February 24 Saturday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam wrote to Frederick A. Duneka. “Saturday. Many thanks. The books have come. I am fully equipped for the voyage now. SL. Clemens” [MTP]. Note: since Sam was not planning any voyage, the reference may be rhetorical.
Sam also replied to Govinier C. Hall’s Feb. 19 at the Hall-Truman Furniture Co. in Kansas City. Sam was “old, or nearly that” and would “not travel any more.” He thanked Hall for an unspecified book and praised the illustrations in it: “God bless this artist & damn & try to forgive the other kind” [MTP]. Note: Hall had written for the Knife & Fork Club.
Sam also replied to Robert Fraser Standen’s ca. Feb. 16: “It is quite likely that the Harper Corporation has doubted the policy of publishing the book at this time. In fact this is really the case. But as to my “preferences,” I haven’t altered any [MTP]. Note: the book was the delayed Christian Science.
Isabel Lyon’s journal:
This afternoon after I had finished playing the Tannhäuser Overture to Mr. Clemens, he suggested that the joys of a trip in the subway from Astor Place to the Northern terminus would be considerable, for he loves the subway. I said doubtless he would enjoy it. Then he asked me if I’d like to go. It was a happy suggestion. I played The Chorus of Angels through & away we went up to the 150th Street where we got out & walked down toward the Hudson. It is very close to the beautiful new Spanish Library Building given to the city by Mr. Archer Huntington. Mr. Clemens has been made consulting director of it, taking the place of Mr. John Hay. Oh, it was a dear afternoon, & we reached home in just an hour and a half after leaving the house. The air was soft, the mud—real mud on that real country road—had the spring quality, the Hudson lay glinting in a soft silver mist, & the automobiles went honk-honking along in a steady stream to the north [MTP TS 34-35; also noted in Gribben 732]. [From IVL Feb. 25:]
We are having fun out of an incident which occurred yesterday [Feb. 24]. It seems that when Mr. Clemens & I were in the northbound subway train he had been acutely aware of a beautiful girl who sait on “the port side of the car”. At dinner last night he asked if I hadn’t noticed how lovely she was. I had to say no, I hadn’t seen her. “Didn’t see her! Why her beauty filled the car!” When I reached C.C.’s room after dinner I confessed to her that I hadn’t seen that beautiful girl because I had been trying not to look at a glorious young god of a man. She told on me at tea this afternoon [Feb. 25], to the delight of Mr. Clemens & Bynner. Here’s a case! I’m to chaperone Mr. Clemens. C.C. is to chaperone me, & Bynner said “I’ll take a front seat.” But he has been deputed as a suitable chaperone for C.C In great glee Mr. Clemens called us “a pair of old flirts” [MTP TS 22].
Harper’s Weekly published “Anecdotes of Mark Twain” by Henry P. Goddard, p. 280-1. Tenney: “Recollections by Goddard, who knew MT in the 1870’s. Notes MT’s generosity in signing over a lecture fee to Colonel Richard Malcom Johnston; describes MT’s comments on lecturing and his gradual reduction of lecture notes to a few marks on his fingernails” [42]. See Jan. 17, 1889 entry for Sam’s donation of lecture fee to Johnston. No 1870’s information on Goddard has been found connecting him to Sam.
February 24 ca. – Sam replied to Henry Copley Greene (incoming not extant), who had evidently sought a signature on a petition to install streetlights in Dublin, N.H. “about Dublin Lights— If I were going to tell the entire truth I don’t care whether they have lights or haven’t them. The people who care are the ones to sign” [MTP]. Sam also wrote to Harper & Brothers: “There isn’t a cent of money in a Danish translation— can have the permission provided your trans & pub. fin in 3 years—otherwise keep some one else from that opportunity” [MTP]. A draft exists (possibly not sent) from Sam per Isabel Lyon to an unidentified man: Dear Sir: / When I finished the book & handed the MS. to the Harpers my interest in the matter ended. Whenever I have finished a book the question of whether it should ever be pub. or not is a matter of indifference to me. I have no preferences. The book [CS] has been ready for publication some 3 or 4 yrs. If at any time the Harpers should conclude to issue it, there will be no occasion to consult me about it [MTP].