September – Sam inscribed a photograph of himself in his white suit sitting in a chair and holding a book, to Isabel S. Wayland (Mrs. John Elton Wayland): “Mrs. John Wayland, with the affectionate regards of Mark Twain, Sept/08”[Sotheby’s auction June 19, 2003, Lot 127]. The Waylands were logged into Sam’s guest book for the period Aug. 31 to Sept 2, giving their home as “Little Pumpkin Island.”
August 31 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “John and Isabel Wayland came today” [MTP: IVL TS 62].
James Ross Clemens wrote to Sam, having arrived in South Dartmouth, Mass. and finding Sam’s invitation for him and his wife to visit Stormfield. Unfortunately only he could come and wanted to look in the following Sunday. He would stay overnight [MTP].
August 30 Sunday – In his Sept. 3 to Dorothy Quick, Sam related, “We had a kind of house- warming three or four days ago, & the people of the countryside came, about 300, young & old, & boys & girls, & we had a very pleasant afternoon.” The gathering was likely this day, and included the guestbook entries below; these guests were residents of the surrounding area, which Sam gave no addresses for.
Sam’s New guestbook:
Name Address Date Remarks
August 29 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Benares [Ashcroft] came back from Canada today and arrived when Paine was playing billiards with the King and I was unpacking books” [MTP: IVL TS 62].
August 28 Friday – In Redding, Conn. Sam replied to the Aug. 25 of Fred V. Christ:
Dear Sir: / You say: “I often owe my best sermons to a suggestion received in reading” . . . and let us add, “or from other exterior sources.”
Your remark is not quite in accordance with the facts. We must change it to “I owe all my thoughts, sermons & ideas to suggestions received from sources outside of myself.”
The simplified English of this proposition is—
August 27 Thursday – Anna Goldschmidt wrote from Hamburg, Germany to Sam about “A Dog’s Tale,” and the great pleasure she had translating it. Since this was the first translation she’d attempted she sent a copy for his review, hoping he would give permission for her to publish [MTP].
August 26 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “The King watches Tammany’s kittens by the enchanted half hour. We get them into the library after dinner. They carry on like beautiful wild monkeys” [MTP: IVL TS 62].
Jeannette Cholmeley-Jones wrote from Redding Ridge to Sam. “I hardly know how to express to you how much I enjoyed our all too short visit at ‘Stormfield.’” She thought it a “great privilege” and “one of the greatest treats” she’d ever had, and she was still reflecting on what he talked about [MTP].
August 25 Tuesday – In Redding, Conn. Sam replied to H.J. Learoyd, Managing Editor of the N.Y. Evening Post, heading the note “Private.”
August 24 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Zoe and Margery left today. The King seems to improve with every day. Paine who came up for billiards remarked that the King doesn’t play as good a game as he did. But that is clearly understandable, for the King has been teaching the game to young strong men, who now are playing as well as he does, and better, for many of them have had instruction from experts in “draw shots” and “English” etc. and have no more wit than to come here and to tell the King how to make his shots.
August 23 Sunday – Zoheth S. Freeman was visiting Sam in Redding [new guestbook].