December 13 Wednesday – According to the notation on the envelope of A. MacHugh’s and Y. MacLoghlan’s Nov. 13, Sam answered the “two Irish mugs” on this day.
Yes, both publicly & privately I have praised the astonishing triumph achieved by Witte at Portsmouth with deuces and against a Japanese flush; also both publicly & privately I have said unchristian things about the Peace which resulted. This kind of discrimination is not a new thing with me. It is a custom of mine to frankly & cordially admire the Deity’s astonishing cleverness in making his Masterwork out of dirt & leavings, but it is also a custom of mine to as frankly & cordially deride the result.
Keep your promise, MacHugh—come & see me. And bring MacLoghlan if he exists—which I am doubting. His signature is too careful [MTP].
Note: Count Sergei Yulyevich Witte headed the Russian delegation which negotiated the Treaty of Portsmouth (N.H.) which ended the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese war.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Booker T. Washington called today. He has a monstrous handgrip.
At luncheon today Mr. Clemens told how in all the previous banquets at which Mr. Howells has spoken, the guests were ordinary men, or commercial men, pretty unimaginative, so that he was not looking for any enthusiastic reception when he rose to his feet, after a few very lovely words from Col. Harvey, to toast his friend, Mr. Clemens. He was greeted by a burst of applause and homage and was so overcome by it that he did not know whether he could pay his tribute and make his toast. Mr. Clemens was deeply moved himself when he told us. Today, he wrote to Mr. Windmuller and finished the letter with what he called “such a cunning remark”. He said that in the performance of Hansel and Gretel last Wednesday evening, “there was only one vacant seat, and I was in it.” Oh, it is a darling [MTP TS 113].
Isabel Lyon’s journal # 2: “Mr. Robt Reid came to talk about the ‘Players,’ & later Mr. David Munro telephoned, wishing to tell his delight into Mr. Clemens’s own ear” [MTP TS 36].
Sam S. Shubert and Lee Shubert sent a telegram from N.Y.C. to Sam noting Sarah Bernhardt’s appearance on Monday, Dec. 18 at the Casino Theatre for the “benefit of Jewish sufferers in Russia.” They would be “sincerely grateful” if Mark Twain could “be present and make a short address.” On or just after this day Sam replied by writing on the bottom of the letter, “Send some one down. How many speakers” [MTP]. Note: see insert ad for Dec. 14, which also advertised the event. Sam agreed to offer a few words.
Herbert E. Bowen wrote from NYC to send “more flotsam & jetsam, which Col. Harvey directs me to send to you.” He also asked Sam to autograph on a slip of paper to go with Bowen’s statuette [MTP].
Julia Brodie wrote from Novato, Calif. to send best wishes for the new year [MTP].
Dihdwo Twe wrote to Sam having rec’d his letter. “…unfortunately the 21 conflicts with our new change of time. Our final examination comes on the 21 and lasts through the 22 …I can come down on the 23 and spend a week in the City to see certain persons concerning the Congo question” [MTP].
Yes, both publicly & privately I have praised the astonishing triumph achieved by Witte at Portsmouth with deuces and against a Japanese flush; also both publicly & privately I have said unchristian things about the Peace which resulted. This kind of discrimination is not a new thing with me. It is a custom of mine to frankly & cordially admire the Deity’s astonishing cleverness in making his Masterwork out of dirt & leavings, but it is also a custom of mine to as frankly & cordially deride the result.
Keep your promise, MacHugh—come & see me. And bring MacLoghlan if he exists—which I am doubting. His signature is too careful [MTP].
Note: Count Sergei Yulyevich Witte headed the Russian delegation which negotiated the Treaty of Portsmouth (N.H.) which ended the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese war.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Booker T. Washington called today. He has a monstrous handgrip.
At luncheon today Mr. Clemens told how in all the previous banquets at which Mr. Howells has spoken, the guests were ordinary men, or commercial men, pretty unimaginative, so that he was not looking for any enthusiastic reception when he rose to his feet, after a few very lovely words from Col. Harvey, to toast his friend, Mr. Clemens. He was greeted by a burst of applause and homage and was so overcome by it that he did not know whether he could pay his tribute and make his toast. Mr. Clemens was deeply moved himself when he told us. Today, he wrote to Mr. Windmuller and finished the letter with what he called “such a cunning remark”. He said that in the performance of Hansel and Gretel last Wednesday evening, “there was only one vacant seat, and I was in it.” Oh, it is a darling [MTP TS 113].
Isabel Lyon’s journal # 2: “Mr. Robt Reid came to talk about the ‘Players,’ & later Mr. David Munro telephoned, wishing to tell his delight into Mr. Clemens’s own ear” [MTP TS 36].
Sam S. Shubert and Lee Shubert sent a telegram from N.Y.C. to Sam noting Sarah Bernhardt’s appearance on Monday, Dec. 18 at the Casino Theatre for the “benefit of Jewish sufferers in Russia.” They would be “sincerely grateful” if Mark Twain could “be present and make a short address.” On or just after this day Sam replied by writing on the bottom of the letter, “Send some one down. How many speakers” [MTP]. Note: see insert ad for Dec. 14, which also advertised the event. Sam agreed to offer a few words.
Herbert E. Bowen wrote from NYC to send “more flotsam & jetsam, which Col. Harvey directs me to send to you.” He also asked Sam to autograph on a slip of paper to go with Bowen’s statuette [MTP].
Julia Brodie wrote from Novato, Calif. to send best wishes for the new year [MTP].
Dihdwo Twe wrote to Sam having rec’d his letter. “…unfortunately the 21 conflicts with our new change of time. Our final examination comes on the 21 and lasts through the 22 …I can come down on the 23 and spend a week in the City to see certain persons concerning the Congo question” [MTP].
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