December 6 Wednesday – Sam attended “a part of Hansel and Gretel,” a play based on Grimm’s fairy tale, performed at the Metropolitan Opera House, Alfred Hertz conducting the performance of the opera written by Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921). Isabel Lyon recorded that he enjoyed the opera, but at George Harvey’s insistence left early so as not to become overtired [Gribben 341: Lyon’s journal TS 112: MTP]. Note: the N.Y. Times, Dec. 7, p.9 “Haensel Und Gretel Again” noted that “Among conspicuous figures in the audience last evening was Mark Twain.”
At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam replied to Robert Bacon (Dec. 4), Asst. Secretary of State, who had been seeking information on England’s actions on the Congo situation:
I am very glad. I shall take measures at once to get that information. It is my impression that England asked our Government some time ago to join her in a move, but I will inquire, & find out what this impression is based upon.
When I returned from Washington I set on foot (privately) an inquiry into the present English attitude. Answers will come in due time. I hope it is true that John Morley is of the new cabinet; he is a Congo-Reformer. I imagine it goes without saying that Bryce is one, also. These are friends of mine—so also is Campbell-Bannerman [MTP].
Hawkins writes that the above letter shows that Sam “faltered” when pressed for English information on the Congo situation, and “fell back on name-dropping and inappropriate humor….He signed the letter, “S.L. Clemens (oldest person in America)” [163-4].
Sam also wrote to Andrew Carnegie.
Dear St. Andrew: / Any one of those dates will do for me. Will you name it.
Your speech strongly moved me last night. They were welcome words to me.
By the way—an incident. Harvey’s remarks set you to guessing as to whom he was referring to, and it turned out to be you. Then right away you set 3 of us to guessing (my daughter and my secretary and me), as to whom my “lion” would turn out to be. The fact secretaries bristle up and have the road against strangers, after the matter of lions, and my secretary being Miss Lyon —do you see? She was there, by kindness of the Colonel, to watch over my daughter, who is not very well.
Oh, it was a grand night, Saint Andrew, and I was glad I was invited. / Yours ever, / Mark [MTP: Cyril Clemens, Mark Twain: The Letter Writer, 1932 p.107].
A form letter was sent to various people who had honored Sam on his birthday:
To you, & to all my other known & unknown friends who have lightened the weight of my seventieth birthday with kind words & good wishes I offer my most grateful thanks, & beg leave to sign myself
Your & their obliged friend
Mark Twain
New York, Dec. 6, 1905
Sam added sentiments to many. The following for this Dec. 6 form letter survive, along with Sam’s added notes:
Moncure D. Conway: “You, ‘worthy to be there? Certainly there could not be any worthier; but Harvey said he would invite no writers but fiction-writers. SLC”
Edwin T. Evans and Josephine Evans: “It was dear & good of you to remember Eve, & I send you my love.”
Mr. [Milton] Goodkind: “It is sound advice, Mr. Goodkind, & I will follow it.”
Miss Rabie Hart in London, England: “Indeed I am very proud of that compliment: ‘The Gospel according to St. Mark”
Mr. Ingram: “Oh no, bless you, I love them well, but I am very old & twice as lazy, & shall never do any work again except under compulsion of hunger & cold.”
Helen Keller: “It is a lovely letter, dear Helen & I thank you from my heart for it. / Remain an optimist just as long as you can, dear! I would not abridge the term by a single day. But as for me—ah, that is different! / Do please give my love to Mr. & Mrs. Macy.”
Seth Low: “Dear Mr. Low, that situation was just too delicious! I wish I could have been there.”
John Y. MacAlister:
But dear Mac Alister you did not enclose that quaint letter.
Indeed I wish Clara could go over there, but I don’t think I could spare her—there’s but a few of us now, & we have to stick close together.
No, you come to us at the end of May (Dublin, N.H.). There’s a spare room & it is charming there in the woods & the hills. Say you will!
The cheque for £700 Plasmon came—thanks.
Dublin will set you up!
Hélène Elisabeth Picard: “For many days I have put in my whole time signing ‘Mark Twain’ to these cards…With my warmest regards, S.L.C., C.S.”
Mrs. Morison: “And may I find you next time I arrive Dear Mrs. Morison. S L C”
Two to unidentified persons, no added comment [all MTP]. Note: Sam’s note to Picard reveals that these were not all signed and sent on the printed date of Dec. 6.
Sam also wrote to Miss Emma C. Thursby, also likely an added note to the Dec. 6 form letter: “To you, & to all my other known & unknown friends who have lightened the weight of my seventieth birthday with kind words & good wishes I offer my most grateful thanks, & beg leave to sign myself / Your & their obliged friend/ Mark Twain / New York, Dec. 6, 1905” [MTP].
