August 25 Sunday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam went to a luncheon and talked for two hours, as related by the following letter to daughter Jean in Katonah, N.Y.
Dearest Jean, I hope you & your pair of excellent lady friends are having good & satisfactory times. As to my own case I believe I haven’t anything to complain of. I worked from 6 till 1 to- day—with a pen; the first time I have done literary work with that slow instrument for a very long time. Then we went to a luncheon—I do the like with great frequency; for it is a pleasant & companionable society here.
We have had a visit from the Stanchfields, & it was charming. Also, we have had the Doubledays—they are lovely.
I shall go to see them at their country place the middle of the month. I dread the journey, short as it is, but I must go—it is national business.
Dorothy is due to come here a week from now, & stay a week. I am droopy & lazy; I need the turmoil & tumultuousness of that tumultuous child, to wake me up—& wear me out.
What with writing seven hours to-day; & talking two hours at the luncheon; & driving & calling another couple of hours, with some more talking, I was weary when I got home, & so I went to bed without dinner. It is near sleep-time, now, & I am competent.
Be happy dearheart!
With love & hugs & kisses, /Father
The news from Clara is good. She is comfortably lodged at Norfolk, & the air is helping her [MTP].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: The King began work at 6 this morning and but for the interval of his breakfast, he kept it up until one o’clock. It is on the copyright question, and I have written to Sam Moffett to have him find out how many copyright renewals there have been in the last year – 2 years – 10 years –
We lunched with the Sampsons today. Mr. Sampson, his sister, his mother, Mr. and Mrs. Deacon, Mr. And Mrs. Townsend. It was very pleasant, for the house is lovely and the people agreeable. But they’re not like the Doubledays.
After luncheon we drove to the Kents and sat on their great porch overlooking the lake and the big water tower over which was overflowing in great sprays. It troubled the King to see such a waste of water
It was sweet to drive along these lovely roads beside him, sweet to have him silent and smoking. He was tired, and the steady roar of the luncheon table exhausted him as I knew it would and as soon as we reached home he went to bed and after my solitary dinner, I found him lying with his beautiful feet uncovered and reading Macaulay’s “Life & Letters”. He dropped it on his breast and chatted for a few minutes with me about Walter Bynner’s verses. I had just read Bynner’s “Ode to Harvard”, which I found lovely and touching and strong [MTP TS 92-93]. Note: See also Gribben, p. 712. Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Sampson had recently leased the Tuckerman house in Tuxedo Park [NY Times Aug. 11, 1907, “Tuxedo Park Notes.”].
The 1908 Tuxedo Club Book lists Harleston Deacon as a member since 1903..
In Sam’s A.D. he again recalled George Bernard Shaw: “Shaw is a pleasant man; simple, direct, sincere, animated; quite destitute of affectation. I liked him” [Gribben 638].