” [MTHHR 350]. Note: A. Hoffman writes,
“Both Jean and Livy engaged in the strenuous local cure of early rising, plunging into cold water, followed by calisthenics and another plunge, all before breakfast”[423].
June 11 Saturday – About this day Sam mailed his article, “The Austrian Edison Keeping School Again” to Richard Watson Gilder of the Century [June 17 to Gilder]. It was published in the August issue.
June 12 Sunday
June 13 Monday
June 14 Tuesday
June 15 Wednesday
June 16 Thursday
June 17 Friday – In Kaltenleutgeben near Vienna, Austria, Sam wrote to Richard Watson Gilder.
Near a week ago I sent you a paragraph or two—a small Szczepanik episode—& registered it, as per enclosed “Scheim.”
In London we could always buy the Century—here, we’ve got to get down to business & order from headquarters.
Please put my name on the books & take it out in trade. / Yours, permanent, / Mark [MTP].
Note: On Apr. 2 Sam mailed Gilder his first Szczepanik story, “From the ‘London Times’ of 1904,” so this piece would have been “The Austrian Edison Keeping School Again,” which Gilder published in Century in Aug. 1898; the other ran in the Nov. issue. Dolmetsch mistakenly identifies both Szczepanik pieces as being written at the Villa Paulhof (p.207); only “The Austrian Edison” was, since the family moved to the Villa on May 20, two weeks plus after Sam mailed the “London Times” story to Gilder.
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.