February 12 Tuesday – In N.Y.C. Sam wrote instructions for Isabel V. Lyon to reply to Rev. Dr. Henry Blanchard in Portland, Maine—thank him for confirming statements made in a letter seven years before by Rev. Mr. Wiggin when Clemens was in England; he’d lost Wiggin’s letter long before [MTP].
February 11 Monday – In N.Y.C. Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Calvin H. Higbie.
M . Clemens asks me to write for him & say that within a day or so you will receive a letter from his biographer M . Albert Bigelow Paine, who is planning to make a journey out to California in the early spring to collect material for his biography…. [MTP].
Paine quotes from his notebook for this day about memory: February 11, 1907. He said to-day:
February 10 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Mr. North, director of census at Washington —today called to see Mr. Clemens with a personal message from the German Emperor” [MTP TS 27]. Note: Simon Newton Dexter (S.N.D.) North (1849-1924) of Boston was Director of US Census at this time.
February 9 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “King dines at Norman Hapgood’s” [MTP TS 27]
Actors’ Fund wrote to Sam [MTP]. Note: On or after this day Sam replied to Daniel Frohman.
February 8-11 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam replied to the Feb. 4 of John E. Fellers.
You will be able to comment upon the book more intelligently after you’ve read it, at present you dont seem to know any useful thing about it. Of the bushel of letters from Commentators on the book that have reached me not one of them has read the book— Consequently not one of them is entitled to have an opinion [MTP].
February 8 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Samuel E. Moffett in Mt. Vernon, N.Y. (only the envelope survives) [MTP].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Gabrilowitsch here. / Gilders – Tom Janvier – Drake Collection” [MTP TS 27]. Note: Thomas Allibone Janvier.
Frederick Palmer wrote a card (delivered not mailed) to Miss Lyon and Sam, thanking for the consent for Sam to be at the dinner at the Brevoort Hotel on Monday, Feb. 11 [MTP].
February 7 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Santa home ill” [MTP TS 27]. Note: “Santa” was Clara.
Two copies of Christian Science were deposited with the copyright office [Hirst, “A Note on the Text” Afterword materials p.13, Oxford ed. 1996].
February 6 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Willam Dean Howells, Finley Peter Dunne, and George B. Harvey. He wanted to form “The Damned Human Race Club”: The Human Race will meet at the above address on St. Valentine’s Feb. 15 at 1.15 p.m. This club consists of 4 members—to-wit:
Dooley [Peter Dunne]
Howells
Harvey
Clemens
Officers:
President pro tem—Clemens
Invitation Committee—Harvey
February 5 Tuesday – The New York Times, p.9 ran this squib:
Mark Twain has consented to take part in the benefit for the Keats-Shelley Memorial in Rome, Italy, that is to be given at the Waldorf-Astoria on the afternoon of Feb. 14. He will read Shelley’s “Ode to a Skylark.”
Ross Clark wrote from Portland, Ore. to ask if Sam had written a book titled Through Dust and Foam. If so, where could he get a copy? [MTP]. Note: Lyon on letter: ‘Answd Mch 13, ‘07”; the 1876 book was written by R. Hook and G.D. Hook.
February 4 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: All day in Katonah. Jean was very sweet & I had a lovely time with the dear bruised child for last Friday she fell.
This morning I had a good hour with the King who read with delight a letter from a Scotchman who told a story of the disinterment of a Chinese corpse in Amoy. The King will use it as an autobiographic note covering the mail of the day [MTP TS 26-27]. Note: John C.G. Cumming wrote from Falkirk, Scotland on Jan. 23.