April 22 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: The darling days go flying by and do no proper chronicling. Mr. Howells is down stairs—he dined here tonight and I had the pleasure of sitting opposite him and of hearing him and Mr. Clemens talk. How fine the appreciation of those two men—the one for the other—and the best of it is that they lay their homage at each others’ feet —a noble gift—and are the more lovely for the giving. They look into each others eyes and their speech is, “Oh noble you”—and it is enough.
Miss Nesmith sailed today in the Vaderland.
This morning I was hunting for some ms. in the study and Mr. Clemens came in to pace and give his instructions. Apropos of something, I don’t remember what, he said that a few days ago Mr. Howells made the remark that Mr. Clemens possessed a great advantage over him, because he never had to put any love scenes in his book. Mr. Clemens said that he couldn’t do it anyway—if he ever put a girl in a book he soon found that he had to make an excuse to drop her overboard. While poor Mr. Howells has to have love scenes and the task of having them to suit him is a terrible one. Tonight while Mr. Howells was here at dinner his talk was so charming, for he told of a dear old woman they had had at San Remo during the past winter who did their house work for them in their little apartment. Every evening she would appear at their salon door at about nine o’clock to say, “Buona Sera, Buona Notte, Buona Riposo, Gooda Naat”—and that would be the beginning of a long “discourso.” She was very dramatic without being aware of it, of course, and gave them very delightful accounts of her home life away up in a mountain region near there. ….
Mr. Clemens told how when he went down to Mentone from Berlin in ’92 after a very serious illness, he used to get up in the night and with a swift little fire he’d warm up and brew a little hot toddy for himself. It was living. George MacDonald was in Bordighera that same winter.
Today Miss Mabel Nesmith sailed away to England. She came from Florence two months ago —she and her tawny eyes, and she has been visiting around in Washington, Boston and Philadelphia, and she stayed a night with Jean [MTP: TS 51-53]. Note: see June relating to Sam’s offer to Howells to take on his biography.
On Apr. 7, Miss Lyon notified Robert Underwood Johnson that Sam intended to attend the National Institute, American Academy of Arts & Letters conference at the Aldine Association on this day. Her journal # 2 confirms: Isabel Lyon’s journal # 2: National Institute of Arts & Letters—Sand—at Aldine Association 1.15. 111 Fifth Ave. further examination matters to be discussed.
Dentist 11:30
Encyclopedia Britannica people sent depositions of Pres. Hodly [sic Hadley] D. Can Dyke [sic. Van Dyke] Henry van Dyke?] etc. & asked Mr. Clemens to furnish his for suit of the above Co against publishers here of a garbled edition of the E.B.
Mr. Howells dined here [MTP TS 15]. Note: Arthur Twining Hadley (1856-1930), President of Yale (1899-1921); Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933), author, educator, clergyman. Britannica was involved with lawsuits over piracy. See Hooper’s letter below:
F.H. Hooper for Encyclopedia Britannica wrote to Sam.
Your secretary telephoned us this morning stating that you would like to see a few of the depositions that have already been taken in our suit against the ‘Pirates’ …. We accordingly enclose herewith the depositions of Dr. Van Dyke, President Hadley, Mr. George Haven Putnam, and Dr. John P. Peters….We are very much pleased to learn that you are interested in this suit… [MTP].
The National Institute chose five more members to the Academy of Arts and Letters: Joseph Jefferson, John Singer Sargent, Richard Watson Gilder, Horace Howard Furness, and John Bigelow [MTP enclosed in 30 May 1905 to MT].