The Man in the White Suit: Day By Day

March 10 Tuesday – At the invitation of ship’s captain, John Gay, Sam spent much of the day aboard a British Cruiser, the HMS Cressy, enjoying laughter and stories in the Officers’ Mess [Mar. 12 to Quick]. William Evarts Benjamin accompanied him. The Cressy was one of three warships anchored at the Dockyard, Ireland Island, Sandys Parish [D. Hoffman 115-16]. Note: since he did not mention his time aboard ship in the following three letters, they were likely written in the a.m. before boarding. Sam would mention this time aboard the ship to Dorothy Quick in his Mar.

March 10 Wednesday — Clemens A.D. for this day is listed by MTP. In a note in the L-A MS, Clemens wrote, “About10th (suspicious) Duneka examined securities. Reported 12th.”

March 10 Thursday — Albert Bigelow Paine wrote from Redding to Clemens about his bank statement and thanked Sam for his list of checks sent. He wondered if Jean’s estate should be settled and suggested a “Jean Clemens Memorial Library building on the lot Adams donated. Jean passed there every day on her way to the mail and the farm was her joy. She spent eight of her happiest months here in Redding, & she loved it here, and I would like the people to remember her and love her memory” [MTP].

March 11 Saturday – Sam wrote the following concerning his birthday. This piece was later found in an autograph album. Note Sam’s comparison of himself to George Washington:

Nov 30, 1835.

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 11 Wednesday – Sam attended a garden party at the Governor J.H. Wodehouse’s house and enjoyed music by a British band, which he called the “best band in the British army save one—the Horseguards” [Mar. 12 to Quick]. Note: if IVL’s lined out phrase for this date means anything, Benjamin went with him.

March 11 Thursday — In Redding, Conn. Sam began a letter to daughter Clara that he finished Mar. 14, expressing concerns about her suspicions of theft by Isabel Lyon from household accounts. Some time previously, while Lyon was recovering from her breakdown in Hartford, Clara began investigating for irregularities in the household finances. Sam’s reference to losing sleep “again” indicates Clara had voiced her suspicions sometime prior to this day, and Ashcroft had been asked for a reporting of the books.

March 11 Friday — Sam went to the Hamilton Hotel, Bermuda to hear the garrison band play. Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Collier arrived for a two-week stay in the Islands [Mar. !2 to Clara].

March 12 Sunday – Sam inscribed in Clara Clemens’ copy of JA (volume 17, Hillcrest ed.): Every one is a moon, & has / a dark side which he / never shows to any body. / Mark Twain / March 12, 1905.” [Sotheby’s, Sept. 1962].

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 12 Thursday – At the Princess Hotel in Hamilton, Bermuda Sam began a letter to Dorothy Quick that he added to on Mar. 13, and 16. Sam relates activities of this day, as well as time spent on Mar. 10 and 11.

My poor little Dorothy, I hope you are well again, & will write a line & tell me so. I wish you were here—you would be on your feet right away.

We are to be here about 20 days yet. We sail for New York April 1.

March 12 Friday — In a note in the L-A MS, Clemens wrote, “About 10th (suspicious) Duneka examined securities. Reported 12th. Note: securities? Hill writes of the Lyon-Ashcroft MS:

Ashcroft was “guilty” of selling Clemens Spiral Pin stock, of having fired Horace Hazen, of having presented a number of legal documents for Clemens’ signature which the forgetful old man could not remember signing, and of having an excessively florid prose style.

March 12 Saturday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Clara Clemens Gabrilowitsch and Ossip Gabrilowitsch.

March 13 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave. in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Susan Crane. Only the bottom of the page survives: “Sue dear, beg for me with St. Peter if you get there first. He will remember me as the young fellow who tried for his place & couldn’t pass the examinations—at that time” [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Muriel M. Pears, now in Washington, D.C.

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 13 Friday – At the Princess Hotel in Hamilton, Bermuda Sam added to his Mar. 12 to Dorothy Quick.

Friday, 9 p.m. This has been a lovely summer day, very brilliant & not uncomfortably warm. If you would only come, you could stop those deadly medicines & soon get well.

The ball has begun, & I think I will go down & look on.

March 13 before — Robert J. Collier sent an engraved invitation for Sam to meet Theodore Roosevelt at breakfast on Saturday, Mar. 13 at noon at 752 Park Avenue, NYC [MTP].

March 13 Saturday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Mrs. Helen Kerr Blackmer at the Woman’s Club, N.Y.C. (Margaret Blackmer’s, mother).

Dear Mrs. Blackmer:

March 13 Sunday — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam wrote to Dorothy Quick, who evidently had just been in Bermuda with her mother but had left on a family emergency.

March 14 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave. in N.Y.C. Sam replied to Joe Twichell’s Mar. 13.

Dear Joe,—I have a Puddn’head maxim:

“When a man is a pessimist before 48 he knows too much; if he is an optimist after it, he knows too little.”

March 14 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam replied to Edward M. Foote’s Mar. 9 invitation:

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 14 Saturday – At the Princess Hotel in Hamilton, Bermuda Sam began a letter to Frances Nunnally that he added a PS to on Mar. 16.

I was very glad to get your letter, Francesca dear, & also glad that you all escaped uninjured from the fire. But I hope you won’t be subjected to any more risks of that kind.