May 9 Saturday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Dorothy Sturgis.

Dear Miss Dorothy:

Why, bless you heart, your father isn’t a bit necessary on a short journey like that. Use him for company, & leave the rest to us. We will meet you at the station; & take care of you; & when you return homeward we will put you on board your car. It is all easy, & handy, & safe—you see that it is, yourself. Next time you have a chance to come down, tell us your train, & come right along. We will take you off your father’s hands at the station, giving a receipt for you if required; & on your return we will deliver you unimpaired into his hands.

There, I’ve said it twice. That is because I wrote pages 1 about a week ago, & didn’t re-read it when I began page 2 at the bottom of page 1.

May 9 I have been waiting and waiting for the photographs to come from the developer before writing you. They never came until last night, & they were bad, when they did come. I enclose the only good one. The likeness of you is very good, but I wish you had washed your face before sitting. The picture ought to have been taken right after the wave-drench, then you would have been up to standard. The chair-back at your left is VERY good.

The picture will fit the frame your mother gave you, I think. You say you have no picture of me at all. Do you mean a solitaire? There’s plenty, but they are too large for the frame—but they don’t belong in that frame, anyhow.

We are going to the police-parade, now. Good bye. With the love of / S L C

P. S. Miss Lyon has brought copies of the two other pictures. I enclose them [MTP; MTAq 151- 2].

After the parade, Sam also wrote to Dorothy Quick, revealing the day’s activities.

I hope the cold is well—I mean I hope you are well of the cold, you dear Dorothy. I had arranged to take you to the police-parade, but I took Miss Lyon in your place. Perhaps it was best that you were not there, for it was cloudy part of the time, & a little chilly. It was much the most splendid parade I have ever seen, either in Europe or America, & I am sure you would have enjoyed it.

I took Ashcroft & Miss Lyon to the matinèe, & the box was an unusually large & comfortable one, but I didn’t like the piece. It was too frivolous & vaudevillish, & too much ballet & clothes and foolish songs. I got very tired of it, & was glad you were not there. We must find something better for next Saturday when you come. I miss you, & shall be so glad to see you, dear. / With lots of love, …[MTAq 152-3]. Note: IVL’s journal gives the matinee performance: The Soul Kiss, a musical in two acts, produced by Florenz Ziegfield at the New York Theatre [Gribben 649].

Sam inserted the following newspaper article:

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS REVIEWING TO-DAY’S POLICE PARADE

[photograph of five men captioned as follows:]

MARK TWAIN. CARDINAL LOGUE. ARCHBISHOP FARLEY. PRESIDENT M’GOWAN. PATROLMAN FARLEY.

This is a photograph of the scene on the reviewing stand this afternoon while the medals of honor were being presented to the brave policemen who had won them during the past year. At one end of the row of guests shown here is Mark Twain, wearing a derby hat, and at the other end Patrolman  James Farley, who has been fifty years on the force and who was present at the special invitation of Commissioner Bingham. next to Mark Twain is Cardinal [Michael] Logue, Primate of Ireland, with Archbishop Farley on his left. President Mcgowan, of the Board of Aldermen, is on the Archbishop’s left. [beside a face in the background SLC has written ‘× Miss Lyon.’]  

Isabel Lyon’s journal: The King, Ashcroft and I went to see ‘The Soul Kiss’—a horrid sort of play, but Genee the Danish dancer was beautiful and wonderful” [MTP: IVL TS 52-53].

Irene Gerken wrote from Deal Beach, NJ: “My dear Mr Clemens / I am now in the country and am haveing a fine time, only it is not very good weather and can not go out. But as it is a good day to write letters I am kept pretty busy, I am going to call on Anne Fields tomorrow and as it is not very far I am going in the Auto. Please give my love to Miss Lion” [MTP; not in MTAq].

Howells & Stokes wrote to Sam, enclosing a copy of drawing #45, showing the arrangement of bookcases in the living room, hall and billiard room of the Redding house [MTP].