February 22 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote instructions and a draft for Isabel Lyon to use to reply to Laura M. Dake (Laura Wright), who had written on Feb. 12 and 16.

February 23 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Joan of Arc” [MTP TS 31].

George J. Helmer, the family’s NY osteopath, wrote to ask Sam for his continued support “just by speaking the word” for the bill on Osteopathy in Albany. On this day Sam replied on Helmer’s letter: “gave 2 or 3 days of time without object[.] Did for the cause once what wouldn’t have done for any other cause for 10000—Didn’t do any good & doesn’t care to repeat that experience” [MTP].

February 24 Sunday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Clara, now at the Hotel Worthy in Springfield, Mass. on a singing tour.  

I shall watch with interest for your code-signals, Clärchen dear, & shall hope that they will bring good news from my self-banished exile.

I like Mr. Wark & his honest blue eyes ever so much. I think you are fortunate to be in his guardianship.

February 25 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Katonah, N.Y.  

Your news about yourself in your letter of yesterday is exceedingly welcome, & tallies with what Anna said when she was here the other day.

February 25-28 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam replied to the Feb. 21 from John B. Downing, (“Alligator Jack”).

February 26 Tuesday – With Clara and Paine gone, the house was rather empty and Isabel Lyon was unable to find social contacts for him. Isabel Lyon’s journal:

February 27 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Drake sale—Tuxedo” [MTP TS 32].

Emil Leopold Boas of the Hamburg-American Line wrote to Sam. “It is too bad. Can you not shirk your duty for once? It would give me great pleasure to have you as one of our guests on one of those trips. / With kind regards…” [MTP]. Note: Sam replied Feb. 28.

Arthur E. Bullard for Friends of Russian Freedom wrote to Sam enclosing a revised copy of the petition Sam had agreed to [MTP].

February 28 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam replied to the Feb. 27 from Emil Leopold Boas. “No, I should not know how to go about it. I once tried to shirk a duty, 25 years ago, & to this day I still suffer agonies of remorse every time I think of it” [MTP].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “AB home. Candace Wheeler – Mrs. Stuart. Drake Sale” [MTP TS 32].

March – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Osip I. Feldman, hypnotist. “This bust is better than the original. At least it seems so to me; & it also seemed so at the time that the gifted artist made it 9 years ago in Vienna. I am glad to see it again [MTP: Levidova, Mark Twain: A Bibliographic Catalog of Russian Translations, etc.1974 p.133]. Note: At least two busts of Twain were made in Vienna: by Theresa Ries in Dec. 1897 and by Ernest Hegenbarth in Jan. 1898.

March – May? – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Leonard Henslowe. “I am shut up with illness; but even if I were well I would not be interviewed by any but an enemy, & I am sure I do not take you for that” [MTP]. Note: Henslowe’s incoming not extant.

March 1 Friday – Fatout lists a speech for Sam at the William Dean Howells dinner [MT Speaking 676]. Note: On Feb. 19, George B. Harvey had invited Sam for a Mar. 1 birthday dinner for Howells at the Cosmopolitan Club. No record was found for the contents of Sam’s remarks. See Feb. 19 entry.  

Sam wrote “to any friend or acquaintance of mine” [MTP]. Note: not found at MTP.

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Terrible headache” [MTP TS 32].

March 2 Saturday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote congratulations to Murat and Mary Banks Halstead on their 50 wedding anniversary. The letter is not extant but was reported by the New York Times, Mar. 3, p. 7 “Halstead’s Golden Wedding.”

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “The Chorus Lady. King spent night at Rogers” [MTP TS 32]. Note: The Chorus Lady written by James Forbes and produced by Henry B. Harris, played at the Hackett Theatre, NYC.

March 3 Sunday – In the evening Sam dined with the Robert J. Collier’s and a “dozen other guests.” He wore his “full evening dress of white broadcloth” and called it “just stunning!” [Mar. 5 to Clara; Jean; IVL TS 32].

March 4 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Emilie R. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers).

March 5 Tuesday – In the morning Sam signed the lease for William Voss’ house in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. (about 30 miles from N.Y.C.) from May to October, 1907 [Mar. 5 to Jean; Hill 164]. The house was near Harry and Mary Rogers. Trombley writes that Sam carried on “an extended negotiation” with Voss reducing the rent from $2,400 to $1,500 [MTOW 133]. Note: the gated community was built in 1886 by Pierre Lorillard IV (1833-1901), the tobacco magnate, as a retreat for his rich New York friends.

March 6 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Letter from Isabel F. Hapgood.

March 7 Thursday – Sam did not attend the memorial meeting for the late Ernest Howard Crosby, one of the founders of the Social Reform Club, but sent a letter (not extant), as did a few other luminaries. Sam was listed in the Feb. 23 NY Times article as being among those in charge of the meeting in Cooper Union [NY Times, Mar. 8, p.2 “Honor Crosby’s Memory”].

Franklin and Harriet Whitmore came for a three-day stay with Sam [Mar. 12 to Clara; Hill 165; IVL TS 32].

March 8 Friday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Mr. & Mrs. Gilder were here for luncheon today, & the chat was pleasant. The talk after luncheon fell on the Shelly Keats Memorial & the part Mr. Clemens took in it & Mrs. Whitmore asked him to read Rabbi Ben Ezra to us—which he did.

March 9 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Yesterday came a letter from AB containing a beautiful tribute to the King. I’ll keep it right here. The King was sweetly moved by it. He lies in bed a lot these days when he isn’t flitting around the billiard table. He played all the afternoon, or much of it after Mr. Stanchfield who had been lunching here left us. This morning I sat in the King’s dressing room while he shaved, & went over the batch of mail there.

March 10 Sunday – Franklin and Harriet Whitmore ended their three-day visit at 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. with Sam [Mar. 12 to Clara].

March 11 Monday – In N.Y.C. Isabel V. Lyon replied for Sam to the Mar. 1 reqeust from Calvin H. Higbie, enclosing the MS Higbie had sent the previous summer. Higbie had lost his copy. Sam also wanted to clarify Albert Bigelow Paine’s legitimate position as his biographer with Higbie, who evidently had misunderstood his role. Paine was “well on his way to California” [MTP].

March 12 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Clara, who evidently had chided him for wearing his white suit in public.  

Clara dear, your impression was right. The white clothes are for home use, and are not to be worn outside, except at the tables of very intimate friends.

Your growing popularity does certainly give me a good many pangs, and yet I want it to continue, and increase. It is curious, but I feel just so about it.

March 13 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: The check has gone off for the Bermuda tickets, & we are to sail on Saturday. Mr. Howells came in to see the King this afternoon & said that Mrs. Howells is proposing to go to Bermuda on the 28th, but that he has to pretend indifference, otherwise she’d back down at once. For tht’s what she always does. It’s her illness that causes her to oppose anything that Mr. Howells wants to do.

March 14 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: This morning I mentioned R.U. Johnson not being at a meeting & the King let on to be astonished, & he said “Oh Jesus, No Johnson. Undershirt!” Mr. Rogers arrived pretty early & the King was in the bathroom; he came along the hall in his night clothes & his old red slippers, saying “Oh yes, oh yes, I reckon you’ll find that somebody else is up just as early as you are” & then as the door closed, followed the usual affectionate abuse of each other.

March 15 Friday – Sam sat for A.F. Bradley, a New York photographer. Isabel Lyon’s journal recorded the event: