January 6 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: A.B. came in for a few minutes this a.m. but not to give any chance for billiards. The King was sorry. Miss Nichols arrived. The King is interested because Will Gillette speaks of buying a “Jay Farm” up in Redding.
January 5 Sunday – H.H. Rogers and wife paid a call on Sam at 21 Fifth Ave.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Mr. Lawrence, president of the Lotos club were here today to talk up the dinner that is to be given next Saturday evening in the King’s honor & the Oxford degree is to be made the feature of it. All day the King was in bed & he is resting up from these long fearful billiard nights, when he played so nervously from 8:3- until 12-1-2 & even 4 o’clock— that time—
January 4 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: The King sent up an irritated message to me by Katherine this morning. “Was I ill? If not, then some telephoning.” I hopped out of bed, and put on wrapper and a shawl and went down. He was crossish—as the King has never been before— & pounded the bed. Dan Frohman must be telephoned to at once for a box for Ethel Barrymore’s play today—But Dan Frohman is never at his Lyceum office until after 11.
January 3 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam inscribed an aphorism on a calendar page for Jan. 3, 1908 to Mr. Randall: “We ought never to do wrong when people are looking. / Truly Yours / Mark Twain” [MTP: Profiles in History catalogs, No. 1, Item 55].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Dear Santa [Clara] comes in to sit by me because I’m in bed to get rid of the grippe & when I said it was such a wonderful place to stay in that I’d do it often, she remarked, “Yes, we certainly have got the bed bug habit.”
January 2 Thursday – The New York Times, p. 9 ran this brief squib of an upcoming gathering:
Lotos Club Dinner to Mark Twain
A jollification dinner is announced at the Lotos Club on Jan. 11. Mark Twain is to be the guest of the evening.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Loose jointed & weary I am in bed all day. Not doing much thinking— not doing any work but reading Daniel Deronda with greater delight than ever.
January 1 Wednesday – In N.Y.C. Sam attended a farewell dinner for William Dean Howells at the Metropolitan Club, thrown by Col. Harvey. According to Lyon’s datebook for Jan. 2, Sam spoke last after six speeches [MTP: IVL TS 1]. See entry.
Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Robert Underwood Johnson. “Dear Mr. Johnson: / Mr. Clemens asks me to write for him to say that he is not sufficiently interested to vote on coming membership” [MTP]. Note: Lyon dictated this to Josephine Hobby.
Sam also wrote to Eden Phillpotts.
January – “Extract from Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven” first appeared in two installments in Harper’s Monthly for Dec. 1907 and for Jan. 1908. It was published by Harper as a book in Oct. 1909 as Extract from Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven. Budd points out that Twain worked on various versions of the story at multiple times—in 1869, 1870, 1873, 1878, 1881, 1883, and 1893 [Budd Collected 2: 1013].
Year of the Angelfish – “A Good Place to Live in, a Good Place to Die In” - Autobiography House” becomes “Innocents at Home” becomes “Stormfield” - Doe Luncheons – Elinor Glyn – Knickerbocker Crisis - Bermuda Trips: Margaret, Maude, Reginald; HHR – Children’s Theatre - Jubilee City College – Aldrich Memorial– Commodore Dow – Moffett Drowns - Guests, Guests, More Guests – Redding Library “Tax” Dedication - Burglars! Staff Quits – Requires Cat in Pace – Elizabeth Wallace Visits
December 31 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote on a card picturing a woman in a hat to Maud W. Littleton: “Happy New year / to / Mrs Littleton / from / SL. Clemens” [MTP]. Note: Martin W. and Maud W. Littleton, across-the-street neighbors.
December 30 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Carlotta Welles.
Your letter has just arrived, & is a very pleasant & very welcome surprise; I thought you had forgotten me long ago. The xmas holidays have this high value: that they remind Forgetters of the Forgotten, & repair damaged relationships.