April 8 Sunday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam replied to a not-extant letter from daughter Clara, now convalescing at the Hotel Brighton in Atlantic City, N.J.
I am so glad, you dear ashcat! so glad the auto[biography] interests you; I was so afraid it wouldn’t. I couldn’t guess as to how it might read, for I have purposely refrained from reading a line of it myself, lest I should find myself disappointed & throw up the job. I wanted it to gather age before I should look at it, so that it would read to me as it would to a stranger—then I could judge it intelligently. However, as Twichell wanted to experiment with it I took the last 3 days instalments & corrected them—& in this way I found out that I was doing well enough for an apprentice who was an unpractised learner in the art of dictating to a stenographer. Twichell’s verdict is, that the interest doesn’t flag. That’s all I want. I only want to interest the reader, he can go elsewhere for profit & instruction.
Yes, dear child, I’m a “recognized immortal genius,” & a most dissipated one, too. I lunched with Howells to-day to meet H. G. Wells; & Frank Millet was there, & Francis Wilson, & Norman Hapgood, & other charming people. Tomorrow I lunch with Norman Hapgood (to meet the Russian revolutionists, I think) & to-morrow night I dine with Mr. Rogers & go to the great billiard-championship match; & next night I dine out to meet Narodny, the Russian revolutionist, who has been in hiding here a block away from us for a month, & nobody knew it.
Pile up health, dear—pile it up! & meantime be happy. Give my love to Katy [MTP].
Notes: as mentioned above, Sam had lunch with William Dean Howells, who had invited ten men, with the guest of honor H.G. Wells (Herbert George Wells; 1866-1946), British science fiction author (IVL notes that Sam went to the Gilders’ on the evening of Apr. 6 to meet Wells, so this was not their first meeting). He also invited Francis Millet, artist and journalist; Francis Wilson (1854-1935), American actor and comedian; Joe Twichell; and Norman Hapgood were among the guests (See prior entries for details on others.) Ivan Narodny (1870- 1953), journalist and art promoter, was one of a half dozen names the leader of the Cronstadt uprising of the military in Oct. 1905 took; after coming to the US he worked for the Russian newspaper Russkii Golos (Russian Voice) and the New York American. He was a contributor to many art journals and started his own, The Pilgrim’s Almanac. The New York Times had published an interview with Narodny on Apr. 7, characterizing him as “chief agent” of the Russian revolution. He would invite Mark Twain to meet Maxim Gorky at a dinner on Apr. 11. See also MTHL 803n1; Lyon’s journal TS 155; W.D. Howells to his sister Aurelia H. Howells, Apr. 8.
Sam also wrote to Gertrude Natkin, who had just turned sixteen. Sam thought impropriety was perceived in his relationship after a young woman turned sixteen.
You are the sweetest grandchild I’ve got, Marjorie dear, & the best. Am I long time sending that stage-door order? Yes; & it is partly because I was born lazy, & partly because I have been very very busy gadding around & very very tired and
Interrupted.
10.30 p.m. This is an hour later than usual for me to return to bed. So you are 16 to-day you dear little rascal! Oh, come, this won’t do—you mustn’t move along so fast; at this rate you will soon be a young lady, & next you will be getting married. I shall be sorry, then; & moreover if you don’t appoint me your head bridesmaid & be exceedingly good to me I will do everything I can to break off the match.
I was going to give you this pen, & now it will do for a birth-day token. It is the best one I have ever had; I have used no other for 4 years. I asked Miss Lyon to send to Toledo for another one for me, & it will arrive before the 19 I guess. [Sam gave instructions for where Gertrude should go at the Carnegie bldg. for his Apr. 19 lecture.]
Sixteen! Ah, what has become of my little girl? I am almost afraid to send a blot, but I venture it. Bless your heart it comes within an ace of being improper! Now back you go to 14!—then there’s no impropriety. Good night, Sweet Fourteen [MTAq 24-5].
Isabel Lyon’s journal:
Mr. Twichell is here—Mrs. too, & Mr. T thinks that auto-ms. is absorbingly interesting. C.C. has taken a lot of it away with her & writes enthusiastically about it too.
Mr. Clemens lunched with Mr. Howells today up at the Hotel Regent. Mr. H.G. Wells was there, & Francis Wilson & Norman Hapgood & Frank Millet & Mr. Clemens said it was delightful [MTP TS 63].
Marie E. Burns wrote on The “Little Mothers” Aid Assoc., Brooklyn letterhead to remind Sam that their Easter Festival would take place on Sat. Apr. 21 from 2 to 5 p.m. If Sam could stop for a “few minutes and give the children a world of greeting it would be greatly appreciated” [MTP].
Edward Everett Hale wrote to Sam that Hale’s copyright on short story “The Man Without a Country” (1863) would expire this year. He discussed details of copyright legislation under consideration [Gribben 285: MTP]. Note: Isabel Lyon noted receipt of the letter in her journal of Apr. 10. Sam wrote a reply on the letter, also dated Apr. 10.
William Dean Howells wrote on Hotel Regent N.Y.C. letterhead to Sam, wanting “to see every word of the 578 pages before this”—a portion of Sam’s A.D., which he wrote “is one of the humanest and richest pages in the history of man.” Howells lone objection was including the episode where Orion got into bed with two old maids (see MTA 272-4) [MTHL 2: 803]. Sam’s full autobiography (or at least the first volume) was published in Oct. 2010; two additional volumes are forthcoming in 2012 and 2014.
April 8 ca. – Sam answered E.L. Hathaway’s Apr. 2 request [MTP]. See entry.