June 21 Friday – When newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic reported on Mark Twain venturing out on the street in his bathrobe (Paine calls it a “heavy brown bath robe,” the papers called it “sky-blue”) Clara Clemens cabled: “MUCH WORRIED. REMEMBER PROPRIETIES” [MTB 1384-5; IVL TS 75]. Sam replied by cable to Clara: “THEY ALL PATTERN AFTER ME. FATHER.” [MTP].
Mark Twain’s fourth day at Brown’s Hotel in London. On his July 25 A.D., Sam recalled how his schedule had changed from “a lazy sort” in New York to “a strenuous life” in London. Instead of breakfasting in bed at 8, reading newspapers and smoking till 11, still in bed, then dictation for an hour or two, then milk for lunch and back to bed at 3 p.m. to “read and smoke and sleep”, dinner at 7:30 p.m. and billards till midnight, etc.—in London:
I breakfasted in bed, then got up and breakfasted with somebody else somewhere else; then took luncheon at somebody’s house, and tea and dinner at other people’s houses, and was usually home again, and asleep, by half-past ten or eleven….The teas were accidental, and not by invitation. From four o’clock until six, every day, I returned calls. In all previous years the women of the family had attended to this duty, and I had been spared it, and was grateful; but I was alone now and had to carry out this formidable duty myself. The thought of it was irksome and distasteful, and for three days I made excuses and shirked it. I should probably have gone on shirking it but for a happy accident. In the hotel I stumbled upon one of those college girls [there were a bunch of them on the ship coming over]; I had not known before that she was in the house. She was a lovely creature of sixteen, and I borrowed her of her mother at once. After that I paid calls every day, and she went with me. She saw the inside of many beautiful English homes and got a world of petting homage, which pleased me as much as it pleased her. The next time I have a wilderness of calls to make it will have no distresses for me, for I will borrow another sweet Francesca [MTFWE 22-3]. Note: Sixteen-year-old Frances Nunnally (1891-1981), whom Cooley identifies as a “schoolgirl from Atlanta”; Sam would name her “Francesca.” He adds, “She…became a faithful correspondent and loyal angelfish” [MTAq 35]. She would visit Stormfield with her mother Cora, Sept. 27 to 29, 1908.
Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote for Sam to John Japp, Lord Mayor of Liverpool. Sam accepted the proposed banquet in Liverpool as long as it might be on Wed. evening, July 10; there was no further need of privacy (see prior); he looked forward to meeting Japp at Brown’s Hotel within the next few days and also at the July 4th American Society in London celebration at the Hotel Cecil [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Eden Phillpotts:
First the lovely letter & now this moving & beautiful poem! How proud they make me—& how humble! Yes, & how grateful. I prize your love, Eden Phillpotts, & glad am I to believe it is the “Voice of England” speaking! What a return this gold is, for the copper & silver I have been investing these 40 years!
There—with the best love of / Mark Twain [MTP]. Note: see Gribben p. 544.
In the evening Sam attended the dinner at the Dorchester House, hosted by Ambassador Whitelaw Reid. 25 or 30 guests, all of distinction in their fields, attended. The New York Times, reported on June 22, p.4.
MARK TWAIN IS REID’S GUEST.
———
Ambassador Invites a Distinguished Company to Meet Him.
LONDON, June 21.—Ambassador Reid gave a dinner to Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) at Dorchester House this evening.
The guests included John Hicks, the American Minister to Chile; Lord Tennyson, President of the Royal Literary Fund; Sir Edward John Poynter, President of the Royal Academy; Sir Ernest Waterlow, President of the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colors; Sir George D. Goldie, President of the Royal Geographical Society; Lord Glenesk, President of the Newspaper Press Fund; Sir George Reid, ex-President of the Royal Scottish Academy; Prof. Hubert Von Herkomer, R.A.; Alfred Austin, the Poet Laureate; Lord MacNaughton, Treasurer of Lincoln’s Inn; Edward Cooper Willis, Treasurer of the Inner Temple; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Anthony Hope Hawkins, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Edwin Austin Abbey, Sidney Lee, Henry W. Lucy, (“Toby, M.P.,”) August Belmont, Bram Stoker, O. J. W. Comyns Carr, Isaac N. Ford, Harry Brittain, John R. Carter, Secretary of the American Embassy, and the editors of several of the London papers.
