June 23 Sunday – At Brown’s Hotel in London, Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Katonah, N.Y.
I have been having a rather perfect good time since we reached England last Tuesday morning. The first greeting was a hail & a hurrah from the stevedores on the dock; & since then I have climbed all the rounds of the ladder & shaken hands with all the grades, from the stevedores on up to king & queen.
And Ashcroft has been wise. He has declined every night-invitation that could be declined without a breach of duty—with the result that in 23 days I am out at night only 6 or 8 times. All the other days are occupied by luncheons, breakfasts, & teas, & I am in bed by 8.30 p. m—also several times a day for a restful little while.
The pervasive cordiality is touching; & that of the king & the queen was as hearty as the heartiest. Yesterday in that vast multitude in the Castle grounds it was like being at home, for both sexes introduced themselves to me with a quick American freedom from ceremony. And I behaved myself to admiration, & made but one breach in Clara’s instructions: there was one young lady who was so phenomenally beautiful that I couldn’t resist—so I shook hands with her & begged pardon; but she graciously said she had been trying to get up courage enough to make the first advances herself. So Clara will have to overlook that breach.
We sail a long time hence—July 13th , in the Minnetonka. Goodbye, dearheart—have a good time! With even so many hugs & kisses— [MTP].
Ashcroft’s notes: “Sunday June 23. In the afternoon Mr. Clemens visited Archdeacon Wilberforce, 20 Dean’s Yard, Westminster. Sir William Crookes, Sir James Knowles, Mrs. Meyers (widow of author of ‘Human personality and its Survival of Bodily Death’) and perhaps seventy-five or a hundred others were there” [MTFWE 33-4]. Note: editorial emphasis on names.
Scott writes of an extraordinary event, which likely happened after his letter to Jean, since no mention of it was made there.
The day following the King’s Garden Party there occurred another event which made a deep impression on Mark Twain. It took place at the residence of Archdeacon Wilberforce, a gentleman who had accidently taken Mark Twain’s hat after a luncheon back in 1899. At that time the two men had exchanged amusing notes. On the present occasion, the Archdeacon escorted Mark Twain into his library and introduced him to a Bristol merchant. The merchant, who struck Mark Twain as a man of integrity, was said to be clairvoyant. With great care Wilberforce now unwrapped a curious vessel of silver, ancient in appearance, and placed it reverently in Mark Twain’s hands. This, said the Archdeacon, was the genuine Holy Grail. It was a moment of drama for Mark Twain. Although the Holy Grail was simply a poetic legend to him, he was moved by the sincerity and faith of his host. His romantic imaginings raced back to Christ on the cross, to old Nicodemus, to the stainless Sir Galahad and his quest, to the princely Crusaders who laid down their lives in efforts to find the Holy Grail. “I am glad I have lived to see that half-hour—” said Mark Twain, “that astonishing half-hour. In its way it stands alone in my life’s experience” [291]. Note: Scott takes the story from Paine, MTB 1387-88, who identifies the grain merchant as Mr. Pole. The object in question was “a curious, saucer- looking vessel of silver, very ancient in appearance, and cunningly overlaid with green grass.” [Note: Peterson Pole claimed that a week or ten days before Sam’s examination of the Grail, he’d been told by an angel where to dig for the relic—outside the ancient Glastonbury Abbey— where he found the relic under four feet of solidly packed earth. MTAD Sept. 6, 1907].
In the evening, Sam saw Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Rogers at Claridge’s Hotel [MTB 1389].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Sunday? and what did we do? Oh yes, all day I worked. I wrote 23 letters and drew a lot of checks, and read with delight the account of the King’s presence at the Royal Garden Party. Every single day there is something in the papers about our wonderful Mr. Clemens, though he’s always reported as “Twain.”
We are talking up a plan of going to Halifax and Newfoundland, Santa and I. Will is going to investigate ships and things. It is very hot here in Tuxedo, and debilitating. So Santa must get away and so ought I, and here comes the chance. There was a burglary at the Dinsmore’s last night. Over on the other side of the lake. The burglars escaped in boats and carried a great deal of valuable stuff with them [MTP 75].
G. Washington Bayard wrote from London asking Sam what “swapping lies” meant [MTP].
Marie Corelli wrote from Stratford on Avon with more lobbying for him to come—“you mustn’t go back across the sea without coming to Shakespeare!” [MTP].
S.A. Evarts wrote from London asking Sam’s help in getting in to the Oxford ceremonies. He’d talked to Doubleday a few days before sailing and was told Doubleday had intended to speak to Sam about it [MTP].
Anna Hamilton wrote a begging letter from London that she’d seen Ashcroft the previous night and asked for Sam’s financial help [MTP].
Fanny P. Hapgood wrote from Seal Harbor, Maine to advise that her “beloved Aunt Fanny” passed away on June 15. Her aunt adored Livy. When her and her husband would be in NY in the autumn they looked forward to seeing him [MTP].
S. Harwath wrote from Hotel Curzon London, listing all the past famous persons in connection with Curzon Street. “The proprietor of the Curzon Restaurant hopes ‘Mark Twain’ will patronize his dining room before leaving England. He will know the Hotel as having called on Mr. Henniker Heaton there june 22nd before going to the Kings Garden Party” [MTP].
T. Mary Lockyer wrote to Ashcroft, asking him to accompany Clemens the following day when he came there for luncheon, at 1.30 [MTP].
Bertha A. Palmer (Mrs. Potter Palmer of Chicago) wrote from London that she’d tried to invite him to dine but he was engaged—would he come for lunch or dinner any day soon? [MTP].
Charles Rosher for Legion of Frontiersmen wrote his group was “delighted at the possibility” that Clemens would join them. But, if not, could he send them a message? “It will be a guarantee for a Guard of Honour on the Great Funeral Occasion. Whereever it happens, because the sun never sets on this Legion—reason why—they are not to be trusted in the dark” [MTP].
Helen Seton wrote from London, feeling “very unhappy at not seeing you,” but that “Sir Bruce will have that pleasure at the Pilgrims Luncheon on Tuesday” Her husband? [MTP].
E. Wyndham wrote from London, enclosing his photo and recalling the time in the 1870s he met the Clemens family on the train to New York, including Livy and “a baby who could just toddle, whom you called ‘The Modoc’”. He also related showing Sam around Oxford on a previous visit, when Sam expressed a desire to give a lecture to the students. “Now you are going to receive the highest honour Oxford can give to anyone…” [MTP].