December 1 Saturday – In NYC Albert Paine wrote for Sam to Thomas Bailey Aldrich in Boston.
Mr. Clemens asked me, this morning, to send you a pair of gold glasses which he found in his evening coat, when he put it on last night for the first time since you were here. He says you will probably suspect that he took the glasses with malice aforethought, intending to sell them, and that he is returning them now because he has been unable to find a market. He declares, however, with his right hand in air, that such is not the case; that the glasses were in reality put into the coat by his butler, supposing them to be the property of this household, and not by any evil intent, even on the part of the butler.
He is aware that this statement has a fragile look, but he cannot improve upon it to any extent. He hopes, therefore, you will accept it without investigation [MTP].
Clemens’ A.D. of this day included: Sam’s early experiments with mesmerism [MTP Autodict2; MTE 118-125].
Rev. William Potts George wrote from Wash. D.C. sending 71 birthday congratulations. He complimented him on his many books and asked about p. 499 in FE, the statement made about the Ganges River “and its fatality for germs”—had this discovery of Mr Henkin been corroborated by futher investigation?” [MTP].
Charles J. Langdon wrote to Sam enclosing check for $25 for coupon of Atlanta Gas Co. belonging to Susie’s estate. He was “delighted” to hear from Sue Crane that he was in excellent health [MTP].
Eugene Fitch Ware (1841-1911), pseud. “Ironquill,” poet from Kansas, wrote a short note to Sam. “Dear Mr. Twain: I picked up your last volume. I read it clear through from cover to cover. It was like a bobtailed flush—I could not lay it down. / Yours sincerely, …” [MTP]. Note: see MTB 1373-5 for more on Ware. A bobtail flush, also called a four flush, is four cards in the same suit; not a winning hand by itself. See Sam’s reply as printed in the Dec. 6 issue of the Washington Post.
Cornelius Vanderbilt for the Fulton Monument Assoc. sent an artistic notice that at the meeting at the Waldorf-Astoria on Nov. 14, Samuel Clemens had been appointed “a member of the Committee on Site,” consisting of “forty distinguished citizens” [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote on the env. “Committee on site Fulton Memorial / Accept / Answerd Dec. 5”