There were no speeches at the dinner. Later the guests inspected the pictures and other treasures of Dorchester House.
The staff of Punch is arranging a special dinner in honor of Mark Twain. The date has not yet been fixed [Note: Insert: Dorchester House in 1905, one of the most palatial buildings in 19 Century London; built in 1853, razed in 1929. See MTFWE 39 for a full list of guests].
Note: Fatout lists a dinner speech at the U.S. embassy, but this was not found elsewhere and would be in conflict with the above Dorchester House event [MT Speaking 677].
Sam inscribed a copy of Obiter Dicta (1896) by Augustine Birrell (1850-1933): “S.L. Clemens, 1907. London, June 21” [Gribben 71].
Isabel Lyon’s journal (NY): Claude the butler brought my breakfast to me early this morning, and with it the paper—The Times—which contained the astounding news of the King walking in a bathrobe out into Dover Street. But, anxious enough, I went on up to Redding where John Howells and Mr. Turner met me and we went up to the site of the King’s house and decided upon the first position selected by J.H. It will be beautiful. We lunched with AB, who scurried around and found cold beans and ham and bananas and other good things. Then we walked up to my house. John Howells has given it such a good name—Lyonesse “The magic land” that went down into the sea. But this has arisen—J.H. went over to Danbury with 2 deacons and Sunderland, which left little Turner to me and I do not like to be followed about by a colorless little man who can talk only drains and weather. He is very strong on drains, though. AB and I wanted to talk about the King and all sorts of things. But always there was Turner tagging.
When the King is on the ocean there is anxiety; but there is more anxiety of another kind when he is on the land. In this morning’s Times there is an account of his walking through the corridors and offices of Brown’s Hotel in his bath gown and slippers with his little bare ankles glinting; but he didn’t stop there, he went out into the street and across it to the Bath Club. But here is the clipping: [inserted TS of the Times clipping here]
He “scares us to death”, with his inclination for the unconventional. We never can tell what he will do next, if he is not stopped and it is easy to stop him; a word, a bit of advice, and he will change his course and when he changes it he always says, “I am so glad you told me.” But now he is in London with no one but Ashcroft who is strong in one way but very timid in others, and his love for the King is not yet great enough for him to be brave enough to speak out and save the King from doing thoughtless things; things that are harmless enough in their way, but not so harmless as to prevent the King from being severely criticized [MTP 72-74].
A. Stewart Appleton wrote from the Hotel Continental in Paris to ask:
Does it not seem to you that any man crazy enough to go to the North Pole in a balloon ought to be given a proper send-off by his compatriots at the banquet of the American Society to be given to you at the Cecil Hotel on 4th of July when the American eagle will proudly be doing her level best by all things born of American soil? [MTP].
Charles L. Atchison wrote from West Hampstead: “Seven years ago a man (& dog on a ‘bike’) had the good fortune to see you, after an interval of 25 years, at Dollis Hill. The man called again yesterday, but failed, & this morning comes a letter saying that he may not hope to see you ‘this time.’” He sent greetings and good luck and goodbye [MTP].
Irving Blake wrote on Dorchester House stationery: “I have been directed by the Ambassador to send you the enclosed list of the guests at to-night’s dinner” [MTP]. Note: no list is in the William R. Coe wrote from NYC, sending an enclosed (not in file) to help him in his speechmaking. Also, “I hope that you did not catch cold from parading in Dover St in a dressing gown” [MTP].
