December 26 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Mary B. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers, Jr.) in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. After musing over who it was that called and said her name was Mrs. Rogers, Sam offered this fictional dialogue about going to Bermuda in summer.
Naturally I came home yesterday almost entirely convinced that Bermuda-in-summer & suicide are interchangeable terms. By midnight I had almost come to the conclusion to retire from the experiment.
Then I thought I would talk with Abraham about it & be guided by his advice. So I went there, & crept into his bosom, stirred him out of his dreams, & stated my case. He said,
“Who was it that said it was a bad summer climate?”
“Oh, Broughton, Coe, the Admiral—in fact all the family.”
“And your niece?”
“Yes.”
“What do they know about it?”
“They don’t know. But they have heard.”
“Heard?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of evidence is heard?”
“I—well, I dunno.”
+ + + (Reflection)
“When were you here last?”
“A little over 3 centuries ago.”
“How did you find my bosom then—considered as a climate?”
“Well—er—”
“Oh, speak out!”
“Well, it was pretty damp & sweltery.”
“But on the whole, comfortable?”
“Y-e-s—oh, quite.”
“You had just come from visiting your Uncle Harry. How was his place, for climate?”
“Now then, how should you regard an average between my climate & his’n”
“Oh, insufferably warm & dry!”
“Oh, prime—just the thing!”
“All right—that is exactly what Bermuda in summer is. With this advantage—that there you have sweet sea-breezes instead of brimstone-fumes. It wouldn’t answer for your niece, I grant you that. She is young, & unseasoned. But you are old & mouldy & seasoned. Ask Peter about her—he knows. Take my advice: try Bermuda.”
So that settled it, & made me once more anxious to make the experiment.
11:45 Twichell is ready to go—as per letter just received.
11:50. Miss Lyon has telephoned Will Coe, & he is securing the passages for Jan. 2.
=== ===
It is time to get up.
Many many many thanks for the picture, Mary dear—it is excellent [MTP].
Clemens’ A.D. of this day included: Clemens’ experiments in phrenology with Orson Squire Fowler; also in palmistry—General verdict; he had no sense of humor—His speech before the copyright committees of Congress [MTP Autodict3].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Gardenhire came at 2:30. The King & C.C. went to hear young MacMillan play & the King liked him very much. AB came back when we didn’t quite expect him. Mrs. Gilder was here for dinner & the King abused the piano as an instrument to his heart’s content. He does hate the piano so.
This morning came Mr. Twichell’s letter with Hurra! Hurra!! in it, & the King echoed it—so I rushed up to my telephone to ask Mr. Coe to see about our passage—he got it—& we’re to sail on Jan. 2nd. We’re going to try to find a house down there for the King thinks he’d like to spend the summer there. They tell him that the atmosphere is so damp there that his boots will mildew over night—but he calmly says, “& suppose they do” [MTP TS 153-154].
Outerbridge & Co. Agents for Quebec Steamship Co. sent a letter of introduction for Clemens and Twichell to Mr. James A. Conyers, their agent in Hamilton, Bermuda [MTP].
Minna C. Smith wrote to Sam, having heard from Gilder that Sam would soon be going to Bermuda. She offered a rental there [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote on letter, “Would like price / dimensions, situation etc.”