Vol 3 Section 0784
William Milligan Sloane wrote from Northeast Harbor, Maine to Sam, having just heard about Livy’s illness and their sympathy “goes out to you both….We had a good long talk about you and yours last night with the
Huttons” [MTP].
August 31 Sunday
September – Sam signed the flyleaf of Jeanne d’Arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France, etc. by T.
Douglas Murray: “S.L. Clemens, September, 1902” [Gribben 494].
Atlantic Monthly reviewed “A Double-Barrelled Detective Story” on p. 415-16. The review was signed by S.M.F. Wells, p.25 gives authorship as H.W. Boynton. Tenney: “ ‘In his prime Mark Twain was often more than merely funny,’ but lately he has turned serious, and his ‘public has not known quite what to do with’ his recent serious writing. [the story] lacks ‘an effect of tragic horror,’ while furnishing scant opportunity for humor; ‘yet what if not humor is to prevent uncertainty, the intrusion of false notes, and anything like half-heartedness in the treatment of such a theme—to the artist so gross an error as to amount almost to sacrilege?’ The reviewer calls Frank Stockton ‘a much more delicate humorist, a far more skillful artist than Mark Twain,’ and asks, ‘How does it happen that the later work of these two prominent American humorists should exhibit so marked a deficiency in the larger sort of humor?’” [Tenney: “A Reference Guide First Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1977 p. 332-3].
Century Magazine ran “The Home of Mark Twain” p. 674-77. Tenney: “A popular description of Hannibal, with five photographs; briefly summarized in Anon., ‘Was Mark Twain Tom Sawyer?’” [37].
Review of Reviews (London) ran “Was Mark Twain Tom Sawyer?” p.272. Tenney: “A summary of Henry W.
Wharton, ‘The Boyhood Home of Mark Twain’” [36].
September 1 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook “Monday 6 p.m.—tea / Mrs. Rogers— Clara & Mr. Young R. there—going away. / Yorkshire Men—cousin of Miss Jones who is singing—near Stephens store). / telephone if we can’t come. / [Line separator] / Offered $50,000 for the Tarrytown house. Declined. We paid $45,000 for it. ” [NB 45 TS 25].
Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.
It is lovely of you. We could not have shown your telegram to Mrs. Clemens yesterday, but she can see it before night, I think, for she shows much improvement to-day. It continues to be a case of down-&-up, up-&-down. Yesterday I thought her chances were bad, she was so weak & exhausted & discouraged; but to-day it is handsomely different. When she is “up” she thinks she is going to start ina week—always that. But if it isn’t the double of that I shall be very much surprised indeed.
I will give lots of notice—of date, number of persons, etc—If she were able to talk, I would try to persuade her to go to Riverdale & avoid all railroading. But I don’t know that I should succeed.
There’s 200 Union Pacific pf. left. It cost 88½ & is selling at 94¼. Wouldn’t it be good commerce for Miss Harrison to put in an order to sell at 100—if it gets there? If it shouldn’t get there—well, that’s another
matter. ===
3 p.m. Mrs. Clemens has seen the telegram & sends her love and grateful thanks. In which joins / SLC That$2,230.48 raisesthecredit inGuarantyTrusttoagoodfigure—for which, a thousand thanks. Ithinkthere’s
$15,000 there now. Mrs. C. will be sure to begin building the addition at Tarrytown. I shan’t oppose it any longer, if her heart is set on it [MTHHR 502-3].
September 1-8 – Sam also wrote to the California Society of New York.
I thank you cordially for your invitation. I was not early enough to be a pioneer, but was president of the “Hand-cart Sub-Pioneers,” and for thirty-five years have been the only survivor of that organization. Other
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.