Xterm configuration : how to copy/paste in the CLIPBOARD

Hi,
I can paste what is in the CLIPBOARD but I can't get xterm copy. and in fact I think I'm not able to select well with the cursor (I don't want to use the mouse)...
here is my ~/.Xresources file :

XTerm*highlightSelection:  true
XTerm*VT100.translations: #override \n\
      None    <Key>F7:       insert-selection(CLIPBOARD) \n\
      None    <Key>F8:       select-cursor-start() \n\
      None    <Key>F9:       select-cursor-end(CLIPBOARD)  \n\
      None    <Key>F10:      select-cursor-extend()

to apply modifications I type in a terminal : xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources
then I launch my xterm.
initially I have my xterm terminal :

I press F7 (to show you what I have in my CLIPBOARD)

I erease it then I type 1234 in my terminal to have some datas that I can try to copy. My goal is to copy "34"

I press F8 to start the cursor selection ... but the cursor disapears ... I dunno why. I continue by pressing twice "left" key to move the invisible cursor.

then I press F9 to end the cursor selection ... magically the cursor comes back visible

I would suppose that in my clipboard that I have "34" so I paste it : F7 ... but nothing has changed in the clipboard

I try with "extend": I press "right" key twice to move the cursor then I press F10.
Here, indeed I have highlighted what I want to copy

I then press F9(to end the selection) and then I press F7 to paste my clipboard ... but nothing has changed

I dunno what's wrong. May someone help me please?

Google says use screen. I like the idea of using X Resources, but I find X rather too tricky to want to learn all its nooks and crannies.

How do I copy text from my xterm without a mouse? - Stack Overflow

thank you DGPickett for the advice. But screen acts as vi. And I don't like the idea of having to switch between modes... I'm an emacs user

Is $TERM vt100?

In fact to launch xterm as a vt100 I tried:

xterm -ti vt100

because for me the main option to emulate vt100 is "-ti"
and indeed in the new terminal created I had:

echo $TERM
xterm

BUT after searching I saw that there was an option to modificate the termName :

xterm -tn vt100

did the job

echo $TERM
vt100

but it is JUST the name if I understood correctly. It doesn't mean that I emulate vt100

anyway, -ti option and -tn option don't change anything.
I have exaclty the same trouble

I am just a persistent X duffer. I guess if I wanted a real deep trace of what was going on, I might truss/tusc/strace in great detail. Beyond that, there is downloading source and writing in some debugs. Maybe there are debug features in there you can turn on, so you can find out where it is stuck. It's an area where I use and do not want to know. I got close enough doing bx motif callbacks!