Sam wrote to the Lyric Theatre, NYC, enclosing a card marked “Two for Fedora”—ordering seats [MTP: NY Times, Dec. 8, 1905, p.11].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Mr. Clemens has just come in at 10:15 after dining with Mr. and Mrs. Perry Belmont and going to the opera to see a part of Hansel and Gretel. On coming up to find Jean, who had gone to bed, he stopped on the stairs to say that he had had a beautiful time. Mr. Belmont he likes ever so much, he finds him a man of fine principles and the table talk was good, very good. “Mrs. Belmont is something of a fool, but she has her good parts.” And the opera was lovely. Col. Harvey made him leave before he wanted to, made him come home to rest after the fatigues of wonderful last night, and as he stood on the stairs in the soft half light, he looked the beautiful “Hero-Saint” that Mr. Carnegie claimed him to be in a letter today
[MTP TS 112]. Note: Perry Belmont (1851-1947), American attorney, politician and diplomat, Democrat congressman (1881-1889), U.S. Ambassador to Spain (1889). In 1899, after 17 years of marriage, Jessie Ann Robbins divorced Henry T. Sloane to marry Perry Belmont. The marriage occurred 5 hours after the divorce was decreed—at that time considered scandalous. Perhaps at any time. See Insert for Metropolitan Opera House Ad.
Lucy Page Whitehead wrote from Washington, D.C. to Sam adding her congratulations on his 70 and asking if she might “not hope for the pleasure of entertaining” him next spring [MTP]. Note: allowing a day for mail to N.Y., Sam’s reply through Lyon would have been on or after Dec. 7
Albert L. Wilson wrote from Kansas City, Kans. to offer congratulations [MTP].
Thomas Bailey Aldrich wrote from Boston “sorry not to hear your blithe speech last night” [MTP].
B. (no further identification) wrote a rather strange letter about some pharmaceutical he claimed “unique” that he had sent samples to clergy, including Twichell. He does not ask anything specific [MTP].
Moncure D. Conway wrote “good wishes” to Sam [MTP].
Elizabeth B. Custer wrote congratulations to Sam [MTP].
W.A. Darrow wrote congratulations from Phila. [MTP].
Paris R. Forman wrote congratulations, Merry Xmas, Happy New Year [MTP].
Sarah G.H. (K?) Goetchius wrote to Sam, hardly believing he was 70; she knew him when he was 40 [MTP].
John Y.W. MacAlister wrote to Sam. “I find I overlooked the enclosed enclosure; evidently the more hastie the less speed; but I forgot you detest puns, and will go slow in the future” [MTP]. Note: an enclosure by Mrs. R.L. Hastie, makes the pun.
W.S. Morrow wrote congratulations to Sam [MTP].
William Golden Mortimer, M.D. wrote to Sam sending a copy of his book: Pem: History of Coca, etc. (1901). He mentioned old times in Calif. and the Jumping Frog book. He praised “Eve’s Diary” [MTP]. See Gribben p.488 for more on Mortimer’s book.
George H. Picard wrote to Sam, regretting he was unable to attend the party [MTP].
Robert Reid wrote congratulations to “Dear St. Mark”, drawing a nice picture of sam with a halo, and declining the invitation:
“Thank you just the same—but I’d rather a thousand times have that little letter of yours than be ‘amongst those present’ at the Col’s dinner—& this isn’t sour grapes either. Though I do wish it had been a [illegible word] opene cat-fight. / Yours forever with everything” [MTP]. Note: Reid was not invited to Sam’s birthday banquet; see IVL journal entry of Dec. 7. Insert of Reid’s sketch below.
Johnson Stewart wrote from Toronto, Canada to Sam, reacting with tongue-in-cheek to the account of his 70th party that ran in the Mail and Empire that morning. He recalled seeing Twain in the “company of a disreputable party named Toole in London” a few years before. Stewart hoped Sam lived to be 165 [MTP].
E. Thorne wrote congratulations to Sam [MTP].
Louise Waring wrote “Belated congratulations” to Sam [MTP].
Frederick W. Webber wrote from NYC to congratulate Sam [MTP].
Lucy Page Whitehead wrote from Wash, D.C. to congratulate Sam [MTP].
Albert L. Wilson wrote from Kansas City, Mo. to congratulate Sam on his 70th. He wrote that on Feb. 18, 1888 they named their only son “Mark Twain” in his honor [MTP]. Note: allowing 2-3 days mail to N.Y., Sam’s reply through Lyon is given as ca.Mon. Dec. 11.
December 6 ca. – In N.Y.C. Isabel V. Lyon replied for Sam to the Dec. 3 request from Merrill Tiliston. [MTP]. Note: MTP catalogs Sam’s reply as “on or after 3 Dec.” Three days estimated postal time is allowed here, giving ca. Dec. 6.