February 22 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:
These days are fat with good things. This morning a man from The Evening Post came to ask permission to publish Col. Mann’s letter to Mr. Clemens and Mr. Clemens’s reply to it. The other night when Mr. Clemens was dining with Robert Collier, Mr. Jerome was there and Mr. Clemens mentioned the little correspondence—Jerome said that that letter could be subpoenaed, which Mr. Clemens said “would suit me exactly for I am a slave to the law and would yield up my grandmother or any other asset.” He walked up & down the living room enjoying in his imagination the publication of that letter, after I had told him of the Post’s request, & since then there have been an Englishman from the Times, and a nice man from the Herald eager for that same letter. The Englishman said that it was Mr. Clemens’s duty to publish anything in his best vein & he had been told that the letter had been written in a very happy mood. (Certainly a strong truthful mood) [MTP TS 33-34].
Clemens’ A.D. for this day: Susy’s remarks about her grandfather Jervis Langdon—Clemens tells about Dwight Atwater—David Gray; and about meeting David Gray, junior, at a dinner recently [AMT 1: 373-375].
Sam dined with Mr. & Mrs. Norman Hapgood. He was accompanied by Dorothea Gilder. Also at the dinner were Roger E. Fry, and Robert W. Chambers [IVL Feb. 23 TS 21]. See Feb. 23 entry for more on Mr. Fry.
George J. Helmer for Infirmacy of Osteopathy wrote to solicit Sam’s support at the NY State Legislature to fight laws that would “render the Osteopathic practice illegal in this State” [MTP].
Gertrude Natkin wrote to Sam.
Now darling Mr. Clemens, you know way down in the bottom of that big heart of yours that you could’ent be “sour or out of patience” no matter what the weather man is doing with the weather. That going to bed and remaining the rest of the season is like the butterfly who as a nasty horrid little caterpillar goes to bed and then blooms into a beautiful butterfly. But this is not like your case, as you could not become nicer than you are, whereas there is a great chance for improvement in the case of the caterpillar.
Do you know Mr. Clemens, according to the Latin language, your name suits you perfectly. What made me think of this was because I was just translating “Cicero” and I came across the word Clemens: merciful, good, kind, just like you. I like to write my letters to you in my own room away from everybody else and after I have sent the letter I keep the folks curious as to what I wrote you but finally I tell them as I keep a duplicate of my letters to you.
Now Mr. Clemens, in case you go to bed, please wake up by March 4, Good-bye, Your little girl who loves you. / Gertrude / P.S. That was force of habit, I meant to sign Marjorie.
Excuse that blot I could’ent help it / well, we shall let it go with a kiss [MTAq 15]. Note: Cooley notes that “the letter shows no sign of an inkblot, but Gertrude may have kissed and blotted the letter. Future ‘blots’ sent by both Gertrude and Clemens are symbolic.” It is easy to understand how enchanted Sam must have been by this creative, educated, and affectionate young girl.
These days are fat with good things. This morning a man from The Evening Post came to ask permission to publish Col. Mann’s letter to Mr. Clemens and Mr. Clemens’s reply to it. The other night when Mr. Clemens was dining with Robert Collier, Mr. Jerome was there and Mr. Clemens mentioned the little correspondence—Jerome said that that letter could be subpoenaed, which Mr. Clemens said “would suit me exactly for I am a slave to the law and would yield up my grandmother or any other asset.” He walked up & down the living room enjoying in his imagination the publication of that letter, after I had told him of the Post’s request, & since then there have been an Englishman from the Times, and a nice man from the Herald eager for that same letter. The Englishman said that it was Mr. Clemens’s duty to publish anything in his best vein & he had been told that the letter had been written in a very happy mood. (Certainly a strong truthful mood) [MTP TS 33-34].
Clemens’ A.D. for this day: Susy’s remarks about her grandfather Jervis Langdon—Clemens tells about Dwight Atwater—David Gray; and about meeting David Gray, junior, at a dinner recently [AMT 1: 373-375].
Sam dined with Mr. & Mrs. Norman Hapgood. He was accompanied by Dorothea Gilder. Also at the dinner were Roger E. Fry, and Robert W. Chambers [IVL Feb. 23 TS 21]. See Feb. 23 entry for more on Mr. Fry.
George J. Helmer for Infirmacy of Osteopathy wrote to solicit Sam’s support at the NY State Legislature to fight laws that would “render the Osteopathic practice illegal in this State” [MTP].
Gertrude Natkin wrote to Sam.
Now darling Mr. Clemens, you know way down in the bottom of that big heart of yours that you could’ent be “sour or out of patience” no matter what the weather man is doing with the weather. That going to bed and remaining the rest of the season is like the butterfly who as a nasty horrid little caterpillar goes to bed and then blooms into a beautiful butterfly. But this is not like your case, as you could not become nicer than you are, whereas there is a great chance for improvement in the case of the caterpillar.
Do you know Mr. Clemens, according to the Latin language, your name suits you perfectly. What made me think of this was because I was just translating “Cicero” and I came across the word Clemens: merciful, good, kind, just like you. I like to write my letters to you in my own room away from everybody else and after I have sent the letter I keep the folks curious as to what I wrote you but finally I tell them as I keep a duplicate of my letters to you.
Now Mr. Clemens, in case you go to bed, please wake up by March 4, Good-bye, Your little girl who loves you. / Gertrude / P.S. That was force of habit, I meant to sign Marjorie.
Excuse that blot I could’ent help it / well, we shall let it go with a kiss [MTAq 15]. Note: Cooley notes that “the letter shows no sign of an inkblot, but Gertrude may have kissed and blotted the letter. Future ‘blots’ sent by both Gertrude and Clemens are symbolic.” It is easy to understand how enchanted Sam must have been by this creative, educated, and affectionate young girl.
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