January 14 Sunday – The New York Times, p.9 “What is Doing in Society”: “Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland H. Dodge have invitations out for a dinner for Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain,) on Friday next,” or Jan. 19. Note: Cleveland Hoadley Dodge (1860-1926), philanthropist active in NY politics, was the grandson of William E. Dodge, Jr. (1832-1903) Clemens’ neighbor in Riverside. See Aug. 13, 1903 entry.
Isabel Lyon’s journal:
This morning Mr. Paine came up to my room to talk over the dictation of yesterday. Mr. Clemens’s theme was the death of his brother Henry, who lost his life in the awful steamboat disaster so many years ago. He said that Mr. Clemens had given Henry instructions what to do in case of accident—“Don’t lose your head—the passengers will do that,” and they did it, while Henry went for a life-boat for the women and children and he stayed by the burning craft too long. The incident is given in Orion’s account of as much of all that early life as he can remember. All of this Mr. Clemens even as a young, young man; it was the keynote of his character, and today it stands as the main thing in the man’s life. After Paine left I went down to Mr. Clemens’s room and we went over a little leftover mail, he drifted into the Biography chat as is his wont in these days & he said that so few—no autobiographers were ever very frank.
Bayard Taylor was—was “so self satisfied and sat back and licked his chops”—but it was all delightful and then Mr. Clemens said that he was going to be frank—not once but many times. (There were Rousseau confessions, but I am going to leave that kind alone, for Rousseau had looked after that end—) and I am going to say just what I think of a dinner-table full of people who preferred to talk themselves to hearing him. People like the guests at Dr. Quintard’s not long since, and Mr. Clemens said that “Quintard does know the damndest lot of catfish.” We spoke of Marie Bashkirtseff’s enchanting and naively frank journal “a perfect delight” he called it, and he chatted on in his loveliest vein. The Times had a reproduction of one of the recent bed photographs taken by young Horace Ashton. A very good and strong and sad photograph, looking exactly like him when he is at work. The hand is out of focus, but that doesn’t seriously damage it and on his knee is the cigar box desk—the desk or box we played cards on a year ago.
Col. Harvey came to talk with Mr. Clemens, also Mr. Owen Johnson came to ask use of Mr. Clemens’s name as a patron for the Russian players who have been in pitiful case but who have been taken up recently by Mr. Dan Frohman. Mr. Gilder’s interest in them has been of great assistance in this move [MTP TS 10-12; also some parts or information in Gribben 592, 687, 50]. Note: Maria Konstantinovna Bashkirtseva (1860-1884) author of Marie Bashkirtseff; The Journal of a Young Artist.
Sally B. Genung wrote from NYC to thank Sam for his kind words about their late friend John Malone. Though a stranger to Sam, she had been a firm fan since she was ten [MTP]. Note: see Lyon’s journal for Jan. 16 on Malone. Since Malone died on Jan. 15, this appears to be misdated.
Isabel Lyon’s journal:
This morning Mr. Paine came up to my room to talk over the dictation of yesterday. Mr. Clemens’s theme was the death of his brother Henry, who lost his life in the awful steamboat disaster so many years ago. He said that Mr. Clemens had given Henry instructions what to do in case of accident—“Don’t lose your head—the passengers will do that,” and they did it, while Henry went for a life-boat for the women and children and he stayed by the burning craft too long. The incident is given in Orion’s account of as much of all that early life as he can remember. All of this Mr. Clemens even as a young, young man; it was the keynote of his character, and today it stands as the main thing in the man’s life. After Paine left I went down to Mr. Clemens’s room and we went over a little leftover mail, he drifted into the Biography chat as is his wont in these days & he said that so few—no autobiographers were ever very frank.
Bayard Taylor was—was “so self satisfied and sat back and licked his chops”—but it was all delightful and then Mr. Clemens said that he was going to be frank—not once but many times. (There were Rousseau confessions, but I am going to leave that kind alone, for Rousseau had looked after that end—) and I am going to say just what I think of a dinner-table full of people who preferred to talk themselves to hearing him. People like the guests at Dr. Quintard’s not long since, and Mr. Clemens said that “Quintard does know the damndest lot of catfish.” We spoke of Marie Bashkirtseff’s enchanting and naively frank journal “a perfect delight” he called it, and he chatted on in his loveliest vein. The Times had a reproduction of one of the recent bed photographs taken by young Horace Ashton. A very good and strong and sad photograph, looking exactly like him when he is at work. The hand is out of focus, but that doesn’t seriously damage it and on his knee is the cigar box desk—the desk or box we played cards on a year ago.
Col. Harvey came to talk with Mr. Clemens, also Mr. Owen Johnson came to ask use of Mr. Clemens’s name as a patron for the Russian players who have been in pitiful case but who have been taken up recently by Mr. Dan Frohman. Mr. Gilder’s interest in them has been of great assistance in this move [MTP TS 10-12; also some parts or information in Gribben 592, 687, 50]. Note: Maria Konstantinovna Bashkirtseva (1860-1884) author of Marie Bashkirtseff; The Journal of a Young Artist.
Sally B. Genung wrote from NYC to thank Sam for his kind words about their late friend John Malone. Though a stranger to Sam, she had been a firm fan since she was ten [MTP]. Note: see Lyon’s journal for Jan. 16 on Malone. Since Malone died on Jan. 15, this appears to be misdated.
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