December 21 Monday – In Redding, Conn. Sam added to his Dec. 20 to Margaret Blackmer.
Next morning. 8 a.m. Before breakfast.
I have been downstairs on a flying trip, & what do you think? I found Danbury sitting on the billiard-table looking up at your picture & crying; the tears running down his cheeks—oh, ever so pitiful to see. It was because he scratched your hands; & now he was sorry when it was too late [MTP].
Professor Archibald Henderson (1877-1963) and photographer Alvin Langdon Coburn (1882-1966) arrived at Stormfield. See Sam’s new guestbook below:
Name Address Date Remarks
Prof. Archibald Henderson University of North Carolina “ [Dec.] 21-22
Alvin Langdon Coburn London & New York “ “ -22
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Such rich, darling folks do come here to see the King. Today Prof. Archibald Henderson & Alvin Langdon Coburn came. Benares went out to the station to meet them & we had a charming day with plenty of talk & Hearts & a walk down to my house. Coburn was very enthusiastic about it, & said he was absorbing ideas to be used in the reconstruction of a tiny house that he has taken just outside of London. Its an old, old little house in the William Morris Country & he has rented it for 5 years or else he would come here to find a lodging. He made a lot of photographs, color prints too, of the King, and he got some plain ones of me. After dinner he showed us a few of the very wonderful photographs he has made of Bernard Shaw, George Meredith, George Moore, Yates—oh, a wonderful Yeates [W.B. Yeates], May Sinclair, Chesterton, Henry James, Rodin & others, & a fine one too of Prof. Henderson. The more you see of Henderson, the more Keats like & beautiful he is. After dinner we went to the music room at 9:30. Gabrilowitsch played to us for an hour. He is a darling musician & it is so good to have him in the house [MTP: IVL TS 84-85]. Note: Lyon was also an avid amateur photographer. Henderson this year became a professor of pure mathematics at the University of N. Carolina.
The New York Times, Dec. 21, p.1, reported on a rescue from injury or death for Clara Clemens:
SAVES MISS CLARA CLEMENS.
———
O. Gabrilowitsch Stops Runaway Horse About to Plunge Down a Bank.
Special to The New York Times.
DANBURY, Conn., Dec. 20.—Miss Clara Clemens, daughter of Samuel L. Clemens, (Mark Twain) was saved from serious injury and possible death this morning through the action of Ossip Gabrilowitsch, a Russian pianist, who is a guest at Innocent at Home, the residence of Mark Twain. M. Gabrilowitsch, who is making a tour of America, and Miss Clemens went for a sleigh ride this morning, leaving the Twain residence at 10 o’clock.
While passing through Redding Glen, about three miles from Miss Clemens’s home, the horse took fright at a wind whipped newspaper and bolted. Mr. Gabrilowitsch, who was driving, lost control of the horse. At the top of a hill the sleigh overturned, and Miss Clemens was thrown out. At the right of the summit of the hill is a drop of fifty feet.
When the sleigh turned over the Russian leaped to the ground, and caught the horse by the head, stopping it as it was about to plunge over the bank, dragging Miss Clemens, whose dress had caught in the runner. In leaping to rescue Miss Clemens he sprained his right ankle. Miss Clemens was picked up uninjured, but suffered greatly from the shock of the accident. The injury to the pianist’s ankle was painful, but he helped Miss Clemens into the sleigh, and drove her to her home.
Arthur E. Botswick for New York Library Club, NYC wrote to invite Sam to “speak a few words” at their annual dinner during the last week in January; George Iles letter enclosed [MTP]. Note: “Ans Dec 23 MLH”
Charles C. Clarke wrote from Boston to Sam. “I enclose for your acceptance one of the late Thos Nast’s Cartoons published in 1882. I only ask in return that I may receive a reply from you personally.” He hoped that the grandchildren he might have someday would value a letter from Twain [MTP].
Ethel Duncan (“half American”) wrote from Frankfurt on Main, Germany to praise Clemens for his writings, many of which she almost knew by heart [MTP].
Harper & Brothers wrote to advise Sam he’d been placed on their “gratis list” of Harper’s Magazine, Harper’s Weekly, and Harper’s Bazar for the coming year [MTP]. Note: “Ans Dec 24 MLH”
Caroline L. Howard wrote from Boston to Sam, enclosing a letter asking for scholarships; she asked $100 for a lady who needed musical education [MTP]. Note: “Ans Dec 29 MLH”
George Iles for the New York Library Club wrote to Sam. “If you can accept President Botswick’s invitations, and attend the dinner of our Library Club, you will be surrounded by friends old and new, and gladden the hearts of us all” Do say YES!” [MTP]. Note: enclosed in NY Library Club’s 21 Dec.; “Ans Dec 23 MLH”
Presbyterian Hospital per W.V.S. Thorne wrote to Sam for donations [MTP]. Note: “Ans Dec 23 MLH”
L.M. Simonson for the Salvation Army wrote to Sam asking for $1 for “deserving persons in Hartford with a good Christmas Dinner” [MTP]. Note: “Ans Dec 22 MLH”
Paul Thompson for the Article Syndicate, NYC wrote to ask if he might send a photographer to Redding to take photos of the Clemens and the new house [MTP]. Note: “Ans Dec 24 MLH”
December 21-22? Tuesday – Sam receipted Archibald Henderson $2 on the library notice [MTP].