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When at last it came true； October 22； 1903； there was but a month & 9
days to spare。
The contract signed that day concentrates all my books in Harper's hands
& now at last they are valuable； in fact they are a fortune。 They
guarantee me 25；000 a year for 5 years； and they will yield twice as
much as that。 ＇In earlier note…books and letters Clemens more than once
refers to this prophecy and wonders if it is to be realized。 The Harper
contract； which brought all of his books into the hands of one publisher
（negotiated for him by Mr。 Rogers）； proved； in fact； a fortune。 The
books yielded always more than the guarantee； sometimes twice that
amount； as he had foreseen。＇
During the conclusion of this contract Clemens made frequent visits to
Fairhaven on the Kanawha。 Joe Goodman came from the Pacific to pay him a
good…by visit during this period。 Goodman had translated the Mayan
inscriptions； and his work had received official recognition and
publication by the British Museum。 It was a fine achievement for a man
in later life and Clemens admired it immensely。 Goodman and Clemens
enjoyed each other in the old way at quiet resorts where they could talk
over the old tales。 Another visitor of that summer was the son of an old
friend； a Hannibal printer named Daulton。 Young Daulton came with
manuscripts seeking a hearing of the magazine editors； so Clemens wrote a
letter which would insure that favor：
INTRODUCING MR。 GEO。 DAULTON：
TO GILDER； ALDEN； HARVEY； McCLURE； WALKER； PAGE； BOK； COLLIER； and such
other members of the sacred guild as privilege me to call them friends…
these：
Although I have no personal knowledge of the bearer of this； I have what
is better： He comes recommended to me by his own fathera thing not
likely to happen in any of your families； I reckon。 I ask you； as a
favor to me； to waive prejudice & superstition for this once & examine
his work with an eye to its literary merit； instead of to the chastity of
its spelling。 I wish to God you cared less for that particular。
I set （or sat） type alongside of his father； in Hannibal； more than 50
years ago； when none but the pure in heart were in that business。 A true
man he was； and if I can be of any service to his sonand to you at the
same time； let me hopeI am here heartily to try。
Yours by the sanctions of time & deserving；
Sincerely；
S。 L。 CLEMENS。
Among the kindly words which came to Mark Twain before leaving America
was this one which Rudyard Kipling had written to his publisher； Frank
Doubleday：
I love to think of the great and godlike Clemens。 He is the biggest
man you have on your side of the water by a damn sight； and don't
you forget it。 Cervantes was a relation of his。
It curiously happened that Clemens at the same moment was writing to
Doubleday about Kipling：
I have been reading 〃The Bell Buoy〃 and 〃The Old Man〃 over and over
again…my custom with Kipling's workand saving up the rest for
other leisurely and luxurious meals。 A bell…buoy is a deeply
impressive fellow…being。 In these many recent trips up and down the
Sound in the Kanawha he has talked to me nightly sometimes in his
pathetic and melancholy way； sometimes with his strenuous and urgent
note； and I got his meaningnow I have his words！ No one but
Kipling could do this strong and vivid thing。 Some day I hope to
hear the poem chanted or sung…with the bell…buoy breaking in out of
the distance。
P。 S。Your letter has arrived。 It makes me proud and gladwhat
Kipling says。 I hope Fate will fetch him to Florence while we are
there。 I would rather see him than any other man。
CCXXX
THE RETURN TO FLORENCE
》From the note…book：
Saturday； October 24； 1903。 Sailed in the Princess Irene for Genoa
at 11。 Flowers & fruit from Mrs。 Rogers & Mrs。 Coe。 We have with
us Katie Leary （in our domestic service 23 years） & Miss Margaret
Sherry （trained nurse）。
Two days later he wrote：
Heavy storm all night。 Only 3 stewardesses。 Ours served 60 meals
in rooms this morning。
On the 27th：
Livy is enduring the voyage marvelously well。 As well as Clara &
Jean； I think； & far better than the trained nurse。
She has been out on deck an hour。
November 2。 Due at Gibraltar 10 days from New York。 3 days to
Naples； then 2 day to Genoa。
At supper the band played 〃Cavalleria Rusticana；〃 which is forever
associated in my mind with Susy。 I love it better than any other；
but it breaks my heart。
