21 Fifth Ave - Day By Day

July 24 Tuesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal (Dublin, N.H.): “Today we read Orion letters down under the apple tree in the field. It was very sweet down there. The Orion letters are monotonous—but they are not either [MTP TS 100].

July 24 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: The King is lonely and so we make calls in the afternoons, but mostly people are out. We did see Mrs. Davies and Mrs. Ogden who gave us iced coffee and the King sat on their beautiful terrace and told about the Punch Dinner and the King’s Garden Party, and those 2 ladies were very sweet and worshipful, Mrs. Davies was a little flustered when she glanced up at her window to see her undershirt hung on some kind of a wire and swinging cheerfully at us [MTP 86].

July 25 Tuesday –Isabel Lyon’s journal: He spoke yesterday morning of the gradual shifting of portions of the earth’s surface. The infinitesimal disintegration of a mountain heavy as the Himalayas, and he made you see the thousands and thousands of years it would take, and the time—Oh, you didn’t see years, you just saw the solemn embodiment of time. Oh, so majesting, and you were down on your spirit knees worshipping. Oh, the divine flame, that blows here now—-now there.

July 25 Wednesday – Sam left Fairhaven, Mass. and arrived back in Dublin, N.H. [July 31 to Teller; IVL journal July 25].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Today the King came home. His hair is shorter than I have ever seen it, and he is a rejuvenated [sic] man. Yes—he is in a new world” [MTP TS 100].

Herbert Shearer for Farm, Field & Fireside (“The Great Farm Weekly”), Chicago, wrote to ask Sam if he would confirm a photograph they’d rec’d of his birthplace [MTP].

July 25 Thursday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam wrote a note on a small card to Dorothy Butes, who was sailing: “Miss Dorothy BUTES / Steamer CELTIC. / Goodbye you dear child, and a happy voyage.” [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote on the verso, “The King was heart sick to have Dorothy sail away for England.” In her journal entry below, Lyon referred to the above message to Butes as a “wireless.” Likely this card survives but the telegram does not.

July 25 Saturday – Sam sent a brief note to Miss Dorothy Butes, who was sailing home to England: “Goodbye you dear child, and a happy voyage / SL Clemens” [MTAq 188].

Mary Desha wrote from Washington, D.C. anxious to “establish kinship” to Clemens through her great grandmother Katherine Montgomery. A photo of a woman is in the file [MTP].

Note: on the letter, but not by IVL: “ans’d  9/7”

John M. Howells wrote from Onteora Park, NY to Sam.

July 26 Thursday – Jean Clemens’ 26 birthday.

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “This morning Jean called Mr. Clemens an old sinner & he said, ‘Yes, Adam & I go out every Sunday morning with a basket & gather all the apples we can find!’” [MTP TS 100].

Donchian Brothers, Importers of Oriental rugs, NYC wrote to Sam with a quote of $381.50 for repairing the rugs from his Fifth Ave. house [MTP].

July 26 Friday – Jean Clemens’ 27th birthday. Clemens A.D. for this day is listed by MTP.  

Dr. Edward C. Rushmore attended to Sam; his bronchitis had worsened the day before upon reaching Tuxedo Park.  

In Tuxedo Park, N.Y., Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Charles M. Fairbanks and Pauline M. Fairbanks in Brooklyn. Sam was home now and was “overwhelmed with mail,” and asked Isabel to write thanks for their message of welcome home [MTP].

July 27 Friday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam wrote to daughter Clara in Norfolk, Conn.

It’s a darling lovely letter, you dear child, & not even Howells can surpass it for charm & grace & expression. I’m having typed copies made for Howells & Joe.

Poor Lewis is dead, & I am so glad he is set free from a world that has certain ungrateful imitation human beings in it.

July 27 Saturday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Clara at the Hotel Victoria, Boston.  

Clara dear, Clara very dear, I am in bed with a bronchitis caught in mid-ocean, but am not going to stay in bed after to-day. Nein, I will get up & sail for Bermuda next Thursday, & take Colonel Harvey along for courier, if I can’t shake off the cough in the meantime.

July 28 Friday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam wrote to Helena Gilder (Mrs. Richard Watson Gilder).

July 28 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Jean, 10:45, violent. 6:40, long, violent. Petit mal all day.

The King is singing the Marseillaise in lusty tones as he is drawing a bath for himself. When the King sings very hard it means a perturbation of spirit; it means that something is not quite in key, it never stands for happiness.

July 28 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Tino [ABP]. King is bed with bronchitis and cancelling a luncheon with Mrs. Wolfe and tea with Mrs. Kane. AB and I worked over old letters, until we were limp. Long after midnight there was a thundering rumble of the King’s voice and a slam of a door and some good swears and there hadn’t been a thing in the King’s room. “No whiskey, no towels, no soap, no water.” and it was fine to hear him swear around and wake up everybody in the house. Oh, he’s a darling King.

July 29 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Tonight Mr. Clemens and Jean dined at the Leightons” [MTP TS 83].

July 29 Monday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam wrote to George Parsons, Mayor of Cairo, Illinois.

I thank you heartily for the high compliment of the invitation, & I would accept it at once if I could make the trip in a ship, but as that is not possible I am obliged to decline it. To me a land journey is the perfection of discomfort, & I am not expecting to try another one until I go in a hearse. A hearse with rubber tires, too, or I cancel the excursion. I hope you will have a good time: indeed I am able to predict that you will [MTP].

July 3 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Jean and Teresa started for Norfolk early this morning. Dear Col. Higginson has sent me a copy of the beautiful little sketch that his daughter wrote—“The Drum Beat”. I cannot read it without a gush of grieving tears. Mr. Clemens came down at 3:00 o’clock today with the day’s work finished. In 3 days he has done the work of 5 days—and it is so delicious. He read it to me as we sat in the living room.

July 3 Tuesday – Charles J. Langdon wrote to Sam, enclosing a check for $120 for various bond coupons, property of Susie Clemens’ estate [MTP].

July 3 Wednesday – Ashcroft’s note: “Wednesday, July 3. Luncheon with George Bernard Shaw; dined with Moberly Bell” [MTFWE 88].

In London, Sam lunched with Mr. and Mrs. George Bernard Shaw at their flat in Adelphi Terrace. Also at the luncheon were Herbert Beerbohm Tree and Prof. Archibald Henderson, who had sailed over with Sam to gather biographical information on Shaw [London Tribune, July 4, p.6; London Daily Mail, July 4, p.5].

Sam’s A.D. of Aug. 23, 1907 covered the Shaw luncheon:

July 30 Monday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam replied to the June 28 from Charles Orr, librarian, Case Library, Cleveland.

I cannot thank you enough for sending me copies of John Hay’s delicious notes to M . Gunn. In the matter of humor, what an unsurpassable touch John Hay had! I may have known Alexander r Gunn in those ancient days, but the name does not sound familiar to me.

July 30 Tuesday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y., Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote for Sam to Bowring & Co., N.Y.C., asking for $80 for the unused portion of the steamship Rosalind tickets by Clara Clemens and Isabel Lyon on the recently aborted trip to St. John [MTP]. Note: See July 1 entry.

July 31 Tuesday – George B. Harvey of Harpers arrived In Dublin and spent five days with Clemens,  choosing 100,000 words from the 250,000 of the Autobiography for publication in the North American Review. Harvey left on Aug. 4 [Aug. 3 to Clara]. Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Col. Harvey arrived late this evening at 9:45” [MTP TS 102].

Sam wrote to Charlotte Teller Johnson.