Louise Copeland wrote from London to ask for an interview, by which she might collect £300,000—though she did not explain how [MTP].
Harry Dagmar wrote from Hull, England to suggest he arrange to have his funeral take place during his lifetime! Doing so would “enable you to choose your own coffin, write your own epitaph, and, above all, would give you the pleasure and unprecedented experience of being your own chief mourner…” [MTP].
Dewar (John) & Sons, Distillers, London, wrote on Co. letterhead: “We duly received your telephone message, and have had much pleasure in forwarding you three bottles of our ‘Victoria Vat’ quality Old Highland Whisky…as our License does not permit us to send out quantities of less than 12 bottles, we would ask you go accept the small quantity with our compliments” [MTP].
L. Fritzengo wrote from the Hotel Eden House, Lucerne. An “admirer” the letter is rather dense and clearly English is not his first language. “Put me on plase to Mark Twain. I don’t know his number…I hear he is stranded in London in the street called Fleet,—there the interviewers are studying the pattern of his Oxford Mixture clothes.” {MTP] Note: Ashcroft wrote on the letter: “Is this anyone special? [MTP].
James Gow wrote from London to ask for “a few minutes during your stay…to the boysof Westminster School” [MTP].
H. Percival Hulse wrote for the Sheffield Daily Telegraph hoping to shake his hand at the Pilgrims Banquet [MTP].
John Japp Lord Mayor of Liverpool, was in London, and gratified that Clemens would come there to be entertained; he hoped to meet at the 4th of July banquet as well [MTP].
Katrina sent flowers and a note, “With affectionate greetings” [MTP].
John Y. W. MacAlister wrote on The Library letterhead: “Tonight there is a little Macalister Dinner at the Hyde Park Hotel, three minutes cab run from the Ambassadors; at 10 p.m. a little entertainment will be begun, which in view of your passion for pageants will probably interest you…” He also noted there would be “About a dozen very pretty young girls in appropriate costume…dancing” [MTP].
David A. Munro wrote from NY asking Sam to meet his “dear Sister” in London, Marjory Cowan Munro [MTP].
Charlotte F. Shaw for George Bernard Shaw. “My Dear Sir / We shall be delighted to see you at luncheon on Wednesday the 3rd July at 1.30” [MTP].
Mrs. Cuthbert H. Slocomb for the Fort Griswold Land Committee wrote from “the foothills of the Austrian Alps”, enclosing a printed circular from the DAR, “History of Movement to secure the outlying porton of Groton Heights Battle Field.” Would he read it and fill out their donor card? [MTP].
Cornelius Vanderbilt for Robert Fulton Monument sent a telegram: “Please accept best wishes from the Association for a pleasant evening regrds to our Ambassador and his guests” [MTP].
Joseph N. Verey wrote from London to ask he be allowed to pay his respects. He enclosed a list of recommendations as a courier [MTP]. Note: Verey had been the Clemens family courier; see Vol. I entries.
Ida Verner wrote from London. She’d read CS and observed “Ridicule seems the only weapon with which to fight some abuses, & I therefore appeal to you to use your powerful pen to help the unfortunate horses of England & America…in the matter of the inhuman fashion of docking their tails” [MTP].
Charles S. Walker , “a very old man,” wrote from Worcester, England, “to join the shouting crowd,” and to talk of his 18 year correspondence with Laurence Hutton of Princeton, though they’d never met. It is a touching letter of tribute [MTP].
J.S. Walter wrote from London, praising Sam’s books; enclosing two drawings of sea shells [MTP].
Wright J. for London & North Western Railway wrote to Ashcroft at the request of Bram Stoker, the following reservations: “one 1st class smoker on 12.10 train, Euston to Liverpool, 10th July,’ and “one sitting room, 2 Bed rooms, and Bath room (facing St George’s Hall) in the Lime Street Hotel” [MTP].
Macleod Yearsley wrote from London—thanks for a past autograph, for his works and a welcome [MTP].