Vol 3 Section 0284

What is it about the “$100 clause” & my “screed on the subject,” & “that wonderful work” of mine? I can’t guess it out—nor Mrs. Clemens. And what is it the Evening Post is attacking? We don’t see the papers in this remote place.

Speaking of the Prince, I thought he was lost at sea, more than a month ago. I hope not, but that was the report [MTP]. Note: Prince Lichnowsky

Sam’s notebook:

“March 14. Received letter from Mr. Rogers [not extant]. Last sale brought $3586. Total in his hands, $51,995.

Brookly Gas is up to 155—cost us 75” [NB 40 TS 55].

Sam then replied to H.H. Rogers.

Unberufen—keep her a-squatting! Miss Harrison’s report makes me a capitalist of a very swell sort. Pretty soon, at this rate, it will become [Dr. Clarence C.] Rice to speak of me as Mr. Clemens—yes, & even Colonel. I don’t like to suggest it to him myself, but you might remind him.

Sam related Hutton’s offer to find the Clemenses an inn at Princeton, N.J.., and the idea that Clara would want to live in N.Y.C.

We all want to live in New York, but I judge we couldn’t afford the expense—particularly if Rice is getting so well up in poker that he goes home now with Mrs. Rogers’s money in his pocket. I was expecting to get a part of my living out of him, but this last development is discouraging.

…

Dr. Freeland, who met Rice, kept his promise & looked for a flat for us in New York, but he has come

back & reports that the best he can do is $3,000 unfurnished [per year]. He says rents & all things have gone

up high. Mr. Tatlock, of the New York Life Co is to see what he can do. But there is plenty of time, as we

shall not arrive before the end of September. …I can sit around & see you set the hen. I don’t expect her to

hatch out $3586 every time she goes on the nest, but it would be a pleasure to be in the hennery & see her

exercise herself, anyway.

…

We are all going down to Budapest the forenoon of the 25th to do a reading, to begin with the Stolen Watermelon. That always goes [MTHHR 391-2]. Note: “the hen” was Sam’s metaphor for his investment in stocks. The source notes an Apr. 3, 1899 penciled headnote that part of this letter was sent to Rudyard Kipling; part was cut off and the close and signature are missing.

March 15 Wednesday

March 16 Thursday – At the Hotel Krantz in Vienna, Austria, Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus, asking his help in collecting £100 for an article of 2,000 words sent to a Mr. Bussy some three weeks after Bussy had published it. Sam had an idea to ask the Society of Authors to try to collect it, but he had lost G. Herbert Thring’s address. This was a matter for Percy Spalding, Sam thought, because Andrew Chatto was like himself, “aged & conservative & sweet-tempered.” Spalding was “young & brisk & non-conservative.” Sam confessed that Bliss’ Uniform Edition was “very handsome” and “really beautiful.” After his signature he suggested that Frank Marshall White, the London correspondent for the NY Journal might make a suggestion as to how to collect the £100 [MTP]. Note: the likely piece was Sam’s essay, “The ‘Austrian Parliamentary System’? Government by Article 14,” which ran in the Feb. 25 issue of Lords and Commons (London). F. Moir Bussy was the editor.

March 17 Friday

March 18 Saturday

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