January 18 Thursday – Fatout lists an Author’s Club appearance for Sam in New York City; no subject is specified [MT Speaking 661]. Sam’s notebook gives another engagement at Laurence Hutton’s:
Charming debate last night (Jan. 18) at Hutton’s between Mrs. Kate Douglas Wiggin & Mrs. Bisland Wetmore on kindergartens. It was delightful. Being requested to close the thing with some remarks, I did so. I think maybe I didn’t divide the verdict exactly between the contestants, for afterward Mrs. Wiggin said, “I want you to let me be plain with you, & say out of my heart that you are just a darling” — whereas the other beautiful creature said, “How dare you offer your hand to me — & how dare you smile like that, after the way you’ve been burlesquing my arguments & Gatling-gunning my statistics!” [NB 33 TS 50-1]. (See Jan. 29 for another Kindergarten Association event.)
Chatto & Windus wrote to Sam concerned about the high cost of electros for the illustrations in PW and TSA [MTP].