August 11 Saturday – Of the selections from Twain’s A.D.’s, DeVoto selected about half of the materials not chosen before by Paine to be included in Mark Twain in Eruption (1940); among DeVoto’s choices, was commentary, dictated this day, on a newspaper clipping this day of a humorous letter Sam had written years before to Andrew Carnegie asking for money to buy a hymnbook [35]. Sam also discussed Rudyard Kipling, his reputation and his first trip to Elmira to meet him in 1889; the segment of A.D. was selected for MTE [309-310].

Clemens’ A.D. this day included: Man incapable of originating a thought; simply receives suggestions from the outside—Note to Andrew Carnegie, asking for hymn-book—The pension for John T. Lewis—H.H. Rogers’ doubt as to the existence of John T. Lewis—Two letters from Lewis—Rudyard Kipling comes to America—Visits Clemens in Elmira [MTP: Autodict2].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: Dear me, AB thought he straightened out the auto ms. for he found most of it missing. Something must have been wrong with AB for he overlooked it—it was in the ms. box all the time. Chewinks, I think.

We lunched at the Thayers today—the King & we—& the King made merry over meat pie & beans & lettuce. We ate out of doors on the long porch dining room & the King told anecdotes & scolded those who quarreled with the nub of a joke, making it literal. Home the King & I drove so that he could go to bed for a rest before we went to the Club to hear Miss Lowell & Mrs. Joe Smith read tales. The King went to bed for just 7 minutes, then into his clothes & away we went again, he full of the delight of seeing and chatting with people who love him so much. Barry Faulkner came back for dinner [MTP TS 106]. Note: chewink: a bird in eastern North America.