October 9 Tuesday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam wrote to daughter Clara, in care of John Walker,
Clara dear I hope you are sleeping well, now, & without the help of drugs. Certainly broken sleep is a bad thing. I have suffered from it several times lately. Twice it has cost me my day’s work. This morning it took me half an hour to dictate a dozen sentences—then I gave it up. A day or two ago I had the like experience.
I can’t account for this. I am in perfect health, & there are no noises here—except when Sackcloth & Ashes [kittens] follow me up to bed & engage in a violent romp; but I turn them out when I am ready for sleep.
I have just finished Henry Esmond. There are very fine passages in it. On the whole I liked it. Its close is dramatically great. But I had a surprise: from the beginning to the end I found nothing that was familiar to me. It turns out—per the Lyon—that I’ve not read this book before, but was mistaking “The Virginians” for this one.
Jean seems to be getting along very well, now. She is hard at work carving things—to sell! At first I was shocked, when Miss Lyon told me, for I feared that the inspiration was need of money. But it isn’t that: Jean mourns because she is the only member of the family who has no calling, & is accomplishing nothing in the world. It touches me; it is pathetic. I am glad, now, that she has conceived the wholesome idea of turning what has been an amusement into an occupation.
Our present plan is for me to arrive in New York Oct 20—& maybe the others. We shall see. If there’s nothing in the way on the 27 , I shall be in Hartford (or Farmington) attending (as the only guest) the 30 anniversary of the young girls’ Saturday Morning Club. I inaugurated it 30 th th years ago & have always been its only mail [sic] member. I shall notify Annie Trumbull that I shall expect to have a great fuss made over me.
With many many hugs & kisses— Father [MTP]. Note: see Oct. 7 entry for Henry Esmond.
Sam also wrote to Charlotte Teller Johnson and enclosed his calling card to Charles Frohman:
Dear Charlotte, I enclose the card. I think Frohman is usually in his office after 10, mornings. I think it a good idea on your part to make his acquaintance. And if you & Sears fail to make business with him, it would be well to ma’ke the acquaintance of his brother Dan, later. I am glad Sears is going to take care of your dramatic matters for you. His Ben Hur contract was a monumental achievement.
You are launched, now, & well & prosperously; & I confidentially believe you are going to sail steadily onward to success. I think the doubtful days are ended, I think the tentative days, the experimental days, are over, & that you have an occupation now, & a vocation. And I am very glad. Hoch! as the Germans say.
“The Lioness,” as Jean & Clara call her, is about well again, & refuses to take the rest-vacation she ought to take. I think we shall all break for New York about a fortnight hence. It is already coldish here, but not too cold.
Meantime, go on & prosper!
[Enclosure on his calling card:]
“Will you do me the personal favor to see the bearer of this on business? / Ys Ever ./ Mark Twain” [MTP].
Clemens’ A.D. of this day included: Item from Susy’s biography about visit in Onteora— Description of the primitive inhabitants [MTP Autodict2]. Note: this entry conflicts with Lyon’s journal below.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: No dictation today. The King tried it—but he had had a bad night, & so he had to give it up. The kittens were too diverting too. The King said we couldn’t run the house without those little creatures. They are the winsomest kittens that ever were. The King’s sweet spirit is shown by this—a day or so ago one of the kittens was in the King’s room when he & Jean were talking just after breakfast; the door into the hall was closed & presently the kitten wandered around the room with a mournful little cry. They went on with the chat & the kitten went in a corner & relived itself. When the King told me, & I said, “Oh dear, that’s the first time such a thing has occurred,” he promptly said, “Poor child! It was trying to make known its wants, but we were a pair of idiots & couldn’t see what the trouble was.”
Today after Miss Hobby went, the King wandered upstairs, & downstairs & into my study where he sat in the big chair that had my yellow silk shawl thrown over the back, so his glorious head rested against it & made a color scheme of silver & gold & opalescent colors, for his eyes were shining & there was a sweet young pink in his cheeks & he talked about copper stock—the Utah Consolidated. Then we loafed along into the next room, & he told me the wonderful dramatic story of Jack Reynolds. For an hour he talked. Tonight after dinner he wanted Shakespeare. I took him the 4 volumes I had brought up here & he selected “Julius Caesar” & read to us for an hour & a half. It was fine. The King acts the characters with modified gestures & inflections of voice. Big thunderstorm about 6—it blew out the electric lights & the telephones & prevented Jean & me going to the Thayers to supper and to say goodbye to Mary who is to be married to Mr. Fred Birch tomorrow [MTP TS 131-132].
In Dublin, N.H., Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Harriet E. Whitmore, asking if Sam might stay with the Whitmores when he came to celebrate the 30 anniversary of the Saturday Morning Club, which he started in Hartford. He only wanted to stay there, if possible. She requested a lamp be placed on his night table that he could allow to burn all night. She then th waxed eloquent about him and gave some family news and other details.
We are to be here for about a fortnight longer I think, and oh, he is so wonderful, dear M . Whitmore, & so beautiful, & so good & so lovable. Are you seeing the autobiography as it comes out twice a month in the North American Review?
Somebody—Miss Mary Bushnell—has just sent 2 books to M . Clemens asking him to autograph them for M . Slayter’s fair. The Prince & Pauper—& The Yankee at the Court of King Arthur. I mention it for I thought Hattie might like to know.
I’m not ponderously well in these days; Jean has been in very bad shape during the past year, & the strain of the great anxiety made me collapse about 3 weeks ago. So I hope you’ll tell Hattie that I’d have written her about those auto-ed books—only just now I dont write 2 letters where one will do [MTP].
Katharine B. Clemens wrote from Gore’s Landing, Ontario to Sam.
We have been disappointed all summer for having missed the possible chance of having seen you at Jamestown. Having promised to visit some friends in Michigan we were obliged not come this way and then on account of Jim’s family at Coburg, we found ourselves up here.
Jim had to hurry back to his patients and he left me and the children till November. This is a charming, quaint spot,with an old stage going to and coming daily from Coburg….We are enjoying your Autobiography in the North American Review [MTP].
Clara Marshall wrote from NYC to beg for money to publish her book [MTP].