'Young woman drowned in bathtub' - the death of Mark Twain's daughter
'Quintus Hopper of Nevada' series: The man who brought boundless joy to millions, suffered strife, misery and tragedy in his life. Among these, the drowning death of his daughter Jean.
Quintus Hopper of Nevada, published in January 2022, is a historical novel that follows the epic and peculiar life of a frontier newspaper typesetter. As part of my research I made extensive use of newspaper archives and, in this series, I’ll share some of my often surprising findings. Here are history, commentaries and contemporary newspaper articles as they relate to the novel. This time a look at the tragic final months of Mark Twain’s life.
In the novel, Quintus Hopper and Mark Twain are friends. They have met in Virginia City, at a time when Mark Twain had not yet discovered himself. He writes for the Territorial Enterprise, where he works with typesetter Quintus Hopper, under his real name, Sam Clemens. In those early years, Twain almost died in one of the frequent fires - and Quintus saved his life.
Then they went their separate ways - Quintus to journey across Nevada and Mark Twain, heck, he journeyed everywhere! Even if they would never actually see each other again after those early years, they remain good friends and communicate regularly … and the novel has a few special ways of bringing them together despite their physical distances.
In the following article from the Las Vegas Age, Quintus finds out about the death of Mark Twain’s daughter Jean. By the time Mark Twain passed away, he had lost his wife, his son, and two of his three daughters. His only remaining child, Clara, was away in Europe when Jean died. It was too much and he was alone, all alone.
Mark Twain died a few months later. He came into the world when Halley’s comet passed by – and he maintained that he would die when the comet would come around the next time. And that is just what he did.
In the novel, Quintus finds a way to be together one more time – and, before his death, the famed author sends his friend in Nevada a copy of his last book, Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven, a highly imaginative and humorous exploration about heaven.
January 1, 1910
Las Vegas Age, Las Vegas
DAUGHTER OF MARK TWAIN DEAD
EPILEPSY CAUSE OF DEMISE
YOUNG WOMAN DROWNED IN BATHTUB
Famous Humorist Gives Out Statement Explaining That Girl Suffered from Epilepsy for Many Years
REDDING, Conn., Dec. 28. – Miss Jean Clemens, daughter of Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain), was found drowned in a bath tub in Mr. Clemens’ home here today.
It is believed Miss Clemens suffered from an attack of epilepsy while in the bath and was drowned while in a convulsion.
She had been suffering from epilepsy for a number of years.
Speaking of his daughter’s health, Mr. Clemens said:
“My daughter Jean Clemens passed from this life suddenly this morning at half past 7 o’clock.
“All the last half of her life she was an epileptic, but she grew better latterly. For the last two years we considered her virtually well, but she was not allowed to be entirely free. Her maid, who has served us twenty-eight years, was always with her when she went to New York on shopping excursions and such things.
“She had few convulsions in the last two years, and those she had were not violent. At 7:30 this morning a maid went to her room to see why she did not come down to breakfast, and found her in the bath tub, drowned.
“It means that she had a convulsion and could not get out. She had been leading a very active life. She spent the greater part of her time looking after a farm which I bought for her, and she did much of my secretary work besides. Last night she and I chatted later than usual in the library, and she told me all her plans about the housekeeping, for she was also my housekeeper. She said everything was going smoothly; that I thought I would make another trip to Bermuda in February, and she said put it off till March and she and her maid would go with me. So we made that arrangement.
“But she is gone, poor child. She was all I had left, except Clara, who married Mr. Gabrilowitch lately, and has just arrived in Europe.”