September 23 Sunday – In Norfolk, Conn. at midnight, Sam added to his Sept. 21 and 22 letter to Mary B. Rogers.
Midnight. It’s over!,
Sack, it was a distinct triumph!—an unqualified triumph—a triumph without any alloying doubts hanging about it—a beautiful, & blood-stirring, & spirit-satisfying triumph; & I would rather have lost one of my ear than missed it, & I would have contributed the other one to have you there.
September 24 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Charlotte Teller Johnson.
September 25 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave. in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Isabel V. Lyon, with a humorous end note to daughter Jean, in Dublin, N.H.
About 10 last night Clara took the alarm & fled to the sanitarium in 69 street. It was because the tearing up of the avenue made such a pounding racket. I hope she will stay there—for two reasons. Miss Gordon is good company for her, & there’s none here; & up there she is close to Luckstone.
September 26 Wednesday – NYC: Sam inscribed a photograph of himself sitting up in bed to Katy Leary: “It is your human environment that makes the climate. To Katy Leary, with the affectionate regards of her friend. / Mark Twain / Sept 26/06” [MTP].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Petit mal all day. / I got up to lie out in the sunshine with a piteously aching & suffering & quivering spine. AB came out with the mail & he took a lot of it away to dictate answers to Miss Hobby” [MTP TS 122].
September 27 Thursday – In the evening at 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Ralph W. Ashcroft.
The Colonel [Harvey] has just gone. I expected he would not be willing that any but Harpers should issue the brochure, & he wasn’t.
He wants to put the 7 [photographs on being good] in the Xmas Weekly—a huge & elaborate number—& says he can print them perfectly; so I told him to go ahead. Miss Lyon is suffering a severe nervous collapse [MTP].
September 28 Friday – About this day Sam went to Fairhaven, Mass. for the weekend. His Oct. 2 to Clara reveals he left Fairhaven for Dublin on Oct. 1.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Jean, 1:30 and 6:00 on porch.
September 29 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:
I have had to ask Mr. Clemens to come back on Monday.
September 30 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:
October – Sam inscribed an aphorism in a copy of P&P to an unidentified person: “On the whole it is better to deserve honors & not have them, than have them & not deserve them. / Truly Yours / Mark Twain / Oct/06” [MTP].
Sam also sent a signed aphorism on an octavo sheet to an unidentified person: “Taking the pledge will not make bad liquor good, but will improve it” [MTP].
October 1 Monday – Sam left Fairhaven, Mass. and returned to Dublin, N.H. at 8 p.m. He replied to the Sept. 30 of Thomas Bailey Aldrich.
October 2 Tuesday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam began a letter to daughter Clara that he finished Oct. 3.
Clara dear, perhaps you thought I couldn’t leave my niece, Mary Rogers, but I did it. I came away from Fairhaven yesterday. Everything is going well here, except that Miss Lyon is still feeble & has to go carefully & not over-exert herself. But she is up & around, comes to meals, chats, laughs, plays the orchestrelle a little, & signs checks. I believe she will soon be quite well.
October 3 Wednesday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam finished his Oct. 3 to daughter Clara, in care of John Walker, 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y.C. 6, a.m., Wednesday.
Take my bedroom—you will never hear a hoof-click there. And keep it, permanently, if your own room is big enough for a billiard room. I hope it is, & I feel sure it is. I think I know it is.
I must telegraph you this to-day, dear [MTP].
Sam also replied to the Sept. 27 from Brander Matthews.
October 4 Thursday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam replied to the Sept. 27 from Anne W. Stockbridge.
Dear Miss Stockbridge (if she really exists):
257 Benefit Street (if there is any such place)
Yes, I should like a copy of that other letter. This whole fake is delightful, & I tremble with fear that you are a fake yourself & that I am your guileless prey. (But never mind, it isn’t any matter) Now as to publication. I shall be going home to New York 8 days hence— 21 Fifth Avenue
October 5 Friday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam replied to the Oct. 3 from (Harold) Witter Bynner, supporting Bynner’s decision to devote himself to poetry.
