January 16 Wednesday – Sam hosted a small party for Helen Keller; George Iles, and Mrs. James Sutherland were also present, Sam autographing his portrait for the latter [MTHHR 577; Jan. 17 from Iles; IVL TS 13 below].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: With the first Jan. number of the N.A. Review, the magazine was cut down from 128 to 112 pages & so Col. Harvey feels that he must cut out some of the Autobiography. The Auto must pay for the Redding house & the King was planning to put just that money $30,000.00 into the buildings. Oh dear—Then it the additional cost will have to come out of the Utah Consolidated. But the King is cosy in his bed, after 1½ hours with Tschaikovsky that evolutionist, who came in promising to stay 30 minutes. The time dragged on & I could hear the King’s voice growing tired & hoarse; I made 2 or 3 excuses to get into the room, & finally wrote him a little note, “You remember you have an appointment in 15 minutes,” & he pretended, “Yes, I’ll do it (fill that imaginary appointment) I’ll get right up—” & so off ran Tschaikovsky, so the King is cosy & smoking in his bed.
Helen Keller came tonight. At half past seven she arrived with Mrs. Macy & when the King, who had been pacing up & down the room, went to the library door to meet her as she came in with short hesitating steps, she threw her arms around him & buried her head in his neck & felt of his hair, when Mrs. Macy told her that he was still wearing his halo, the King cried & I cried, too wept [MTP: IVL TS 13]. Note: Mrs. John Albert Macy (Anne Sullivan Macy).
Miss Louise Gardner wrote from Tarrytown, NY to thank Clemens for signing a picture. She also thanked Miss Lyon for writing and explaining the delay [MTP]. Note: this appears to be a young girl’s hand.
Mrs. Rachel A. King wrote to Sam from Croft-an-Righ, Edinburgh, Scotland, remembering her brother, David Redding who was living on the Sandwich Islands when Twain was there, and now dead for 40 years. “Knowing his great friendship for you in the long ago, I always feel greatly interested as to your movements.” She shared her and her husband’s love of RI [MTP].
Logan Grant McPherson (1863-1925), author, lecturer on transportation, wrote on Players Club notepaper to Sam.
That first night of Cymbeline when we stole from the Winter’s box to the front row of the balcony, I was pining not only to tell you how I had read Tom Sawyer but to make a suggestion I was sure you would accept. That was that you collaborate with me in a book I was then writing, to the extent of putting in some joke of which it is sadly in need.
The fear however that the audience who saw us pacing up and down the aisles and through the lobbies thought we were a Before Using and After Using advertisement for some hair tonic so flustered me that I went ahead and completed the book myself.
To show you the extent of the calamity you might have averted I send you a copy of the book as it is—and also to show you that in that colloquy between you and me, you were not the only literary man peresnt. / Yours in the remembrance of what to me was a memorable evening….PS Pray do not think that I expect you to read the book [MTP]. Note: not in Gribben.
Miss Paddy Madden wrote to Sam, “surprised and delighted” to receive his picture [MTP].