Vol 3 Section 0589

“I started out with the assertion that the missionary propaganda in China could not be justified by any system of reasoning or ethics, that it was totally wrong…without a single redeeming feature. I then went on to show that the Chinese had got on very well in the world before there was any such thing as Christianity….” The

editor of the World who had “an ecclesiastical bummer” cut it down “about two-thirds” causing Maxim to telegraph the editor to publish no more of his letters [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the back of the letter: “The wish can furnish no reason for his trade—anybody can silence him; he has to say “You’re another” because there is nothing else for him to say. If Christ had made his command unmodified, it would be plenty good enough evidence that he lacked the divine spark.”

June 20 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Write Mr. Clarence Gordon & name a Thursday to read an old article. East side House Settlement, 76th St & East River. He will describe how I am to come, & perhaps meet me at one of the points” [NB 44 TS 12]. Note: Sam made no further NB entries until Sept 24, 1901.

About this day Sam replied to Mrs. Cass Gilbert (incoming not extant); her husband rec’d the letter at the Century Club and opened it, then wrote his wife about it and told her to keep it for someday she’d find it very interesting; Sam’s letter is not extant [MTP].

June 21 Friday – The Clemens family left N.Y.C. and traveled to Saranac Lake, N.Y. According to his June 19 to Rogers, they left at 7:50 a.m. and arrived about 7 p.m., a day long trip. Their May 10 lease agreement was for June 1 to Oct. 1, 1901, so they had lost three weeks of lease at this point. Insert: “The Lair,” a “cabin” at Adirondack Park later called “Mark Twain Camp.”

June 21–September 19 – Sometime during the family’s stay at Saranac Lake, Sam wrote to Frank Bliss, enclosing a complaint by a man who thought the deluxe Uniform Edition was to be the only “complete” edition. “Return his

letter to me & tell me what to say to him.” Sam pointed at the man’s footnote with “N.B.” (nota bene:

“take notice”) [MTP].

June 22 Saturday – Clifford J. Wilkinson wrote from Kobe, Japan to Sam. Wilkinson had last spoken to Sam in London, through their mutual friend MacAlister, and had sent him a case of Tansan & Niwo mineral water for his gout, and was now sending a couple of cases which he felt would prevent a return of gout [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “Answer this—try the water first”

June 23 Sunday

June 24 Monday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam replied to Charles Erskine Scott Wood.

Good—I shall be glad to have a copy when it issues; & I am thanking you in advance.

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