Vol 3 Section 0877

Frederick A. Duneka wrote to Sam. “Here is an admirer who offers you a set of Mother Eddy at his own price. We turn him over to you. / I do wish we could feel that the Christian Science book could be completed this spring. It is mighty strong meat” [MTP].

Isaac Laudman wrote from Temple Emanu-El in Montreal to Sam. “I enclose a letter to you from a son of Mois Gerson, of Constantinople and Paris, whom you have immortalized in your ‘Innocents Abroad.’” Laudman was teaching the young man English, though he now spoke five languages, and he was obliquely asking Sam to help get him “located” [MTP]. Note: the man immortalized in IA, chapter 35 was “Faraway Moses,” and Laudman supplies his son’s name, Mois Gerson, Jr. See Jan. 27 from Gerson.

January 29 Thursday – At 7:30 in N.Y.C. Sam joined a birthday party for H.H. Rogers at the Rogers home. Rogers was 63 [MTHHR 518n2].

Sam’s notebook : “Marquis Lorne, Princess Louise, Prince of Wales (Homburg), Emperor Germany, [Emperor] Russia, [Emperor] Austria” [NB 46 TS 9].

January 30 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Butters, Wright & Kelsey arrive 7.11 p.m. / First visit of these thieves? / [Horiz. Line separator] / We go to the Grand Duchess’s palace to sign the visitor’s book—& what happened!” [NB 46 TS 9]. Note: Sam recalled Feb. 1898 mixup—see Feb. 3, 1898 to Twichell for the story.

Frank Bliss wrote from Hartford to Sam, enclosing a statement (not extant) and draft for $3,375.14 for royalties to Jan. 1 [MTP].

January 31 Saturday – William Oliver Fuller, Jr. (J.O. Fuller, Jr.) wrote to Sam from Rockland, Maine. “Mr Aldrich has sent me your letter commenting upon the newspaper clipping I mailed you. I gather from your letter that you were not pleased with my sorry attempt to joke. The thing on my part arose out of our visit to Mr. Aldrich some months ago and the subsequent fooling over lost umbrellas and slippers—which possibly you recall.” Fuller felt that if he had overdone the joke, then he was apologetic [MTP]. Sam wrote “ans” on the env.; see his answer Feb. 4.

Muriel M. Pears wrote from Mentone, France to Sam.

Ah no, Dear Our President, I cannot see the comedy of such a Christmas week’s experience as you and the Donzella have been living through. You can make nearly everything else in the world amusing to us, but not this. I never heard of anything more poignant and cruel and heroic.” Muriel was reacting to the illnesses in the Clemens household [MTP]. Note: the “Donzella” reference is Spanish or Italian, meaning “maid,” or “maiden” or “damsel,” likely referring to either of his daughters or Isabel Lyon.

February – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam replied with one line to Frederick A. Duneka: “This is a most dam good Conclusion—put it in, Duneka / SLC” [MTP].

Prof. William Milligan Sloane wrote from NYC to Sam. “I want you here on March 5th at one o’clock to lunch with Sidney Lee and I want you very badly. Do come, there will be some of your best friends.” Hearing “conflicting accounts” of Livy, Prof. Sloane hoped she was no worse but much better [MTP].

William De Loss Love’s article, “The City of Hartford,” ran in New England Magazine, p.649-72. Tenney: “MT is barely mentioned by name in the text, but on p. 670 there is a photograph of him (‘Copyright 1900, by Rockwood’) and on p. 667 there are photographs of his home and those of his neighbors, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Charles Dudley Warner” [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Third Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1979 p. 189].

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