December 17 Wednesday – Sam and Cable gave a reading in Case Hall, Cleveland, Ohio [MTPO]. Clemens included: readings from HF, “A Ghost Story,” “Personal Anecdote” [MTPO].
A review of Sam and Cable’s readings ran in the Detroit Post and included the following “interview”:
A “POST” REPORTER DISTURBS TWAIN AND INTERVIEWS CABLE.
Messrs. Clemens and Cable arrived in the city yesterday afternoon and registered at the Russell house. They had not long been in their rooms, 26 and 24, when a POST reporter called to interview the celebrated humorist. Pretty soon the door was opened an inch or two, and the well-known face of the humorist appeared in the opening. The white covering which enveloped his neck and shoulders created a suspicion in the reporter’s mind that the author of “Innocents Abroad” was in his night-shirt, and further investigation disclosed the latter to be the case.
TWAIN VERY SLEEPY.
“Hello. Glad to see you. Can’t ask you in, though, as I’m just going to bed.”
“I will only detain you a few minutes, Mr. Clemens,” apologized the reporter.
“I want to go to sleep. You’d better come around after the lecture. By the way, the POST is a good paper. I read an excellent article on copyright the other day which was taken from your paper.”
“I would like to ask you a few questions regarding your opinions on copyright privileges,” remarked the writer, who began to imagine that he had gained the humorist’s attention at last.
“Ask Mr. Cable. He knows all about copyright. Whatever he says you can put in my mouth and I’ll be responsible,” replied the literary hero with a tremendous yawn.
“But it won’t take you five minutes to answer my questions.”
“Too sleepy. I feel the yearning for slumber here, “and he tapped his forehead. “If I don’t get it now I won’t get it at all. Interview Cable in the meantime, and come around and see me after 10 this evening.” [Denney 24].
Charlotte Fiske Bates (1838-1916) sent Clemens a poem “To ‘Mark Twain’” and a short note, after being read a passage by a sick friend from HF. She referred to the character Emmeline Grangerford, who would write funereal poems before the undertaker arrived, but whose fatal failing was the inability to rhyme “Whistler” [MTP].