October 10 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

There was noble dictating this morning. But the King is growing restless here. He wants his playmates & his intellectual associations—mostly the playmates, I think though. He is intellect enough for himself. No, that’s a mistake. After luncheon the King couldn’t think how to “put in the time”. He aimlessly looked about for a book, & then I thought of “Madame Butterfly”. But first I told him a little about John Luther Long & how when it came out in the Century he was so moved by it that he wrote out his strong feeling to Long. The first time Long arrived in N.Y. he went to the Century office & hunted out AB & since that day the friendship has kept right on blossoming. The King walked up & down the living room while I talked & he was touched when I quoted the beginning of a recent letter from Long to AB. “How that is nize [?] Paine beloved, that you sent me those letters.” Tonight at dinner the King said he had read “that beautiful, beautiful story, & it is perfect. There is no flaw in it. There is no word to be changed. He makes you see a country you are a stranger to, & he makes you suffer as if you had been in the story yourself.” Later he said that he hadn’t read Purple Eyes yet & that he wouldn’t read it for anything. His delight was half pain. The King went early to bed for Nancy & Tribly were here & the children began to romp. He can’t abide romping—purposeless romping [MTP TS 132-133]. Note: Madame Butterfly (1903) by John Luther Long (1861-1927); “Purple Eyes,” Century Magazine (July 1898). Collected in Madame Butterfly. See Gribben 418-19.

Clemens’ A.D. of this day included: The visit to Onteora; dinner at Mary Mapes Dodge’s;

Clemens’s method of quieting the racket at the table; some of the practical jokes which Dean Sage played on Joe Twichell [MTP Autodict2].

Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote to Sam about the Mechanical Cashier stock and Charles Fairchild’s offer to sell Sam more of his own stock. Ashcroft included a lot of details but observed that “At present you have $40,000 of the stock and $16,000 of the bonds, the whole thing having cost you $16,000.” He advised, “Please write and tell me to tell Fairchild that you don’t want any of his stock. I will do so very gently and courteously” [MTP].

Samuel Brooks wrote from Manchester, England to Sam, seeking the exact words of a toast Clemens once made to “The Ladies.” He also wanted to know what Sam thought of “Roosevelt’s Spell reform Scheme” and gave many thanks for his books [MTP]. Note: on a separate slip in the file Lyon wrote. “that was in England at St Andrews dinner I think it was— in Guild Hall. Has no record of it. 33 or 34 years ago.”

Henry Beech Needham of Success Magazine, for People’s Lobby wrote to Sam. “Since writing you last week, I have been to Washington, and have seen the President. He has asked the governing committee of the People’s Lobby to spend the evening with him when they are in Washington for the purpose of organization. As you know, there is some probability of his going to Panama.” Would Sam be able to attend a meeting with Roosevelt on Oct. 22? [MTP].

October 10 ca. – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Charlotte Teller Johnson. “Tell him I would rather only the one to Maude Adams be used” [MTP].