It was the 〃Intermezzo〃 he referred to； which had been Susy's favorite
music； and whenever he heard it he remembered always one particular
opera…night long ago； and Susy's face rose before him。
They were in Naples on the 5th； thence to Genoa； and to Florence； where
presently they were installed in the Villa Reale di Quarto； a fine old
Italian palace built by Cosimo more than four centuries ago。 In later
times it has been occupied and altered by royal families of Wurtemberg
and Russia。 Now it was the property of the Countess Massiglia； from whom
Clemens had leased it。
They had hoped to secure the Villa Papiniano； under Fiesole； near
Professor Fiske； but negotiations for it had fallen through。 The Villa
Quarto； as it is usually called； was a more pretentious place and as
beautifully located； standing as it does in an ancient garden looking out
over Florence toward Vallombrosa and the Chianti hills。 Yet now in the
retrospect； it seems hardly to have been the retreat for an invalid。 Its
garden was supernaturally beautiful； all that one expects that a garden
of Italy should besuch a garden as Maxfield Parrish might dream； but
its beauty was that which comes of antiquitythe accumulation of dead
years。 Its funereal cypresses； its crumbling walls and arches； its
clinging ivy and moldering marbles； and a clock that long ago forgot the
hours； gave it a mortuary look。 In a way it suggested Arnold Bocklin's
〃Todteninsel；〃 and it might well have served as the allegorical setting
for a gateway to the bourne of silence。
The house itself； one of the most picturesque of the old Florentine
suburban palaces； was historically interesting； rather than cheerful。
The rooms； in number more than sixty； though richly furnished； were vast
and barnlike； and there were numbers of them wholly unused and never
entered。 There was a dearth of the modern improvements which Americans
have learned to regard as a necessity； and the plumbing； such as it was；
was not always in order。 The place was approached by narrow streets；
along which the more uninviting aspects of Italy were not infrequent。
Youth and health and romance might easily have reveled in the place； but
it seems now not to have been the best choice for that frail invalid； to
whom cheer and brightness and freshness and the lovelier things of hope
meant always so much。 ＇Villa Quarto has recently been purchased by
Signor P。 de Ritter Lahony； and thoroughly restored and refreshed and
beautified without the sacrifice of any of its romantic features。
＇ Neither was the climate of Florence all that they had hoped for。
Their former sunny winter had misled them。 Tradition to the contrary；
Italyor at least Tuscanyis not one perpetual dream of sunlight。 It
is apt to be damp and cloudy； it is likely to be cold。 Writing to
MacAlister； Clemens said：
Florentine sunshine？ Bless you； there isn't any。 We have heavy fogs
every morning & rain all day。 This house is not merely large； it is
vasttherefore I think it must always lack the home feeling。
His dissatisfaction in it began thus early； and it grew as one thing
after another went wrong。 With it all； however； Mrs。 Clemens seemed to
gain a little； and was glad to see companya reasonable amount of
companyto brighten her surroundings。
Clemens began to work and wrote a story or two； and those lively articles
about the Italian language。
To Twichell he reported progress：
I have a handsome success in one way here。 I left New York under a
sort of half…promise to furnish to the Harper magazines 30；000 words
this year。 Magazining is difficult work because every third page
represents two pages that you have put in the fire （you are nearly
sure to start wrong twice）； & so when you have finished an article &
are willing to let it go to print it represents only 10 cents a word
instead of 30。
But this time I had the curious （& unprecedented） luck to start
right in each case。 I turned out 37；000 words in 25 working days； &
the reason I think I started right every time is； that not only have
I approved and accepted the several articles； but the court of last
resort （Livy） has done the same。
On many of the between…days I did some work； but only of an idle &
not necessarily necessary sort； since it will not see print until I
am dead。 I shall continue this （an hour per day）； but the rest of
the year I expect to put in on a couple of long books （half…
completed ones）。 No m