May 14 Thursday – Sam left 21 Fifth Ave. at 10 a.m., sat on the platform for the City College Ceremonies for three and a half hours, then returned home at 3 p.m. and an hour later took a walk: “At 4 I walked out to 57th street & made a call, then came back in the ’bus—for it was raining” [May 15 to Jean]. In the evening he gave a speech for the banquet of the Alumni of the City College, below:
May 15 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Greenwich, Conn.
May 16 Saturday – Dorothy Quick arrived in New York for a visit and stay-over at Sam’s house until Monday, May 18. With Isabel Lyon, the pair had tickets for “Girls” at Daly’s Theatre:
Insert: Girls, play at Daly’s theatre (See May 12 to Quick)
May 17 Sunday – Dorothy Sturgis wrote to Sam.
Dear Mr. Clemens.
You are indeed a most noted personage if a letter will reach you without any address on it at all. But do tell me why it went to Hartford, did you ever live there?
I saw a lovely article about you in the Transcript the other day, headed
May 18 Monday – Dorothy Quick ended her weekend visit and left for home in the late afternoon [May 19 to Allen].
Howells & Stokes wrote to advise Sam the cost of bookcases on drawing #45 would be $267
Elizabeth Jordan wrote to Lyon (though catalogued to Clemens). She was delighted he would come if in town [MTP].
Robert Mountsier for Univ. of Michigan Students Lecture Assoc. wrote to invite Sam to lecture sometime during the coming year [MTP].
May 19 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Helen S. Allen in Hamilton, Bermuda.
I am so sorry, you dear child! You must be pretty desolate, now, with so many of your pets gone. I hope the disaster will not spoil the fancy dress dance for you.
May 20 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean, now under the care of Dr. Harlands and Dr. Peterson, in a house taken for the summer at Eastern Point, Gloucester, Mass. Two hired nurses, Edith and Mildred Cowles, and friend Marguerite Schmidt, looked after her there. Insert: Eastern Point Lighthouse, erected and first lit, 1832.
May 21 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Gloucester, Mass.
Thursday night.
May 22 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote condolences to George de Forest Brush, after hearing of his loss from daughter Jean.
May 23 Saturday – Harper & Brothers wrote to Sam, advising him not to satisfy the request of Rossiter Johnson, who wanted “permission to include in his forthcoming set of books the synopsis of 2 or 3 of” Sam’s books, and to stick to “that policy which you have followed so consistently in refusing permission for your works & name to be associated with other publications…” [MTP].
Robert W. Breckons wrote on U.S. Attorney’s Office, Honolulu, to ask Sam to put his autograph on enclosed postcard for Breckons’ eight year old daughter [MTP].
May 24 Sunday – Clara Clemens’ cabled from England that she had arrived safely. The cable arrived in the morning at 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. [May 24 to Sturgis] Sam then sent a telegram to daughter Jean, c/o Dr. Harlands: “Clara has arrived safely. Much love to you. Father” [MTP]. Note: Clara Clemens had arrived in England for her singing tour of Paris and London.
Sam also replied to the May 21 from Dorothy Sturgis:
Dear Dorothy—
May 25 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Margaret Blackmer at Miss Tewksbury’s School in Irvington, N.Y.
Dear Margaret—
May 26 Tuesday – Sam went to Deal Beach, N.J. to spend a week with Col. George Brinton Harvey. During this stay he spent time with Harvey’s daughter Dorothy Harvey (1894-1937), who he added as an Angelfish in his club [June 2 to Allen]. Note: Dorothy was the only child of George and Alma Parker Harvey.
May 27 Wednesday – Sam was the guest of Col. George Brinton Harvey in Deal, N.J. [June 2 to Allen].
Howells & Stokes wrote to Isabel Lyon (though catalogued to Clemens) about newspapers inquiring for photos of the new Redding house [MTP].
Phillip F. Cunliffe Owen wrote from Staten Island, NY to thank Sam for his appearance at the British dinner at Delmonico’s, and especially for his eulogy of Queen Victoria. Owen added he’d written to Whitelaw Reid about Clara Clemens’ presence in England [MTP].
May 28 Thursday – Sam was the guest of Col. George Brinton Harvey in Deal, N.J. [June 2 to Allen].
May 29 Friday – Sam was the guest of Col. George Brinton Harvey in Deal, N.J. [June 2 to Allen].
Sam wrote to Carlotta Welles.
Friday night.
May 30 Saturday – Sam was the guest of Col. George Brinton Harvey in Deal, N.J. [June 2 to Allen].
Sarah A. Blanchard wrote to ask Sam if he would lecture before the Dorchester, Mass.
Women’s Club next season [MTP]. Note: IVL: “Answd June 2, ’08; Sincere thanks for compliment of invitation”
Dorothy Quick wrote to Sam.
My Dear Mr Clemens
May 31 Sunday – Sam was the guest of Col. George Brinton Harvey in Deal, N.J. [June 2 toAllen].
Louise Paine wrote to Sam.
Your lovely picure came out safely and is very popular. Every one who sees it says that it is such a beautiful picture, and that you are such a handsome man. You really should be hiding somewhere to hear the nice things that are said about you.
Summer – Sometime during the summer of 1908, Clemens drafted his Constitution for the Angelfish. It follows:
THE AQUARIUM
Issued By THE ADMIRAL
INNOCENCE AT HOME REDDING, CONN. SUMMER-TIME 1908
Qualifications for Membership
Sincerity, good disposition, intelligence, & school-girl age.
Secrets of the Order
Members of the Aquarium are forbidden to divulge its affairs to any but their parents & guardians.
June – Sam’s notebook contained a roster of his Angelfish:
The Acquarium, (June 1908)
June 1 Monday – Sam was the guest of Col. George Brinton Harvey in Deal, N.J. [June 2 to Allen; June 2 to Sturgis].
Henry Hersch Hart wrote from San Francisco, Calif. to ask for Clemens’ autograph on a note [MTP]. Note: IVL: “Answd June 9, ’08 / Would be so glad to but demands are great”
Lucia Hull wrote from Newport, R.I. to thank Sam for his “awfully sweet letter.” She vowed to keep the letter and someday when her grandchildren were in financial straits she would sell it for a fortune [MTP].
June 2 Tuesday – Sam left the Harvey residence in Deal, N.J. and returned home to New York at noon. Before leaving, he settled on the name “Innocence at Home” for the new home in Redding [June 3 to Clara].
At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Dorothy Sturgis.
I am just back this moment, & find yours of May 27. I have been down in Jersey eight days, visiting around among my angel-fishes of that region, & have had a very good time indeed.
June 3 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Clara.
Well, Clärchen dear, I have your dear letter from ship board saying what fine shape you are in: also there are cablegrams whereby we know you sang twice last Saturday; & now I am waiting for particulars by mail. It seems a good while to wait, too.
June 4 Thursday – Frederick A. Duneka for Harper & Brothers wrote offering a rather humorous reply to Twain’s of the previous day:
June 5 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean, at Eastern Point in Gloucester, Mass.
Dear Jean, consound the well-intending dog! And certainly he had good intentions, & a heroic spirit. The great big majority of our race are away below him in this regard, & not worthy to untie his shoe-latchets.
Miss Lyon is slaving away at the new house, getting it ready. She will make an admirable job of it if she survives.