June 12 Monday – Mark Twain gave a dinner speech at the Authors Club, London. The New York Times, June 13, p.7 covered the June 12 event:

Mark Twain Speaks of Kipling

LONDON, June 12.—The Authors’ Club gave a dinner this evening to Mark Twain and Sir Spencer Walpole, Secretary to the Post Office. Mr. Clemens, in replying to a toast to his health, referred to the outburst of American sympathy during the recent illness of Rudyard Kipling and expressed the hope that the illness might at least serve to bring America and England closer in the bonds of friendship and respect.

Sam’s speech to the club was more fully covered in a June 24, 1899 article by the Times, p. BR 414:

Fatout writes, followed by Sam’s remarks:

As critics have noted, Mark Twain’s attitude toward England swung back and forth between opposing views. Generally he was a hearty Anglophile. Then, when displeased by the turn of political events or when ruffled by somebody like Matthew Arnold, he became for a time just as hearty an Anglophobe. In the speech below he is in a friendly mood, preaching the doctrine of good will between the two countries.

It does not embarrass me to hear my books praised so much. It only pleases and delights me. I have not gone beyond the age when embarrassment is possible, but I have reached the age when I know how to conceal it. It is such a satisfaction to me to hear Sir Walter Besant, who is much more capable than I to judge of my work, deliver a judgment which is such a contentment to my spirit. …

….

I believe you keep a lawyer. I have always kept a lawyer, too, though I have never made anything out of him. It is service to an author to have a lawyer. There is something so disagreeable in having a personal contact with a publisher. So it is better to work through a lawyer—and lose your case. …

Last February, when Rudyard Kipling was ill in America, the sympathy which was poured out to him was genuine and sincere, and I believe that which cost Kipling so much will bring England and America closer together. I have been proud and pleased to see this growing affection and respect between the two countries. …I will now confess that I have been engaged for the past eight days in compiling a publication. I have brought it here to lay at your feet. I do not ask your indulgence in presenting it, but for your applause.

Here it is: “Since England and America may be joined together in Kipling, may they not be severed in ‘Twain.’” [MT Speaking 322-3]. Note: this may have been the only time Sam would have used his name in a pun.

Sam’s notebook : “Monday, 12 Authors (before noon, photog.)” [NB 40 TS 56]. Note: the above dinner is not mentioned in the notebook—this stop earlier in the day for a photograph may have been in preparation for the dinner.

William Dean Howells wrote again to Sam, this time about the Introduction to the Uniform Edition.

I wrote you a letter last night full of myself, and like people who do that sort of thing, I left out what concerned me most because it concerned some one else too.

There would be no loss of dignity, but gain in writing of you, for me; but I confess I should not like to do what might hurt so good a friend as Brander Matthews. In his place I should feel superseded, and disapproved, if the second introduction, or call it doxology, were printed. I am afraid we are committed to the thing that has happened, and I must wait and watch for a chance to say my say of you in the shape of a review. Why, just think! Harry Harper suggested using my past-potential essay in the magazine first. Perhaps it could still be used there. I shall not let him forget his notion [MTHL 2: 702-3]. Note 1 of source: “Howells did not drop the idea of an essay about Mark Twain for a magazine. It finally appeared, however in the North American Review (“Mark Twain, An Inquiry,” February 1901; collected in MMT, pp. 165-185) rather than in Harper’s. It was Howells’s fullest and most considered evaluation of his friend’s work.”

Chatto & Windus wrote to Sam. “We anticipated the pleasure of seeing you to-day at luncheon. Herewith I enclose you a proof of the edition de luxe, will you kindly look through it and put in any improvements which suggest themselves….Would it be possible to sign either vols 1 and 22 or both…”[MTP].

Lillie Planner wrote on The Morning Leader (London) note paper to Sam, trying to get him to reconsider being interviewed (prior requests and declines not extant).

Of course it is extremely reprehensible, but I can’t help thinking that a dog after a cat’s tail is a fool to “Mark” in the little matter of jumping at conclusions! I didn’t ask you to talk about such a low down ornery creature as “M.T.”!! You shall talk of authors, Austrians, Arkansaw, anything in the wide-wide & we will taboo Mark Twain. There! Isn’t that sweetly generous, and I won’t ask the size of your socks or how many times a day you don’t brush your hair… [MTP]. Note: on the envelop Sam wrote “Preserve this bitch’s letter.”