December 30 Wednesday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Elizabeth Alexander Alexander (Mrs. John White Alexander).
Dear Mrs. Alexander: / Good! Ever since I first examined Harvey’s portrait at Deal Beach, I have said I did not want to be painted by anybody but John Alexander. By & by your rush will calm down; then you & he must come up here for two or three weeks, & fetch the paint. You can come in your ’mobile if you prefer: Billie Burke did it quite comfortably last Sunday.
Clara is away, but will get your kind message when she returns tomorrow.
“Affectionately?” Yes indeed. It is the way I feel, myself.
Happy New Year to all your flock! /Affectionately … [MTP]. Note: John White Alexander (1856-1915), artist and one-time illustrator for Harper’s Weekly. See Aug. 10, 1888 entry. An interesting note is that John was introduced to his wife because they had the same surname.
Sam also wrote to Frederick A. Duneka.
“Dear Duneka: / I am perfectly willing, & so will Dan Frohman be, I think, if Father Synnott will write & ask him. My authorization without Dan’s would not be sufficient. His authority dates away back—all of 20 years, I guess. / Happy New Year to all of you! / Ever yours” [MTP].
In his copy of The Memoirs of the Duke of Saint-Simon on the Reign of Louis XIV, and the Regency (1880) by Louis de Rouvroy Saint-Simon, Clemens dated a note in black ink on page 9 as written on this date; he referred to Nathaniel Shaler’s Aspects of the Earth [Gribben 600].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: The last little telephone message came from Benar this morning at 8:15 where he was finishing his breakfast in his apartment & Fred Robson was with him. Since then I have worked hard, but life has lost something vital, accentuated by a minor theme that Gabrilowitsch plays very much. Snow must be coming for the sky looks very big & very grey.
The King was in 40 different moods of profanity & rage & displeasure over the morning mail. Gabrilowitsch will stay & look after the King tomorrow while I go to town to see Dr. Peterson about Jean’s next housing. But I tell the King that Gabrilowitsch hearing such wondrous blasts of cursing will be afraid to stay. The King likes just such suggestions & blasted forth another volley of cursing. Oh, but he is lovable & naughty & good [MTP: IVL TS 88-89].
Harriet Bingham wrote from NYC to ask Sam to “dissect” her play for children [MTP].
Fidele A. Brooks wrote from NYC to wish Sam a happy new year, after writing pages reminiscing about Livy, her firstborn Langdon Clemens, and of their friendship years before [MTP].
Estelle T. Fox for Stores Publishing, NYC wrote to Sam. She needed $5,000 to start a woman’s magazine [MTP]. Note: “Ans Jan 4 MLH” ; IVL: “Unable to grant request”
Laura J. Post wrote from NYC to ask to use Clemens’ name on the committee to celebrate Marcella Sembrich’s retirement from the operatic stage. It would entail no responsibilities [MTP]. Note: IVL: “Answered Dec 30”; Sembrich retired from the stage Feb. 6, 1909.
Sybil Kane Walker (Mrs. Alexander Steward Walker) wrote from NYC to thank Sam “for the postal” and she “saw in the papers that” he had “a real live elephant for Christmas” [MTP].