June 2, 1909 Wednesday

June 2 Wednesday — Italian journalist Felice Ferrero visited Stormfield and interviewed Mark Twain for the most popular Italian newspaper in Italy, Corriere della Sera. Zuppello includes the interview in her 2008 paper for American Literary Realism. In part: .

S. L. Clemens—the real name of Mark Twain—has two daughters, both remarkable musicians, both with a cosmopolitan education received in France, Germany, and Italy. Now that their mother is dead, they manage the house and work as secretaries for their father. The old humorist doesn't work so much now but he still smokes like a chimney, alternating cigars and pipe without a break. What a shame! Not that smoking has harmed him—at least the harm is not evident—but his smoking seems at odds with the harmony of the house. He has wonderful hair that has remained thick in spite of the years, with a marvellous white jacket perfectly matching his hair. As part of this "symphony in white," the old writer grows a thick moustache, though it is yellowed by tobacco and smoking, His daughters frequently chide him for his devotion to the pipe but he doesn't take offense: he is not only a good father but is an excellent man who tries in vain to hide under his surly appearance a heart as big as a house and who allows them to complain even while he smokes.

Mark Twain's personal integrity has required him to make sacrifices that others might have avoided. He invested his fortune in a publishing house that ten years ago suddenly went bankrupt. He was only a shareholder, although the most important one, and his responsibility to the company ended with its bankruptcy; but despite his age, he refused to hide behind the technicalities of the law. The publishing firm was in practice his own and he considered its creditors his creditors. He worked hard, wrote, gave lectures, and paid the debt to the last cent. Afterwards, he was able to easily restore his fortune with the money he earns by his pen.

Unfortunately, a trusted secretary who served him for many years has recently swindled him out of a good deal of property; and a male associate has stolen a number of bank shares, selling them for his own profit. However, his daughters are now old enough to save their father from more serious harm, and perhaps from financial catastrophe, by banishing every outsider from the vicinity of the family strongbox. In addition to the bank shares, the male associate stole a jacket from him. For this Mark Twain wants to take revenge: he wants to denounce the rogue before a judge when he is called to give testimony. The idea entices him, and he was still talking to me about it with great vehemence on the front terrace while I was climbing into the coach that would take me to the station.

“I am the king of buffoons; I am a dangerous person ...,” he said,

“But father”—interrupted the daughter beside him—“you will make the gentleman miss his train.”

“Yes, I will drag him into court over the red jacket.”

And while the carriage left at a brisk pace, I admired the scene unfolding in the shade of Stormfield, The daughters laughingly ran their hands through their father’s ample head of hair and tried to pull the grand old man, the “king of buffoons,” into the house. To one side stood the smiling Claude [Benchotte], the French butler. Claude had worn a frock coat when I arrived, but this morning he wore only a short jacket. Was it because it was morning or because I had forgotten to leave him a gift?

Notes: Ferrero signed into the guestbook for June 2 (below) giving New York as his residence. Zuppello claims this was a two-day stay at Stormfield, though only this day is in the log. Zuppello also gives Oct. 5, 1909 as the date the interview appeared in the Italian paper, but then footnotes it as Sept. 6, 1909. This portion of the interview is the last segment; the prior described Stormfield and its environs, then gives the daily routine at the house, Claude Joseph Benchotte (1877-19417), butler. The interview is not in Scharnhorst.

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