Vol 3 Section 0448
Archer’s article on “Hadleyburg” ran in the Nov. issue of Critic (N.Y.); this may have been a pre-released version of the article.
Sam also wrote to Daniel Willard Fiske.
We went to Cromer & spent a time with some English friends, & when we got back we were looking for you, but you did not come, & still you didn’t come; so I said I would go to London & see what the matter was, for Mrs. Clemens was uneasy. Just then arrived your letter [not extant], Saturday night—too late to catch you. It is too bad—& much too bad that you were wretched & confined to your room so long [MTP]. Note: Cromer, Norfolk, on the coast about 100 miles from London over the weekend of Sept. 14-16. The English friends are not specified.
Sam intended to meet John Y. MacAlister at the Plasmon House, Duke Street [Sept. 24 to MacAlister].
September 26 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Moberly Bell—to meet Lord Cromer—8.15. Will Mrs. C. come too?
8 at Chatto, 2 at A & NA / Library on steamer? / Labels to 15 Cockspur. / Better 60 days of Dollis than a cycle of Cathay” [NB 43 TS 26]. Note: Gribben connects this with Frank Stockton’s novel, A Bicycle of Cathay (1900) now being serialized in Harper’s [666].
At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote a postcard to Poultney Bigelow: “Hurry along with
that bike or we shall be gone. We remove to London (Brown’s Hotel, Albemarle street) Monday” [MTP: U.S. Smith, Up
a Tree With Mark Twain, 1978, p.469].
Sam also wrote to John Y. MacAlister asking him to represent him “in the matter of the stock in Messrs.
A. Goerz & Co’s hands.” Sam wanted to leave the selling time to the judgment of Adolf H. Goerz [MTP].
Sam inscribed a copy of The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories and Sketches to C. Eastwood and Mrs. C. Eastwood: “Rev. C. & Mrs. Eastwood with compliments of Mark Twain, Sept. 26/00”
[MTP: Maxwell Hunley Rare Books catalog, 15 July 1958, Item 76].
Sam inscribed a copy of the same book to Donald MacAlister and Mrs. Donald MacAlister: “Dr.
Donald & Mrs. Mac Alister / with compliments of / Mark Twain, Sept. 26/00” [MTP: David J. Holmes Autographs catalog, No. 38, Item 233]. Note: Donald MacAlister (1854- 1934) was a physician and later Chancellor of the University of Glasgow; he was a native speaker of Gaelic. Sam’s Apr. 7, 1904 to John Y. MacAlister reveals Donald to be John’s brother.
William Whiteley, grocers, billed Sam £9.2.9 ½ for groceries [1900 Financial file MTP].
September 27 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Evening dress. / Call for me at 7.30. / Kensal Rise / Reading Room. / ‘I thank you’ Dresden” [NB 43 TS 26].
Sam spoke briefly at the opening of a new reading room in Kensal Rise, London.
I formally declare this reading room open, and I think that the legislature should not compel a community to provide itself with intelligent food, but give it the privilege of providing it if the community so desires.
If the community is anxious to have a reading-room it would put its hand in its pocket and bring out the penny tax. I think it a proof of the healthy, moral, financial, and mental condition of the community if it taxes itself for its mental food.
A reading-room is the proper introduction to a library, leading up through the newspapers and magazines to other literature. What would we do without newspapers?
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.