Vol 3 Section 0460
entertainment out of it [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote from NY on Star letterhead, provided by Haskell, who won the Pulitzer in 1944. At Oberlin College, Haskell was a classmate of Orville and Wilbur Wright.
As per the NY Times of Oct. 21 (above), a meeting took place between Charles Frohman, Sydney Rosenfeld, and Mark Twain, relative to collaboration on a play, The End of the World, which had been agreed to in Vienna on Apr. 22, 1898. The play, about a strugging astronomer, was not produced in Sam’s lifetime.
William F. Dowell for Author’s Press Clipping sent a form letter from N.Y.C. to solicit Sam’s business [MTP].
October 23 Tuesday – Samuel Clemens went to Hartford for the funeral of Charles Dudley Warner. Paine writes that Sam was a pallbearer, and also that while in Hartford the Clemenses “looked into the old home” [MTB 1112]. A. Hoffman writes: “Livy stayed in New York; she could not face her Hartford memories” [433]. Sam intended to stay “but an hour or two,” and then return to N.Y.C. The funeral was held at 2 p.m. at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church. Prayers were said at the Warner house at 1:30 at a service for the family, and then the body was taken to the church.
Mr. Bridge from Scribner’s, Madame Modjeska, Professor Fisher, Sarah Orne Jewett and Col. Green from Harper’s took part in the services. The Hartford Courant reported that “Many of the distinguished men in the world of arts and letters, clergymen from many pulpits, and professors from the chairs of universities” were in attendance. “Charles Dudley Warner was the latter-day successor of Charles Lamb—a quaint, genial, humorous master of English. His thoughtfulness was never dull, and his lightness was never trivial” [Oct. 23 and 24, 1900]. Note: Mr. Bridge is likely James Howard Bridge, who wrote under the pen name Harold Brydges.
October 24 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Funeral of Charles Dudley Warner” [NB 43 TS 27]. Note: the funeral was Oct. 23 at 2 p.m.
Sam also wrote to Charles Hopkins Clark [MTP]. UCCL 12759 letter not available.
October 25 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “10.30—11.30. Nichols—portrait” [NB 43 TS 27]. Note: Nicholson; see Oct. 22 entry.
At the Hotel Earlington in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Mary Benjamin (1879-1956), who was about to marry H.H. Rogers, Jr. (Harry Rogers).
Dear Miss Benjamin: / I feel a deep personal interest in this fortunate marriage because I helped to rear Harry Rogers & make him what he is. I gave him the high moral touch which you will discover in him in spots. In order to testify to you how thankful I am to you for taking him off my hands, I had the idea of sending you a diamond coronet as a bridal present, but I gave it up because I was not able to find any fresh diamonds in this year’s crop, they were all of earlier vintages, & some were second-hand; & so I have finally decided to ask you to accept of a set of my books instead; & this is all the better anyway, for diamonds invite the burglar, but he will not take books, except by request [MTP]. Note: the couple would marry on Nov. 7, 1900; Mary was “a
great favorite” of Sam’s [MTHHR 743, 4].
Sam then wrote to Frank Bliss, probably enclosing the above note to Mary Benjamin. He asked that the “de luxe” set of his books be sent to Mary and charged to him:
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.