Vol 3 Section 1042

⁹⁷⁸                                                                        1904

 

Sebastiano V. Cecchi of Haskard & Co. Ltd. Bankers. wrote to Sam, sending checks for £6.1 to the order of Dr. Donald MacAlister (brother of John Y. MacAlister, who had examined Livy). “I have placed the equivalent as Lire 151.50 to your debit” [MTP].

 

Harper & Brothers, London wrote to Sam, having rec’d his of Apr. 11 and were sending him by parcel post a copy of “The Dictionary of Dates.” Howells’ Stops of Various Quills (1895), however, could only be obtained in America [MTP].

 

Odoardo Luchini wrote from Florence to Sam. “The letter of Miss Lyon has reached me. Your instructions shall be strictly executed either by Mr Traverso or by me. Untill now, Senator Barsanti has not spoken to me about the Countess, and I do not make any step of advance” [MTP]. Note: Luchini returned Sam’s check, enclosed, for 160 Lire. Sam wrote on the check after lining through it, “Canceled & defaced by me, Apl. 15/04. SL Clemens

 

John Y. MacAlister wrote again from the Sanatorium Leysen in Switzerland.

 

I am anxious to know the result of the consultation & should be grateful for a line when you have a minute to spare. I had a note from my brother yesterday to say he was going with Dr. Kirch to see Mrs. Clemens but that he would have no time to write before he left Florence.

I earnestly hope the verdict was favorable. I feel very deeply the trouble you are in & wish I could help— but I cant even help myself now [MTP]. Note: John’s brother, Dr. Donald MacAlister, had evaluated Livy. John added he could get Sam any book from London)

 

April 15 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “The Judge comes at 3 p.m. / Or is it the 16th? / [Horiz. Line separator] / Canon at 1. p.m” [NB 47 TS 9].

 

Dorothy Williams wrote from Phila. to Sam, enclosing his horoscope; she asked for his photograph

 

[MTP]. Note: the horoscope is not extant.

 

April 16 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “3 p.m. Vecchio / Be at via Strozzi 2 at 2.50” [NB 47 TS 9].

 

The New York Times, p. BR260, ran a short review of Mark Twain’s latest book:

 

The Humorists.

Mark Twain’s “Extracts from Adam’s Diary” (Harper’s) is a revised and improved version of one of his earlier flights of humorous fancy. There are only 89 pages of large print in the little book, not counting the pages devoted by Mr. Strohmann’s droll illustrations. Probably the first entry in this diary is as good in its way as anything else Mark Twain ever wrote:

 

Monday—This new creature with the long hair is a good deal in the way. It is always hanging around and following me about. I don’t like this; I am not used to company. I wish it would stay with the other animals.

 

         Cloudy to-day, wind in the east; think we shall have rain. *** We? Where did I get that word? I remember now—the new creature uses it.

 

 

Sam’s notebook: “10 a.m. Sig. Gelli—portrait-photos. / [Horiz. Line separator] / Only one detail of God’s character is truthfully stated in the Bible: to Him a thouasand years are as a day. Look at the Crusades; look at the conversion of the world; look at any of His large undertakings—all are failures, for lack of time. Any really active person can do in a day what it takes him a thousand years to accomplish. He never succeeded in capturing His Sepulchre at all—yet He spent time enough on it to capture a whole cemetery” [NB 47 TS 9-10].

 

John Y. MacAlister wrote two letters to Sam. He was delighted to hear of Livy’s improvement. He was sorry he overlooked business in reply to Sam’s last letter. He lacked faith in “substitutes for coal,” and would “stop England’s export of her most valuable asset.” His doctors said he needed to stay for two or

 

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