Vol 3 Section 0578

May 13 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Story of the Coward who did one stupendously brave deed—& then had to go on all his life in like manner to live up to his reputation. His monument ‘To the Bravest of the Brave’ moves his old friend to reveal his secret to me a stranger. / Satan says, ‘Proud of being a King? Why? He was born to it—he didn’t earn it. Why not be proud of being a coward—it is a talent due wholly to birth’ Put into this Satan’s mouth all that was to have been put into the other Satan’s” [NB 44 TS 10].

May 14 Tuesday – At 1410 W. 10^th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Frank Bliss, including his May 4 to George B. Harvey and Harvey’s reply of the same date: “This is Col. Harvey’s reply. I will ask about the Californian’s Tale—otherwise you must leave it out, for I don’t want it in the book before it appears in the magazines” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote “The Californian’s Tale” in late summer, 1892; the germ of the story was his stay at Angel’s Camp in 1864-5. Shortly after writing it he sent a copy to Fred Hall to place somewhere, and also to Arthur Stedman (son of Edmund Clarence Stedman), who published it in The First Book of the Authors Club; Liber Scriptorum (1893). The story was later collected in The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories (1906) [Wilson 11].

May 15 Wednesday – At 1410 W. 10^th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote a PS to an unidentified person, that in reading a form he found the person would have to have his signature notarized; “That’s putting you to too much trouble; therefore I will come down & we will get up some other arrangement” [MTP]. Note: the prior letter that goes with this PS seems to be lost, since it does not fit with recent letters by Twain.

Frank Bliss wrote to Sam:

“We are in receipt of the letter you wrote to the Harpers in regard to the matter for the 23rd volume, with Col. Harvey’s reply attached. We have filed it away with the other valuable papers, and are glad the matter seems to be finally adjusted.”

Frank summarized his understanding that Harvey allowed him to make up the 23^rd volume and issue it any time after the Dec. Harper’s Monthly was out—free from any objection or royalty to them, and with the same agreement that existed for the previous volumes of Mark Twain’s Uniform Edition [MTP]. Note: Sam confirmed Bliss’ understanding in a note of May 20, written on this letter.

May 16 Thursday – Adirondack Park Co. per George V. Duryee wrote to Sam acknowledging his check for $150 and a signed copy of the lease for the camp cabin [MTP].

May 17 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Judson Smith has an impediment in his veracity. / Paraphrase the E.G. Cable

     make Ament a young lady who publishes her own unchastity. Because she does it in only one cablegram it isn’t worth noticing” [NB 44 TS 11].

May 18 Saturday

May 19 Sunday

May 20 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “2 p.m. Stenographer / John Mackay after 2. 253 B’way” [NB 44 TS 11].

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