November 30 Saturday – Sam’s 72nd Birthday. The New York Times, Dec. 1, p. 1, “Mark Twain 72” reported “Hundreds of congratulatory letters and telegrams were received during the day from points all over the world. Many friends called a the house to congratulate him.”
In N.Y.C. Sam inscribed an aphorism in a copy of Eve’s Diary to an unidentified person: “With the love of the Author. November 30, 1907. Clothes make the man, but they do not improve the Woman, Truly yours, Mark Twain.” [MTP].
Emilie R. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers) sent a bouquet of roses for Sam’s birthday [Dec. 2 to Emilie].
Miss Florence Benson of 165 Madison Ave., N.Y.C. wrote birthday greetings:
My dear Mr. Clemens:
I have seen in the New York Tribune this morning that to-day is your birthday—and it is mine too!
I am writing to wish you many happy returns of the day and to tell you that I think Tom Sawyer is the nicest boy I have ever known.
Sincerely Yours,
Florence Benson
(Written in my best handwriting)
[Courtesy of: Concord Free Public Library Letter File, Vault A55, Unit 1, William Munroe Special Collections, CFPL. Printed by permission of the Concord Free Public Library Corporation.] Note: see Sam’s Dec. 1 reply.
Sam walked to the osteopath, Dr.George J. Helmer, corner of Madison Ave. & 31st Street, for a treatment [Dec. 1 to Jean].
In the afternoon, Sam went to see a play: The Toymaker of Nuremburg; a Play in Three Acts and Two Scenes, by Austin Strong (b. 1881). Paine, who was there with a friend, writes:
We did not play billiards on his birthday that year. He went to the theater in the afternoon; and it happened that, with Jesse Lynch Williams, I attended the same performance—the “Toy- Maker of Nuremburg”—written by Austin Strong. It proved to be a charming play, and I could see that Clemens was enjoying it. He sat in a box next to the stage, and the actors clearly doing their very prettiest for his benefit.
When later I mentioned having seen him at the play, he spoke freely of his pleasure in it.
“It is a fine, delicate piece of work,” he said. “I wish I could do such things as that.”
“I believe you are too literary for play-writing.”
“Yes, no doubt. There was never any question with the managers about my plays. They always said they wouldn’t act. Howells has come pretty near to something once or twice. I judge the trouble is that the literary man is thinking of the style and quality of the thing, while the playwright thinks only of how it will play. One is thinking of how it will sound, the other of how it will look” [MTB 1413-14].
Margaret Illington (Mrs. Daniel Frohman) sent a telegram to Sam. “Many happy birthdays heartfelt wishes for lovely flowers and a precious book hope soon to take you out / Margaret Frohman” [MTP]. / Marjorie” [MTAq 85].
Gertrude Natkin sent a telegram to Sam: “My Sincerest wish for many bright and happy years