February 4 Saturday – At 21 Fifth Ave. in N.Y.C. Isabel Lyon Sam replied for to Elizabeth (Ann Chase) Akers Allen (Elizabeth C. Akers), whose incoming question about the source of the verse on Susy’s headstone is not extant.

Mrs. Clemens and I found the lines in a book of poems which we came across somewhere in our voyage around the world; either in Australasia or in India in the last quarter of ’95 or the first quarter of ’96. There is one detail which makes me think that the little poem must have been Australian, and that is that when M . Clemens and I were preparing the lines for the gravestone we had to change a word to make the verses harmonize with the weather conditions north of the Equator—to wit—we had to change “warm northern wind” to “warm summer wind”.

I think the poem consisted of the one stanza, but of this I cannot be quite sure. I have the impression that the volume of poems was new, and that the poet was a young man.

Your own poem is very very beautiful, and I thank you for sending me a copy [MTP].

Note: the reference to “Southern wind” is the change in the verse engraved in Susy’s headstone, a verse at first attributed to Clemens. When Sam learned of this he ordered the poet’s name (Robert Richardson) be cut beneath the verse. “In the original the word southern read northern since in the poet’s native Australia the warm wind is from the north” [Jerome and Wisbey, MT in Elmira 165].

Sam also replied to Michael Monahan (incoming not extant), who evidently had asked about 1601, to which Clemens answered “That Elizabethan sketch was (very privately—as was best) printed …yet every copy has disappeared” [MTP].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Mr. Clemens says that Bambino is religious but not moral” [MTP: TS 39]. Isabel Lyon’s journal #2: “Today sent MS of ‘Czar’s Soliloquy to Mr. Munro. Mr. Clemens dressed entirely today for the first time in 7 weeks. / Mr. Gilder called” [MTP TS 4].

According to Lyon’s journal # 2 entry above, Sam wrote to David A. Munro about editing “The Czar’s Soliloquy” which would run in the March issue of North American Review:

This is for the March number of the N.A.R.…The Colonel was here the other night and inspected it. He has not seen pages 8 & 9; I have added them since. They discharge an impertinence at God. Are you a friend of His? Is the Colonel? I prize that impertinence. I hope it can get by the blue pencil. I thought of changing ‘approval’ to ‘indulgence,’ but I think that would be a shade too impertinent…[MTP: Anderson Auction Co. catalog, 23 Feb. 1928, No. 2236, Item 22]. Note: the piece was in reaction to “Bloody Sunday” massacre in St. Petersburg, Russia on Jan. 22. Lyon also recorded Harvey’s visit on Feb. 2. See entry.