April 12 Monday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Frederick A. Duneka.
Dear Duneka: /PAGE 31 OF VOL I, “Letters of James Russell Lowell.”
That page is what I want, (to read at a banquet to Jerome May 7.) Tear it out & send it to me. It is part of a letter to E. L. Godkin (1869), & is just what I want as a text, in case I should wish to get up & talk. / Ys ever
/ Mark [MTP].
Sam’s new guestbook:
| Name | Address | Date | Remarks |
| Susette B. Durmell | Redding Ridge | April 12 1909 | |
| [?] Brown | 140 West 85" St. | April 12 - 1909 | |
| Elise J. Church | 2 West 74" st | April — 12 - 1909 | |
| Wm Hodge | 130 West 44" st | April — 12 - 1909 | |
| Alfred W. Church | 2 West 74" St | April 12" 1909 |
Sam went to New York City and likely stayed overnight with the H.H. Rogers; he was to attend daughter Clara’s concert the following evening. He recorded the trip:
On the 12th or 13 I went down to attend Clara’s concert on the 13th. I went to the concert with the Rogerses. No Ashcrofts along. A month earlier, it had been planned that the Ashcrofts & I would go there together; but things were changed, now; that pair wanted none of Clara’s music, & Clara was not yearning for any Ashcrofts [MTP: L-A MS XII].
In his L-A MS, Sam also included a letter to him from Isabel Lyon this date:
April 12/09
Dear Mr. Clemens
Please read this, for Mr. Ashcroft tells me that there has been some misunderstanding about the few garments I’ve bought, but which I never would have bought if Miss Clemens in all sweetness & generosity did not tell me to buy, after a morning about 2 years ago when I had been angry because Miss Hobby was
drawing five dollars a day & was shirking her work. She came from your room & said that she had said to you that it was wrong for Miss Hobby to be paid just double the amount & salary that I drew, & that I must at last buy my clothes since I would not accept an advance of salary. She said I had to travel about with you etc. etc. Then I did buy a little suit at Altman’s & told her, but she was very very dear, said “Oh don’t mention those little things.” She was the dearest creature, & said that you felt it was only right that I should have my garments as I had my Mother to support entirely from my salary. I have bought very little but can so easily itemize all of it. I have some silk here that I bought to wear only in your house & fortunately has never been cut into, so it is yours as I have laid to Benares & the other articles I shall be to very glad to pay for.
One thing more.I have been careful not to buy things where Miss Clemens would buy so that there could be no conflicting of accounts. I shall be glad to have you show this letter to Miss Clemens & she will know by what I own, wear, how little I have purchased. I have—but never mind.
LV. Lyon [MTP: L-A MS XII]