December 14 Thursday – Sam sent another Dec. 6 form letter for the occasion of Sam’s 70 to Thomas Bailey Aldrich and Lilian W. Aldrich, now at their summer home, “Redfarm,” in Ponkapog, Mass. Sam added: “Apparently I am never going to get a chance to add a line, so I will just give it up till a later day &—God Almighty bless you both! / SLC / Dec. 14.” [MTP].
In N.Y.C. Isabel V. Lyon finished her Dec. 11 to Raffaello Stiattesi.
Today Teresa [Cherubini] had a post card from Ugo, and he was in Paris at the time he sent it. He went home by way of Cherbourg.
Last evening Santa Clara, Jean, & I went to see Madame Sara Bernhardt in “Angelo.” She was very wonderful, as she always is—and her speech is very beautiful.
Miss Clara sends you her love, and Mr. Clemens wishes me to give you his very warm regards. He often speaks of you very affectionately. My dear, sweet mother sends you her love also— and I am so happy to have you—il Toscano mio—for my friend [MTP]. Note: the NY Times, Dec. 14, p.9, gives the Dec. 13 performance as the first of the play Angelo, a lesser-known work of Victor Hugo, though popular on the French stage.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Jean, 9:30. Santissima, Jean and I went to see Bernhardt last night in ‘Angelo’. She is a most finished actress, for she can be the tigress, or the woman, and the note of restraint in this play was so satisfying. But, it was all good, her support was fine as it always is” [MTP TS 113].
Isabel Lyon’s Journal # 2: “Mr. [Channing] Pollock came to talk with Mr. Clemens about his making a little speech next Monday afternoon in the Casino Theatre for the Bernhard[t] Benefit for the Jews. Wrote Mr. Larkin about the unsatisfactory condition of the heating. Radiators make such a noise in the front part of the house that one cannot sleep” [MTP TS 37].
Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote to Miss Lyon: “Please tell Mr. Clemens that I have secured an amendment of the royalty arrangement on hat pins so that, instead of our sending to the Antipodes $5.00 out of the $7.50 (on each $100 of sales) …we are now only to send $3.75” [MTP].
Thomas S. Barbour wrote to Sam with plans to go to Washington to perhaps see Elihu Root on the Congo question. What did Sam think of the idea? He asked Sam to telegraph collect if he did not think such a visit was wise at this time [MTP].
Frederick A. Duneka wrote to Sam about a little book of poetry by Mrs. Margaret Potter Black of Chicago, that she brought to Sam’s birthday dinner. Duneka dissuaded her from giving it to Clemens then, and then forgot about it. “Would it be asking too much to have a line of acknowledgment go to her in some way, either through your secretary, through me or by your own fair hand?” He closed by saying that “Praises of your speech keep pouring upon us” [MTP].
John R. Marks wrote from Prince Edward Island after reading an account of Sam’s 70 celebration, hoping that Sam would give him a reply to this letter, which was appreciative of Twain’s humor [MTP].
John D. Rhodes wrote a fan letter to Sam, wishing him “a happy return of your birthday” [MTP].
Booker T. Washington wrote to Sam.
My dear Mr Clemens:—
Merely to let you have this as a reminder, I am writing to say that the meeting for Tuskegee will be held in Carnegie Hall, Monday evening January 22nd, at eight fifteen.
All of my friends are most grateful to you.
Later on I shall send you some printed matter from Tuskegee which will give you full information regarding the school. / Very truly yours…[MTP].
S. Burns Weston , Secretary for The Contemporary Club of Philadelphia wrote to Sam requesting he give a reading at their next reading on Jan. 8, 1906. Weston wrote that Miss Agnes Repplier had spoken to Sam about the possibility at his 70 birthday celebration. Sam, shortly after receipt, wrote “Decline it” on the letter for Isabel Lyon [MTP].
