May 26 Tuesday – Sam went to Deal Beach, N.J. to spend a week with Col. George Brinton Harvey. During this stay he spent time with Harvey’s daughter Dorothy Harvey (1894-1937), who he added as an Angelfish in his club [June 2 to Allen]. Note: Dorothy was the only child of George and Alma Parker Harvey. In the source Sam mentioned being with two Angelfish members in Deal; Dorothy Harvey and Louise Paine, (1894-1968), daughter of Albert Bigelow Paine, were the first members of Sam’s club to visit the new home in Redding, Conn. (first called “Innocents at Home,” later “Stormfield.”). Louise Paine was the most likely to be second Angelfish at Harvey’s Deal, N.J. home. Ever since her father became Mark Twain’s official biographer in Jan. 1906, Louise was around Clemens a great deal. See the website www.twainquotes.com for more on Louise and all the other Angelfish. In his 1910 memoir, In the Kaiser’s Capital, J.F. Dickie recalled seeing Twain and Louise Paine together in New York. Perhaps they were on their way to or from Deal, N.J.
In May 1908, the last time I met him, he was taking his walk on Fifth Avenue as heretofore, clad in his white flannel suit. He had as his companion a sweet young maiden of perhaps thirteen summers, whom he introduced to me as the daughter of his biographer, Mr. Bigelow Paine. It was a very pretty sight to see, and left the sweet impression of a heart that, in spite of his seventy years, had never learned to grow old [190].
Helen S. Allen wrote to Sam.
My dear Mr. Clemens,
The party at Government House was a perfect success, everybody looked their very best. I am going to send you some pictures taked of Max and myself just before we started and while we were there. We got there by 3:30 and went right down on one of the lower terraces and had our pictures taken and played musical chaires then had tea and after that the cotilion and just before we went home we fished for candies, we didn’t get home until quite late, later than we expected.
Monday was a legal holiday and I went to a lovely picnic at St. David’s Lighthouse. Tuesday I had a small tennis party. I am getting on beautifully with my tennis but will not stop until I am not ashamed to play with anybody.
Dr. Herring told us that he saw you in New York and that you thought there was some hope of your coming down here this summer if so please let me know so that I will be able to be down to see you.
I will be delighted to get the pictures. With lots of love for Miss Lyons and yourself.
Believe me as ever
Your loving little “Angel-fish”
Helen Schuyler Allen [MTAq 162].
Mabel Hill wrote from Irvington, NY to ask if Clara Clemens had left any word for her about some music manuscripts that she was looking over. She’d called “the other day” but the butler didn’t know anything about them [MTP].
W.H. Langhorne wrote a rather long letter from Oxford, England. Langhorne was 82 and retiring from being a minister to two parishes for the Church of England. He possessed the MSS. of Richard Langhorne, a man he claimed was “unjustly condemned,” and W.H. wanted to publish them. He wondered if Clemens might help get the memoirs into helpful hands [MTP].
A.S. North wrote from Montclair, NJ to enclose some sheets of handwritten music and lyrics of “Scroll Song” [MTP].