June 18-July 13 Saturday (the dates of the English visit) – Richard Barr wrote from Leeds: “I have some sympathy wth funeral festivities, my own are in course of preparation. I intend being present. I’m a bit ‘put out’ that I can’t sing at yours….The papers say you are to meet Paderewski. Please do not take any free lessons at the piano. I do not wish you to have a hasty funeral” [MTP].
Sometime during this period, Sam wrote to Robert Barr, “I would leave this out, Robert. I will explain when I see you” [MTP]. Note: the “leave it out” may or may not refer to Barr’s above letter. Barr kept notebooks of his conversations with Clemens, and wanted to publish a warm appreciation of the Prince of Wales ending: “If Prince Albert Edward ever comes to the British Throne, he will prove the best and most popular King since the time of Alfred the Great.” It is this pronouncement that Sam advised to leave out [Barr, Robert. “The Idler’s Club.”The Idler 37 (June 1910): 1013-1019].
Evan C. Ashford: “I am sorry you acknowledged taking the cup because I did put you down as being innocent” [MTP].
M.J. Bishop wrote from Surrey, “Hoping you will have a very good time in our Country (Mine, in truth is Ireland)” [MTP].
E.H. Brown wrote to Clemens [MTP] Note: not found at MTP.
M.J. Canham wrote from London: “Thinking they might be interesting to you I send some reminiscences of good Old Times in the nineteenth Century when we were boys together and used to go bumming around the Free Lunch [illegible word] and sometimes even glad to wheedle old Bummer and Lazarus out of their bones.” [MTP] Note: Bummer and Lazarus were San Francisco dogs; see Vol. I.
Randal Charlton of the London Tribune had been requested by his editor to get Sam’s views on a jewel robbery. Could he have a two minute interview? [MTP].
S.C. Duce wrote from Oxford, asking for Sam’s autograph in a volume [MTP].
E.E.V. Duckenfield of Duckenfield & Son, Toolmakers, Northampton, sent Sam a gift of one of their new razors [MTP].
John Ward Hays wrote from London a rather over-the-top letter asking for Sam’s help to play selections from his Opera “Comique” [MTP].
J.W. Leary of Brighton, sent Sam his printed “Comic Song / entitled/ The Motor & the Millionaire” [MTP].
Morton Loder wrote from Woodbridge, hoping he would “find good anchorage in all our homesteads” [MTP].
Ella Mackenzie wrote from Bracknell remembering the pleasure of meeting him at Government House in Ottawa, Canada [MTP].
Mortimer Menpes wrote from London asking for a half hour with him, as he was producing a series of small books called “Portrait-Biographies” and had already done Sir Henry Irving [MTP].
An unidentified widow wrote asking him to “accept a poor old widow’s Good Bye, and kindest wishes.” She had some of his books and a photo of him writing in bed [MTP].