March 22 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Tonight we didn’t have any MS. reading for Mr. Clemens had interruptions during the day— Andrew Carnegie came in and the nice young attorney, Mr. Hull. So he didn’t write so much as he might have. But we had music—and Bambino—and at dinner Mr. Clemens talked among other things of poor John Hay’s ill condition. He’s gone to Italy. His diplomatic career has been very fine. He’s a great statesman, and now this Santo Dominican blunder has made him all heart-ill and brain-ill. He never did the blundering. “It was probably Roosevelt, and Hay has to stand behind him.” M.T. [MTP: TS 46]. Note: see the 1905 opening section regarding John Hay.

Isabel Lyon’s journal #2: Today Mr. Clemens wrote [not extant] to Dr.Oppenheimer suggesting that he add to his advertisement which professes to cure alcoholism— the words—“We do not profess to cure Dipsomania which we regard as an incurable disease —” The treatment was a failure with Mr. Clemens’s butler, Fletcher.

Miss Jordan retained “A helpless Situation”—“The War Prayer” she liked but didn’t think it would do for a women magazine [MTP TS 8-9]. Note: Dr. Isaac Oppenheimer

Dodd, Mead & Co. wrote to Sam that since he had used the New International Encyclopedia he might be willing to express his opinion of it [MTP; Gribben 501].

J.R. Dominick sent a telegram from Kansas City, Mo. to Sam.

Will you favor the Missouri Bankers Association with an address may twenty third or twenty fourth at their annual convention in Kansas city the invitation is most cordially urgently extended by the assertions & your many friends in your native state please wire [MTP].

Elizabeth Jordan wrote for Harper’s Bazar to Sam.

Dear Mr. Clemens / I accept with great pleasure your manuscript, “A Helpless Situation.” You have taken up a subject I have always desired to see discussed; its publication should greatly relieve the pressure on writers and publishers, made by our ambitious friends. I return with regret “The War-Prayer”. It is admirable, but not quite suited to a woman’s magazine, in my opinion…[MTP].