February 23 Tuesday — Isabel Lyon left Stormfield to recover from her breakdown at her mother’s house in Hartford. She was there ten days. Hill writes of Clara Clemens’ arrival and of the ensuing controversy of suspicion:
Just as Isabel left for Hartford, Clara and her friend Mary Lawton arrived in Stormfield for a visit [see note below], Clara had been persuaded by Miss Lawton and Dr. Quintard that the financial restrictions that Miss Lyon had placed on Clara were unwarranted, and she apparently began insisting to her father that Miss Lyon was embezzling his money. Clara’s nagging had an effect on her father that was noticeable even to outsiders [218]. Note: The guestbook shows Clara and Lawton’s arrival at Stormfield three days prior, on Saturday, Feb. 20. Hill then quotes from a letter from Mrs. Albert Bigelow Paine to her husband, who was now in the Holy land.
...poor old man is being driven almost crazy, and he said that until three weeks ago he thought he was happy and well off, but since then it has been h--- and that if things did not get better he would cut his G-——D----- throat—It would not be surprising what he might do—
Mr. Ashcroft and Miss Lyon are to be married! And it’s a sworn secret just now, but I suppose soon, what can he be thinking about but I suppose they think that is the only way out and the only thing to do since they have criticized Clara [218-19].
Frank R. Lawrence for Lotos Club wrote to Sam, inviting him to speak at a dinner honoring Andrew Carnegie [MTP]. Note. see Feb. 25 to H.H. Rogers; Sam initially declined due to “keeping Hotel,” but after changed his mind and accepted, if he could dine elsewhere, arrive after 10 p.m. and not be a scheduled speaker.
Sam’s new guest book:
| Name | Address | Date | Remarks |
| Miss Margery Clinton, O.P. | N.Y. | "[Feb] 23 | |
| Miss Caroline Rogers | " " | "[Feb] 23 |
Sara Lippman wrote before this date from Phila. that she was sending her copy of TS for Sam to sign [MTP]. Note: “Book returned Feb. 23, 1909” on reverse.
National Arts Club sent an engraved card of invitation at a reception for the opening of the John W. Alexander Retrospective Exhibition, Feb. 21 [MTP].
James Roby wrote from Berlin, Conn. to Sam hoping to be able to quote Sam’s remarks on Simplified Spelling in the NY Tribune. Roby wrote three pages about the nation’s illiteracy and the need for a common language with simple spelling [MTP].