Lamont Hammond’s article “Mark Twain at Seventy” ran in Nation (NY) p. 478-9. Tenney: “MT has won respect as a writer, here and in England, although he does not belong to the coteries of Boston and New York. ‘He knows America and knows it whole,’ writing with power rather than fine academic distinctions. He is a ‘humorist of the first rank,’ to be sure, but also a humanist” [41].
In N.Y.C. Isabel V. Lyon finished her Dec. 11 to Raffaello Stiattesi.
Today Teresa [Cherubini] had a post card from Ugo, and he was in Paris at the time he sent it. He went home by way of Cherbourg.
Last evening Santa Clara, Jean, & I went to see Madame Sara Bernhardt in “Angelo.” She was very wonderful, as she always is—and her speech is very beautiful.
Miss Clara sends you her love, and Mr. Clemens wishes me to give you his very warm regards. He often speaks of you very affectionately. My dear, sweet mother sends you her love also— and I am so happy to have you—il Toscano mio—for my friend [MTP]. Note: the NY Times, Dec. 14, p.9, gives the Dec. 13 performance as the first of the play Angelo, a lesser-known work of Victor Hugo, though popular on the French stage.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Jean, 9:30. Santissima, Jean and I went to see Bernhardt last night in ‘Angelo’. She is a most finished actress, for she can be the tigress, or the woman, and the note of restraint in this play was so satisfying. But, it was all good, her support was fine as it always is” [MTP TS 113].
Isabel Lyon’s Journal # 2: “Mr. [Channing] Pollock came to talk with Mr. Clemens about his making a little speech next Monday afternoon in the Casino Theatre for the Bernhard[t] Benefit for the Jews. Wrote Mr. Larkin about the unsatisfactory condition of the heating. Radiators make such a noise in the front part of the house that one cannot sleep” [MTP TS 37].
Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote to Miss Lyon: “Please tell Mr. Clemens that I have secured an amendment of the royalty arrangement on hat pins so that, instead of our sending to the Antipodes $5.00 out of the $7.50 (on each $100 of sales) …we are now only to send $3.75” [MTP].
Thomas S. Barbour wrote to Sam with plans to go to Washington to perhaps see Elihu Root on the Congo question. What did Sam think of the idea? He asked Sam to telegraph collect if he did not think such a visit was wise at this time [MTP].
Frederick A. Duneka wrote to Sam about a little book of poetry by Mrs. Margaret Potter Black of Chicago, that she brought to Sam’s birthday dinner. Duneka dissuaded her from giving it to Clemens then, and then forgot about it. “Would it be asking too much to have a line of acknowledgment go to her in some way, either through your secretary, through me or by your own fair hand?” He closed by saying that “Praises of your speech keep pouring upon us” [MTP].
John R. Marks wrote from Prince Edward Island after reading an account of Sam’s 70 celebration, hoping that Sam would give him a reply to this letter, which was appreciative of Twain’s humor [MTP].
John D. Rhodes wrote a fan letter to Sam, wishing him “a happy return of your birthday” [MTP].
Booker T. Washington wrote to Sam.
My dear Mr Clemens:—
Merely to let you have this as a reminder, I am writing to say that the meeting for Tuskegee will be held in Carnegie Hall, Monday evening January 22nd, at eight fifteen.
All of my friends are most grateful to you.
Later on I shall send you some printed matter from Tuskegee which will give you full information regarding the school. / Very truly yours…[MTP].
S. Burns Weston , Secretary for The Contemporary Club of Philadelphia wrote to Sam requesting he give a reading at their next reading on Jan. 8, 1906. Weston wrote that Miss Agnes Repplier had spoken to Sam about the possibility at his 70 birthday celebration. Sam, shortly after receipt, wrote “Decline it” on the letter for Isabel Lyon [MTP].
Lamont Hammond’s article “Mark Twain at Seventy” ran in Nation (NY) p. 478-9. Tenney: “MT has won respect as a writer, here and in England, although he does not belong to the coteries of Boston and New York. ‘He knows America and knows it whole,’ writing with power rather than fine academic distinctions. He is a ‘humorist of the first rank,’ to be sure, but also a humanist” [41].
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