May 22 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Clara Sue & Bertha Underhill—early. / Bigelow, 7.30 10 Elm Park Gardens, S.W. / Irving Underhill wants to pay me $500—owing 7 years. Cannot allow it. He has had a hard time” [NB 43 TS 12].

In the evening in London, The Clemenses visited Irving S. Underhill and family (see above NB entry), who were visiting London [May 23 to Underhill]. Charles Underhill, son of Irving, writes of this evening in his 1928 reminiscence:

At the dinner were Mark Twain, Mrs. Clemens, their two daughters, Father [Irving Underhill] and my aunt and their cousin, and two fine young fellows from Sweden.

When dinner was over, Clara Clemens (now Mrs. Gabrilovitch [sic]) entertained the little company by singing. After her singing it was the men’s duty to provide the entertainment. Mark Twain was always enthusiastic about charades. He and the other men withdrew to the hall, closed the door, and whispered. Mark Twain suggested the word that had constantly been in his mind for many years, and, even though he had just cleared himself of all debts, the word that was still fresh in his mind, “insolvent.” This was to be acted in two acts and then the whole word.

Act I. “Inn”. Mark Twain, behind a desk, was he innkeeper. (He knew how inn-keepers should really act, too). Father was the blustering customer, and the two Swedes were supernumeraries.

Act II. “Solvent.” Mark Twain, the learned professor, was lecturing on water, the universal solvent.

Father was the inquisitive student, and the Swedes were again the hoi polloi.

In the third act, “insolvent,” Mark seemed to forget temporarily that Father still owed him $500. At any rate, Mark Twain was the austere president of the bank, and Father was the insolvent client seeking further financial accommodation. Approaching the banker, he carried out Mark Twain’s instructions, saying: “I am sorry, Mr. Smith, that I cannot meet my obligation today and will have to ask you to permit me to renew my note to the bank.”

The banker, glaring at his client, exclaimed: “What, renew it again. Why, man, you haven’t even paid the interest! Renew it again? No sir! Can’t you see, man, you’re insolvent, you’re busted!” Nobody knew better than Mark Twain the cold reception one may have at the hands of bankers [The Gleaner Vol. 1, No. 8,

Mar. 1928 p.17-18]. See May 23 entry—Underhill’s note and Sam’s reply.

Will M. Clemens wrote to Sam asking “the probable date of your homecoming” and for permission to publish a book using three additional manuscripts (he had published Mark Twain, His Life and Work in 1892; Sam had not approved): “The Mark Twain Story Book,” “The Homes and Haunts of Mark Twain,” and a biographical sketch [MTP]. Note: Sam replied June 6.

Mr. Meyers wrote to Sam, the letter not extant but referred to in Sam’s July 1 reply. This may be the lecturer Sam referred to on May 18, Frederic William Myers..