Dear Poet: / You have certainly done right—for several good reasons; at least, of them, I can name two: 1. With your reputation you can have your freedom & yet earn your living: if you fall short of succeeding to your wish, your reputation will provide you another job. And so, in high approval I suppress the scolding & give you the saintly & fatherly pat instead.
October 6 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:
All day, wind & rain.
With the afternoon mail came a letter from AB to the King—a love letter & the most beautiful love letter ever written. The King was deeply moved as he read it & when he called me in from my study his voice was shaking as he said, “Superb, superb! and worth waiting 70 years for.” He gave me the letter to read & it made me weep, even as he had wept. I didn’t know A.B. could write so exquisitely.
October 7 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:
It’s night now & I’ve just come to my room. The King called a minute ago & when I went to my door to see what he wanted, he stood in his own doorway & with gritting teeth said, “I wish you’d gather together my bobtailed flannel night shirts & burn them! I wish they were all in hell! I hate them so!”
He has been giving us a lovely evening, for he has been reading poetry for more than an hour— the old English ballads, & war poems
October 8 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:
The King is filled with the idea of defying conventionalities & wearing his suitable white clothes all winter, so he has bidden me order 5 new suits from his tailor; the suits to be ready against the time we arrive in N.Y. He was a creature of inspiration today even to his toe tips. He was a lambent spirit, & the dictating was beautiful. I sat in the study, writing some, but listening most; & drawing checks.
October 9 Tuesday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam wrote to daughter Clara, in care of John Walker,
Clara dear I hope you are sleeping well, now, & without the help of drugs. Certainly broken sleep is a bad thing. I have suffered from it several times lately. Twice it has cost me my day’s work. This morning it took me half an hour to dictate a dozen sentences—then I gave it up. A day or two ago I had the like experience.
October 10 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:
October 10-16 Tuesday – Sam wrote two aphorisms to Henry Darracott Allison, of saving work for tomorrows, and of being better to deserve but not receive credit than the other way around [MTP: from Allison’s Dublin Days Old and New: New Hampshire Fact and Fancy (1952) ].
October 11 Thursday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam began a letter to Mary B. Rogers that he added to on Oct. 12, 13, and 16.
Thursday. 6 pm
Dublin, Oct. 12/06.
It isn’t right to pelt you with a letter so soon, dear pal, but there’s been a cloud-lift today & I’ve got to jubilate with somebody or expire with satisfaction. Next, I will write Clara, & between you two I expect to quiet down & become rational again.
October 12 Friday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam added to his Oct. 11 to Mary B. Rogers.
Next Day, 11a.m.—Friday.
What a useful creature you are, Saccharin! When I’ve lost my sleep & can’t dictate coherently & have to quit trying, I can turn for relief to you—I can entertain myself with scribbling incoherently to you, & you have to put up with it. Clara likewise.
October 13 Saturday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam added to his Oct. 11 and 12 to Mary B. Rogers.
9.30 a.m. Saturday
I have been editing this letter with the scissors—for I had put into it the very dismal news which I had spared you in that recent note. I went to that dinner-party at the MacVeagh’s palace last night—in white clothes. All the others of both sexes—in their noblest evening costumery. (But I know all those people familiarly.)
It is a time of surprises.
October 14 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:
Mrs. William Cabot came out this afternoon for a quiet talk with me, recalling still more of the great depths of Gerry’s nature. Then Mrs. Pumpelly came in with Mrs. H. Cabot. The Pumpellys are leaving next week & expect to sail on Nov. 3rd for Italy. Thence they go down to Egypt for 6 weeks, then stop at Athens on their way back to Italy, where they expect to spend the rest of the winter in Capri.
October 15 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Jean, 8 a.m. / The King dictated today & I went over to Keene & dentistry” [MTP TS 136].
Clemens’ A.D. of this day included: Item from Susy’s biography about Sour Mash & the flies —Livy Clemens’ experiment for destroying the flies in the Hartford house—Soap-bubble item from Susy’s biography; Clemens’s comments—Clemens’ experience in learing to ride-high bicycle—Letters regarding his fiftieth birthday [MTP Autodict2].