Vol 3 Section 0999

improve on “Roughing It.”’ On p. 264, Nast’s illustrations for MT’s ‘The Good Little Boy Who Did Not Prosper.’ There is an MT letter to Nast on pp. 511-513; to avoid having to catch an early morning train, MT stopped all the clocks in the house. MT’s bread and butter letter to Nast after the visit is on p. 513” [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Second Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1978 p. 173]. Note: several biographers cite Sam’s appreciation of this biography for Paine’s selection as the official biographer of Mark Twain.

Wendell Barrett’s A History of Literature in America contained a section “Mark Twain” p. 421-4. “For all its faults of superficial taste, and for all its extravagance of dialect, Huckleberry Finn proves, as one compares it to its rough material, carelessly collected in Life on the Mississippi, nothing short of a masterpiece. And it proves as well, when one has read it over and over again, to be among the few books in any literature which preserve something like a comprehensive picture of an entire state of society. His power of construction on a large scale, combined with profound human sympathy…made more han one competent critic recognize Mark Twain’s hand in the originally anonymous Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc” [MTJ Bibliographic Issue Number Four 42:1 (Spring 2004) 8]. ,

Prof. Pietro Grocco of Florence sent Sam his calling card, scribbling some illegible Italian on it [MTP].

Senator Odoardo Luchini wrote from Florence on a Saturday asking his excuse for his “long silence.” He wanted to see Sam soon, or when he thought necessary, and gave best regards to the family [MTP].

Mrs. Francis Squire Potter (1867-1914) wrote from Elmira asking him to read her novel, The Ballingtons (1904) and then comment on it so she might use it to advertise [MTP].

After 1903 An unidentified man wrote on stationery inscribed “1600 Second Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minn.,” enclosing a clipping from the Critic of Sept. 1, which he wanted Sam to read. He asked “courteously” for “an inscription of your books” [MTP].

January to May, 1904 — Daniel Willard Fiske wrote a note on a brown scrap of paper:

Since 2 this a.m. I am enjoying a stalwart assault of gout.

Mrs. Schaeffer, sister of Eugene Schuyler, his biographer and the editor of his writings, with her interesting daughter, is at the Villino Montebello. I don’t [know] whether you know her or not. Kindest regards and best wishes to Mrs. Clemens & the house hold [MTP]

January – Journalisten-und Schriftsteller-Verein “Concordia,” an independent organization of journalists and writers based in Vienna, wrote to Sam. Only the envelope survives [MTP].

Success Magazine published Ida Hinman’s article, “Mark Twain’s Mother’s Story of his Youth” [eBay item 250418267212, May 10, 2009].

In an autobiographical dictation in this month, Sam disparaged Karl Baedeker’s Italy. Handbook for Travellers in its praise of architecture and decorations of the Villa de Quarto [Gribben 38: MTP].

January, ca. – Sometime in late 1903 or January 1904 Sam wrote to Henry A. Butters.

I suppose you unloaded that stock on me because you were in a position to know that your mismanagement had made it worthless. I was just on the point of advertising for you in the San Francisco papers. I find that you are in hiding here. I must ask you to pay me back that $7,500 within this week, or you will have serious reason to regret it. [Over] I find that you unloaded that stock upon me by your

misrepresentations, & that the statements which you made to me were untrue [MTP]. Note: source gives this as “ca. 1904,” but see Jan. 29 to Stanchfield, which suggests this was written on or before that date.

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