Vol 3 Section 0500
December 23 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Howells and W.B. Suyman the Boer at 11 a.m” [NB 43 TS 32]. Note: W.B. Suyman was identified in a Jan. 31, 1900 NY Tribune, p. 5 article, “Brave Hearts in London” as a Boer General. The above likely a luncheon.
At 14 W. 10th in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Harriet E. Whitmore.
It arrived last night & went into Howells’s hands this morning, before I had half read it; but as he thought I meant him to take it home with him, I didn’t say anything of course. He is the right man & the competent one.
We are rushing things to-night, to get away at 10 in the morning, where we remain till the 29th [MTP]. Note: miscataloged as Dec. 24, yet headed “Sunday.”
December 24 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Lake wood? / With Harvey?” [NB 43 TS 32].
Sam’s note of Christmas wishes (catalogued: written sometime before Dec. 25) to an unidentified person appeared in the N.Y. Tribune on Jan. 25, 1901, p.8 [MTP].
At 10 a.m. the Clemenses left N.Y.C. for Elmira for Christmas. The trip occupied most of the day. They planned to stay until Dec. 29 [Dec. 22 to Gurlitz; Dec 23 to Whitmore].
December 25 Tuesday – Christmas in Elmira.
Sam inscribed a copy of Tom Sawyer to Warren Leary: “To / Warren Leary / with the kindest regards of / The Author. / We ought never to do wrong when people are looking. / Truly Yours / Mark Twain / Xmas, 1900” [MTP]. Note: Warren Leary (1891-1959) was Katy Leary’s nephew from Elmira [“The Fenton Leary Family” MS in Elmira College]. Thanks to Mark Woodhouse of Elmira College.
Sam also wrote to Mrs. Annie E. Thomas [MTP]. UCCL 13041 letter or inscription not available.
James Lane Allen wrote an inscription in The Choir Invisible (1897) to Sam: “Sincerely Yours, James Lane Allen”; Sam wrote on the front flyleaf:
There is a heritage of heroic example and noble obligation, not reckoned in the Wealth of Nations, but essential to a nation’s life; the contempt of which, in any people, may not slowly, mean even its commercial fall. Very sweet are the uses of prosperity, the harvests of peace and progress, the fostering sunshine of health and happiness, and length of days in the land. But there be things “the good of” which and “the use of” which are beyond all calculation of worldly goods and earthly uses, things such as Love, Honour, and the Soul of Man, which cannot be bought with a price, and which do not die with death. And they who would fain live happily “ever after” should not leave these things out of the lesson of their lives. M.T. December 1900 [MTP].
December 26 Wednesday – In Owensville, Indiana, D.B. Montgomery wrote to Sam seeking genealogical information on the Montgomery clan in Kentucky. He enclosed a printed informational family history on the Montgomery’s [MTP]. Note: On Dec. 30 Sam forwarded the letter to his sister Pamela Moffett, as he was “not interested” in the subject.
Peter (not further identified) wrote a rather rambling and disjointed letter to Sam, about revenging
Bohemia and Herzegovina. He wrote the first part in German and the last in English. Stamps from both
Hungary and Austria with Polish postmark adorn the envelope [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the note: “Funny
German Bohemian
lunatic”.
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.