Vol 3 Section 0692

Alvey Augustus Adee wrote to Sam on Department of State, Washington letterhead (Second Asst. Secretary). He had learned from George Iles that Sam had no copy of 1601, and so made two copies from his own copy and enclosed one, the other going to Iles [MTP]. Note: Iles had visited on Feb. 17.

Muriel M. Pears (“en route for Marseilles and the South”) wrote to Sam.

Dear Sir Valentine, / The warning came too late, for I’d did indoscicate! (sp?) Woe is me, the girl is neither to hold nor to bind for pride and vainglory ever since that last American mail came in. My love to the Donzella for her quite sweet letter, and will she help me please telepath round Kitchener of Khartoum so that he will let my big brother go? Then Loraine will take me over to New York between breaths, and if Providence is still kind to us—! But first we have to get through three months in Italy and June in London, and after all the Boys and I have had so much already…..even Rudyard Kipling would be jealous by now of the Luck of the

Dearest Man that Ever was a vainglorious Valentine / Muriel Pears [MTP]. Note: well, it doesn’t make much sense, but there it is.

March – Munsey’s Magazine for March included George W. Smalley’s article, “American Authors

Aborad,” p. 774-7. Tenney: “Contains a rather general discussion of MT’s popularity in England , personally and as a lecturer, but no new information” [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Second Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1978 p. 172].

Sam’s story, “The Californian’s Tale,” written in 1892 and previously published in The First Book of the Authors Club, Liber Scriptorum, edited by Arthur Stedman, was published in Harper’s Monthly. It was later collected in The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories (1906) [Rasmussen 53].

Bird offers that Sam wrote the short, bawdy sketch “The Mammoth Cod” in early March, 1902. It was published in Henry N. Cary’s A Treasury of Erotic and Facetious Memorabilia (1901-1915) and originally attributed to Petroleum V. Nasby, but now is judged to be by Mark Twain [Mark Twain Encyclopedia 484].

March 1 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Leave 9.14-ar. 9.40—be at 115 Broadway 10 a.m. testify before Commissioner Dulon (for Prussia). See 12 stories drawer. Waiting room. / Delmonico 44th St at 2 o’clock. Then 3 or 4 at Grand Central” [NB 45 TS 4]. Note: after testifying, Sam intended to luncheon then return home late in the afternoon.

South Jersey Republican – Hammonton N.J. March 1, 1902

Mark Twain was recently chaffing Sir Wemyss Held on the vagaries of English pronunciation: “You spell a name B-e-a-u-c-h-a-m-p, and pronounce It Marchbanks,” he said. “And you do precisely the same thing,” replied Wemyss.

“What do you mean?” replied Mark Twain. —“Well,— you spell —your name C-l-e-m-e-n-s, and you pronounce it Twain.”

William H. Pearson for NY Produce Exchange sent a printed bill for $10 to Sam for Safe Deposit Storage from Mar. 1; stamped paid on Mar. 3 [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “Paid till March 1, 1903.”

Livy’s diary gives Mildred Holden as guest for Mar. 1 and Mar. 2 [MTP: DV161].

March 2 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Julius Chambers (1850-1920) author, about letters and packages which had been misdirected: “My address is exceedingly simple—nothing could be simpler: ‘S.L. Clemens, New York City’” [MTP: Anderson Auction Co. catalog: Jan. 20, 1916, No. 1193, Item 146]. Note: Chambers book, The Destiny of Doris; A Travel-Story of Three Continents (1901), may have been sent to Clemens and gone astray. See Gribben 137.

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