January 11 Saturday – In the evening Mark Twain was the guest of honor at a Lotos Club Dinner. The New York Times reported the event on Jan. 12, p. 2. Sam was obviously in his element:
MARK TWAIN NOW AFTER COMPLIMENTS
Says at Lotos Club Dinner He’s Collecting Them as some Others Do Stamps.
——— ——— ———
NAME DISHES FOR HIS WORKS
Author Took a Nap Between Courses Because He Was Going to be Up So Late.
January 10 Friday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Cackle Madame. / Jean ill.
Eulabee Dix has been in to show the King some miniatures, & before she gets married, Sat. the 18th—she wants to & plans to paint a miniature of the King in his Oxford robe. The King says of her that she is “beautifully architected” and she is. Slim, tallish, beautiful upper lip, long almond finger nails. Everything is right. It is dreadful that life has to be made up of extremes, either the King’s life is a blurr with too much billiards or it is bleak with none.
January 9 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Dorothy Quick in Plainfield, N.J.
(Only the envelope survives) [MTP].
Sam also wrote to the Knickerbocker Trust Co. Depositors’ Committee:
Jan. 9, 1908
To the Committee:
January 8 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: The King walked up to the Irish exhibition at Madison Square Garden this morning and saw Miss Yeates [sic Yeats], the poet’s sister.
January 7 Tuesday – Clara Clemens gave a recital at the 21 Fifth Ave. house.
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.