August 12 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

 This was to be a busy day for a Secretary’s interests—but the King elected that his interests should be paramountest. He elected that she must sit and talk with him—so talk it was—and in the afternoon we went over through the woods to the Pumpellys’. How beautiful it was! The King’s first walk this year. He tipped along back home, prepared to be exhausted & faint-for- sleep, but no, he couldn’t catch a wink—but lay in his bed smoking & reading Roman History [Tacitus]; & keyed up into the resolve to walk every day. But of course he won’t do it. I’m sorry to be going tomorrow, for I’d like to keep that resolve so “hot from the bat” going, until it could be a habit; but the King doesn’t have habits. He hates what is a habit [MTP TS 106-107].

Laura M. Dake (Laura Wright) wrote to Sam.

Dear Mr. Clemens:—

While in Chicago a few weeks ago, on a sudden geneous impulse I wrote to you. In my letter, as you know if you have received it, I asked you to ask your friend, Mr. Carnegie to help me help a young friend of mine who is making an effort for higher things, in the face of Fate. He cut wood and by other means got his degree at Harvard, then, feeling himself called to medicine, is making every effort to take the necessary course. I am deeply interested in him,— so much so, that at the risk of being misunderstood by you, I made my appeal to you to cast me a crumb from Mr. C’s millions [MTP].