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March 25 Sunday – Sam lunched with Miss  Winifred Holt and had tea with the Howellses [Hill 124].

Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Jean 9, 11, 4 (Lakewood, very bad day)

Mr. Clemens hates this house. He calls it “The Valley of the Shadow”.

He lunched with Miss Winifred Holt & came hope at half past four to find Mr. Howells here at tea in C.C.’s room. Later Mr. Henschel came in too. It was a great delight for me to sit in that company & hear Mr. Clemens & Mr. Howells talk of Macaulay & Trevelyan’s Life & Letters & Science—Metchnikoff’s Book, Mr. Howells spoke of—& Mr. Clemens was in fine form, a better mood than the one he went away in for he was depressed and lonely & said he was going to have company in the house, a man or a woman, he didn’t’ care which. He was beautiful to behold as he paced the drawing room & tossed his head in his lonely decision to have that company in the house. After Mr. Howells left Mr. Clemens went to bed & finally I went in to see what news from Miss Holt & her scheme for the adult blind. The meeting for which & at which Mr. Clemens is to preside will be held next Thursday evening. He is bothered by the detail of it & the protracted program [MTP TS 57-58; also, in part, Gribben 712]. Note: many of Lyon’s strikeouts are inexplicable, and may have been added years later with an eye to eventual publication.

Mary E. Bell wrote to Sam.

While I am very anxious to go North, I think my visit depends on my meeting you and Mr. Howells. I guarantee to make you laugh, perhaps at me, old, poor, maybe [illegible word, “graying”?] shadows. Were I young, I had rather to go to any extremity almost, than worry people. Alas! Time will not wait for me and as I am trying to earn a few dollars…I beg you will, at any hour convenient to you, grant me a short interview? [MTP].

Florence T. Holt wrote from NYC to Sam. “The Joe Smiths, who are to be in town oer Sunday, will lunch with us that day at two oclock & we thought you might come to see them…P.S. I promise not to tell any smear stories!”[MTP].

Day By Day Acknowledgment

Mark Twain Day By Day was originally a print reference, meticulously created by David Fears, who has generously made this work available, via the Center for Mark Twain Studies, as a digital edition.