October 8 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

The King is filled with the idea of defying conventionalities & wearing his suitable white clothes all winter, so he has bidden me order 5 new suits from his tailor; the suits to be ready against the time we arrive in N.Y. He was a creature of inspiration today even to his toe tips. He was a lambent spirit, & the dictating was beautiful. I sat in the study, writing some, but listening most; & drawing checks.

This afternoon we went for a walk. Started along the Pumpelly Road. We were to walk 15 minutes out—15 minutes back. But the trail was beautiful, it was flamboyant in riotous coloring & when at the end of 12 min. we came upon some men tinkering at the MacVeagh water works, the King asked one of them if Mr. [Franklin] MacVeagh was in Dublin now & yes being the answer we went along through the woods to the house to learn that Mr. MacV. had gone to Peterboro. I always carry the King’s black cape for him to sit on when he takes his little rests on a mossy bank or a stone—or to throw around him. Today he sat on a chip-covered stone over in the woods & he talked about the Cathedral of a thousand columns in Spain. Around us were beech trees with boles like granite pillars of some ancient cathedral & so the talk easily fell into that vein.

Tonight the King felt so gay that he wanted to learn to dance the Highland Fling. So I picked up my skirts & showed him some of the steps, & he copied them. He was so pretty in his white clothes toeing “side & front & side & back” with his arms up over his head [MTP TS 129-130].

Clemens’ A.D. of this day included: Item from Susy’s biography about Sour Mash—Mr. Clemens describes the 3 kittens   which he rented for the summer & will return to their home when he goes back to the city—Their characteristics likened to the characteristics of human beings—The ugliness of masculine attire [MTP Autodict2].

21 Fifth Ave., N.Y.C.