IDear Sir:

  You wrote:

  If you have in your files, some documented events or information for
 the
period through 1885, information not in the letters, standard works or
 financial
documents at the MTP, I would appreciate your help and will
 cite/acknowledge
you  as erudite, truthful and totally American.

  I was  at the Beinecke working on my "Mark Twain's excellent Day at
Oxford" -- the day he received his honorary degree at Oxford.  I came across
a really charming item from a guest book which Mark Twain signed.  I was not
allowed to get a copy of it as it was "bound" and the Beinecke won't copy a
bound volume.  But here is what it said, and it was so cute, I thought
("cute" being a highly academic term, of course).  I don't have a provenence
on this, but I suppose you could obtain one from Kevin Repp at
[log in to unmask]

  All the best on your work!  Margaret Sibbitt, Hyannis, Nebraska 69350
  _________

  Scrap book with autographic comments in the hand of Samuel L. Clemens 1869
  The scrapbook calls for "mental" photographic statements and even has a
place for an actual photograph. [none is included in the book]
  This entry marked:

  Samuel L. Clemens , May 14, 1871

  Color:  Anything but dun
  Flower:  The  bright blooming Sirius the dog star which …(in  a footnote
he calls this constellation a "flower")
  Tree:  Any that bears forbidden fruit
  Object in Nature:  A dumb belle
  Hour in the day:  The leisure hour
  Season of the year:  the present
  Perfume: Cent per cent
  Gem?  The jack of diamonds –when it’s trump
  Style of Beauty: the Subscriber's  [some in the book state "blonde" for
example]
  Names, Male and Female:  M'aimes (Maimie) for a female and Jacus [sic] &
Marius for males.
  Painters? Sign painters
  Musicians?  Harper & Bros.
  Piece of Sculpture: The Greek slave with his hoe
  Poets? (He crosses out the "s"):  Robert Browning, when he has a lucid
interval
  Poetesses (He crosses out the "es"):  Timothy Titcomb
  Prose Authors (He crosses out the s):  Noah Webster LLD
  Character(he adds an "s) in Romance?  The Napoleon Family
  >>>>in Hisotry?  King Herod
  Book to take up for an hour:  Vanderbilt's Pocket Book
  What book (not religious) would you part with last:  The one I might  be
reading on  railroad during the dvisas to season
  What epoch would you choose to have  lived in?  Before the present
Erie –it was safer
  Where would you like to live?  In the Moon – because there is no water
there.
  What is your favorite amusement?  Hunting the "tiger" or some kindred game
  What is your favorite occupation?  "like dew on the gowan – lying."
  what trait of character do you most admire in a man?  The noblest form of
cannibalism – love for his fellow man.
  What trait of character do you most admire in women?  Love for her fellow
man
  What trait of character do you most detest in each:  That "trait" which
you put "or" to   describe its possessor *   (*Sound but obscure – i.e.,
"trait" –or.")
  If not yourself who would you rather be?  The wandering Jew with a nice
annuity
  What is your idea of happiness?  Finding the buttons all on.
  What is your idea of misery?  Breaking an egg in your pocket
  What is your bete noire?  What is my which?
  What is your dream?  Nigthmare as a general thing
  What do you most dread?  Exposure
  What do you believe to be your distinguishing characteristics?  Hunger
  If married, what do you believe to be the distinguishing characteristics
of your better half?  Opinion reserved

  What is the sublimest passion of which human nature is capable?  Love your
sweetheart's  enemies
  What are the sweetest words in the world?  Not guilty
  What are the saddest words?  "Dust unto Dust"
  What is your aim in life?  To endeavor to be absent when my time comes.
  What is your motto?  Be virtuous and you will be eccentric.


  Yours, Margaret Sibbitt
  Independent Scholar
  Hyannis, Nebraska 69350



While at the MTP last week I came across a note in one of the financial
files I was working on that listed a 100 page 19 cm Sam's unsigned cash
book,
dated 28 Nov 1856 to 2 Jan 1883, at the Berg Collection, NY Public Library.
I
confirmed its existence on the NYPL website, but there is no further
information there given, and I have not see any citations elsewhere
concerning this
document. Since it may contain dates, places, expenditures, etc., I am very
interested in it. I cannot, however, travel to NY prior to the planned
November
publication of volume 1 of _Mark Twain Day by Day_ 1835-1885.

Has anyone seen this document or have some idea of its contents? MTP does
not have a copy of it. Or, does anyone have access to the Berg Collection
there
and can view it for me? Thanks.

Volume 1 is now at 1175 pages; the first section through 1856 plus a few
pages from 1880 and the tentative index, works cited (already updated from
what
will appear) are being printed this week to appear in the _Mark Twain
Journal_, thanks to Tom Tenney, who doesn't want me to refer to him as
"Doctor
Tenney." I believe this issue of the MTJ will be 81 pages. He chose to
include the
index and works cited to give readers some idea of the scope of this work.

If you have in your files, some documented events or information for the
period through 1885, information not in the letters, standard works or
financial
documents at the MTP, I would appreciate your help and will cite/acknowledge
you as erudite, truthful and totally American.

Thanks,
David H Fears
Mark Twain Day By Day