June 23 Wednesday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.
Dear Joe:
I have escaped the interviewer thus far. It has been difficult, still I have escaped.
The public probably think the Ashcroft incident a very trifling matter, & the newspapers doubtless think the same. That is my protection.
Last August, at Sam Moffett’s funeral, the heat broke me (with the help of fatigue,) & I was forbidden to stir from Stormfield until frosty weather should come. Two weeks ago I had to go to Baltimore, & this time cold & rain & fatigue knocked me out. Dr. Quintard came up & today & examined me, gave very positive orders that I am not to stir from here upon any account before autumn. However, I would not have ventured anyway.
With lots of love to yous / Mark.
[in left margen:] It’s fine to have Jean at home again!
[in right margin:| Damn that reptile Miss Lyon for keeping her out of her natural home so long [MTP]. Note: Sam was likely right to blame Lyon for Jean being kept away, as several instances show Lyon was afraid of Jean’s epileptic attacks. That Jean attacked Katy Leary does not show as proven, and may have even been concocted by Lyon.
Paine write of an exchange with Clemens this morning:
June 23, I came up this morning with a basket of strawberries. He was walking up and down, looking like an ancient Roman. He said:
“Consider the case of Elsie Sigel what a ghastly ending to any life!”
Then turning upon me fiercely, he continued:
“Anybody that knows anything knows that there was not a single life that was ever lived that was worth living. Not a single child ever begotten that the begetting of it was not a crime. Suppose a community of people to be living on the slope of a volcano, directly under the crater and in the path of lava-flow, that volcano has been breaking out right along for ages and is certain to break out again. They do not know when it will break out, but they know it will do it—that much can be counted on. Suppose those people go to a community in a far neighborhood and say, ‘We'd like to change places with you. Come take our homes and let us have yours.’ Those people would say, ‘Never mind, we are not interested in your country. We know what has happened there, and what will happen again.’ We don’t care to live under the blow that is likely to fall at any moment; and yet every time we bring a child into the world we are bringing it to a Country, to a community gathered under the crater of a volcano, knowing that sooner or later death will come, and that before death there will be catastrophes infinitely worse. Formerly it was much wore than now, for before the ministers abolished hell a man knew, when he was begetting a child, that he was begetting a soul that had only one chance in a hundred of escaping the eternal fires of damnation,.He knew that in all probability that child would be brought to damnation — one of the ninety-nine black sheep. But since hell has been abolished death has become more welcome. I wrote a fairy story once. It was published somewhere. I don’t remember just what it was now, but the substance of it was that a fairy gave a man the customary wishes. I was interested in seeing what he would take, First he chose wealth and went away with it, but it did not bring him happiness. Then he came back for the second selection, and chose fame, and that did not bring happiness either. Finally he went to the fairy and chose death, and the fairy said, in substance, ‘If you hadn’t been a fool you’d have chosen that in the first place’
“The papers called me a pessimist for writing that story. Pessimist — the man who isn’t a pessimist is a d —d fool.”
But this was one of his savage humors, stirred by tragic circumstance [MTB 1507-8] Note: Elsie Sigel was the granddaughter of General Franz Sigel. She was mysteriously murdered while engaged in settlement work among the Chinese.
Elizabeth Jordan wrote on Harper's Bazar letterhead to Sam, asking to send two copies of IA for his signature, one for Herr Wilhelm Bartling of the North German Lloyd Co. in Bremen, and another for herself. She enclosed 25c for postage [MTP]. Note: though in the past Sam often hated such requests when sent by Whitmore and others, he complied with courtesy on June 26, signing the books Jordan sent and dispatching Jean to mail them.
Miss A. Watson, secretary to the late H.H. Rogers wrote a note and a bill for services provided in looking into the books of Ashcroft-Lyon for improprieties:
Dear Sir:— / Miss Harrison informed me that in her presence Mr. Rogers told you that we would render a bill for the work performed in this office on your accounts. The statements handed your representative were in such condition that an expert would have very little trouble checking them up, and in view of that fact hand you herewith bill for one hundred and fifty dollars. / Yours truly, [signed:] A. Watson [MTP: L-A MS XVI]. Note: Sam added after including this letter in the source:
Evidently she thought I might dispute the bill—otherwise there was no occasion to make that opening remark. I sent the check, & observed that I was aware that Mr. Rogers had made the remark. Which was true. But he didn’t make it in that form; he didn’t say “this office,’ he spoke of a person—a he, not a she—& he was jesting at the time. At his dwelling-house, speaking seriously, he had said, “Our man will not charge you as much as a public accountant.”
When Stanchfield’s expert took hold of the matter, he didn’t find to so very simple & easy, he found considerably tangled & obscure in places, & not bearing any strong resemblance to a “checking-up”’ picnic.
He worked over it a couple of weeks, translated it into good clear figures, put his fateful finger on the sore place, & charged me only $250; & when he was done....but I haven’t come to that, yet [Ibid].