The Man in the White Suit: Day By Day

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 9 Sunday – Dorothy Quick was spending the weekend with Clemens. She left the next day.

February 9 Tuesday — In Redding, Conn. Sam sent the “Posing for Admiration” postcard to Margery Hamilton Clinton. “Ashcroft has must arrived with the news—& your date—Tuesday the 23*, You are a very dear plumber, & will be most welcome. Bring several changes of soldering irons—for you must stay as long as you can. / Affectionately” [MTP].

E. Mayban Denbeigh wrote from NY asking for “<a little message” to read to her literary club [MTP].

February 9 Wednesday — W.T. Whaley wrote in a child’s hand from Waxahachie, Texas to offer condolences and ask for a photograph [MTP].

January 1 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: contains a list of things to do lined through as if completed:

January 1 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y.C. Sam replied to Gertrude Natkin’s Dec. 31 note.

Don’t forget, dear, to make your New-Year good-resolutions. Not that I think you need any reforming, for I don’t; I love you plenty well enough, just as you are. Happy New-Year! I forgot to say it before: this comes of being 17 times as old as you are, & accordingly cripple in my mind & forgetful [MTP].

Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Jean, 11; 1:20, 7 p.m., very severe.

January 1 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean, about how he rang in the New Year:  

Jean dear, we had grand times last night: “Sham,” played by Clara—burlesquing grand opera— assisted by [Witter] Bynner & George Gilder & Miss Burbank—most delightfully played. “Pain” played by me as a baby, with Miss Burbank for the mother & Miss Lyon as nurse. “Champagne” played by Bynner & me as the Siamese Twins” ( I getting drunk on wine drunk by him.)

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 1 Friday – In Redding, Conn., Isabel V. Lyon replied for Sam to the Dec. 28, 1908 from Clara Frazer in Withers Mill, Mo.

Dear Miss Frazer: / Mr. Clemens asks me to write for him & say certainly you may have that photograph copyrighted, & then used on post cards.

It is such a pretty little photograph that when the cards are printed, Mr Clemens hopes to have some of them.

January 1 Saturday — Sam signed a typewritten letter to an unidentified person concerning the appointment of Albert B. Paine as his secretary and manager of his affairs [MTP: American Arts Association-Anderson Galleries catalogs, No. 4346, 11-12 Nov. 1937, Item 89].

Sam also wrote to Elizabeth Wallace.

Dear Betsy: / I cant write. For I am ill with a cold—the first one I have had in two years. The pain in my breast has come back—so I am leaving for Bermuda next Wednesday, for an indefinite stay.

January 10 Tuesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Today busy with check book and uninteresting mail during the morning. Mr. Clemens is still in his bed, but looks very much better than he did, and today Dr. Quintard pronounced him nearly normal. I played over the Tschaikowsky Finale of the Sonata Pathetique today. It is very beautiful.

January 10 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

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 10 Sunday – Richard Watson Gilder wrote on Wells College, Aurora NY letterhead to ask Sam if he could be present on Wed. Jan. 13 at Carnegie Hall, 5 p.m. for a meeting in memory of Stedman—“if it wouldn’t be a burden” [MTP].

January 10 Monday — Albert Bigelow Paine wrote from Redding to Clemens:

January 11 Wednesday – On or just after this day at 21 Fifth Ave. in N.Y.C. Sam responded to a questionnaire (“Questions Pertaining to Medical Legislation”) sent by Andrew C. Biggs, a “non-Medical physician” sent this day, from Greensboro, N.C. To all but two of the questions Sam either answered “no” or left unanswered. To the other two:

4. In your opinion, are the medical practice laws now in force in some of the states, drawn solely in behalf of the general public? If not, what other purpose do they serve?

January 11 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam declined an invitation from an unidentified man, giving the reason that “I have made all the engagements for this year that I can keep” [MTP].

Sam also sent a telegram to Thomas Bailey Aldrich and Lilian W. Aldrich in Boston: “A happy voyage and a quick return” [MTP].

Clemens’ A.D. for this day involved a Jan. 3 letter from Laura K. Hudson and his reply of Jan. 12 concerning his Dec. 17, 1877 Whittier birthday “debacle” [AMT 1: 260-267].

January 11 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y., after dictating and playing billiards, Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Katonah.  

Dear Jean, I do hope you are feeling happier, by this time, it wrung my heart to see you so disappointed, & I could not help thinking all the time how grieved your mother would have been to see you long for a thing—anything—& have to be denied it. [in a paragraph, Sam encouraged her to see the best in people; that she’d be happier that way]

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 11 Monday – In Redding, Conn. Sam inscribed his photo to Anne Sullivan Macy

(Mrs. John Albert Macy): “To Mrs. John Sullivan Macy, with warm regard, & with limitless admiration of the wonders she has performed as a miracle-worker—/ Mark Twain / Stormfield, Jan. 11/09.” [MTP].  

Sam’s new guestbook:  

Name Address Date Remarks

Helen Keller  Jan. 11 [see below]

January 11 Tuesday - In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Albert B. Paine in West Redding, Conn,

January 12 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Mr. Twichell has been very interesting in his description of the way that General Sickles lost his leg in the battle of Gettysburg. Mr. Twichell was chaplain in Gen. Sickles’ regiment. / Today Mr. & Mrs. Twichell left” [MTP: TS 37]. Note: Daniel Edgar Sickles (1823-1914), General, NY Congressman, attorney. See AMT 1: 565-6 for more on Sickles.

Isabel Lyon’s journal #2: Miss Harrison deposited $800 in the Manhattan bank credit of Haskard & Co. Horace