May – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam inscribed a copy of LM to an unidentified person: “Mark Twain /. I published this book at my own expense, as an experiment in economy. It cost me fifty-six thousand dollars before the first copy issued from the press. / SLC / May, 1908.”
Sam discussed The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine (1737-1809) with Albert Bigelow Paine, who quotes Twain:
May 1 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam replied to the Apr. 30 to Frances Nunnally.
The way you are arranging things, you little rascal, what sort of a glimpse of you am I going to get? Before the 6th of June we shall be living in the house I am building in the country. However, it isn’t far away—only an hour & a half. When you arrive here I will come to town & see you—& then I hope you & your mother can run out to the villa with me & give me a visit.
May 2 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Headache. So ill all day, for I wept without control for hours last night, because I was exhausted, and the fact that Santa [Clara] misunderstood all my efforts, in working over the house. My anxiety over the finishings, my interest in my search for the right thing for the King’s house has all been misinterpreted, and the child says I am trying to ignore her. All my effort has been to please her, to keep her from the dreary search of hours and hours to find the right thing, or shape or color.
May 3 Sunday– Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Ill all day, but I did go up to the Wayland’s for dinner with a stiff larynx—and a heavy heart” [MTP: IVL TS 51].
A.J. Dawson wrote from Scotland to ask Sam, “When will you come back again? The U.S. shouldn’t be selfish; we too have rights….Yours so affectionately.” Dawson quoted Sam’s “The Aged Pilot Man” from RI (1872) [MTP].
May 4 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam replied to the May 3 from Dorothy Quick.
You are just a dear, you little rascal! I shall be so glad to see you. I shall be downstairs waiting for you at 11.30 when you come.
It was lovely of you to send me the original MS of the story.
We certainly did have good times in Tuxedo, & I guess we will duplicate them in the new house in the country. We’ll start The Author’s League again, & you will dictate & I will be your amanuensis.
May 5 Tuesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Eulabee Dix / Mr. Clemens remembers that you want a sitting for his hand./ Margery. / Mustn’t forget that Mr. Clemens is counting on your & Carolines visit. It isn’t entirely selfish” [MTP: IVL TS 52]. Note: this entry is on a separate scrap of paper, undated and placed in this date; it may not relate.
May 6 Wednesday – In N.Y.C. Isabel Lyon wrote for Sam to Frederick A. Duneka.
“Mr. Clemens asks me to write for him & say that as these people want such a small quantity of stuff, & as it would look better to be in the collection than out of it, if you have no objection he will tell them to go ahead” [MTP]. Note: likely some unidentified group wanting to reprint snippets of Mark Twain’s published works, though also unidentified.
May 7 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “I dined, Mother too, with the Waylands at the Café Beaux Arts and then we went to see Margaret Illington [Frohman] again in ‘The Thief’”[MTP: IVL TS 52].
Charles H. Keep for the Knickerbocker Trust sent a form letter thanking Sam as one of their depositors, allowing them to reorganize [MTP].
May 8 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Dorothy Quick.
(Joan of Arc’s Day.)
Your letter came last night, dear, & brought me such a disappointment. I am so sorry you have a cold, but glad you are taking proper care of it. It would not be wise for you to make a journey in the draughty cars at such a time.
May 9 Saturday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Dorothy Sturgis.
Dear Miss Dorothy:
May 10 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “The Waylands and the Frohmans were here for dinner again, and a young journalist” [MTP: IVL TS 53].
Frances Nunnally wrote to Sam.
May 11 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Margaret Frohman has sent me a darling colonial tea service” [MTP: IVL TS 53].
A.C. Furbush wrote from Georgetown, Conn., hearing of Sam’s plans to donate books to start a library in West Redding at the Umpawaug Chapel. Furbush argued that Clemens’ books would get better exposure if he donated them to Georgetown’s library, which was recently started by laboring people [MTP].
May 12 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Dorothy Quick.
You dear little Dorothy, it was very fortunate that you escaped the pinkeye, for although a cold is bad, pinkeye is worse, & is a stubborn & painful malady.
I shall look for you Saturday morning with high anticipations. We’ve got a box for “Girls,” & they say it is very good, & is clean & wholesome & hasn’t any of that horrible ballet-dancing in it, such as we saw last Saturday.
May 13 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote a letter of introduction for George M. Robinson, wealthy Elmira furniture maker, to Bram Stoker. “This is George Robinson, a friend of mine of 40 years’ standing, & I hope you will tell him the things he wishes to know, for Clara’s sake & mine” [MTP]. Note: George M. Robinson was a lineal descendant of John Robinson, one of the Mayflower emigrants of 1620. See Aug. 20, 1890 entry, Vol. II. Also, the reference to Clara and the need for Sam’s note become clear by this May 14, 1908, p.
May 14 Thursday – Sam left 21 Fifth Ave. at 10 a.m., sat on the platform for the City College Ceremonies for three and a half hours, then returned home at 3 p.m. and an hour later took a walk: “At 4 I walked out to 57th street & made a call, then came back in the ’bus—for it was raining” [May 15 to Jean]. In the evening he gave a speech for the banquet of the Alumni of the City College, below:
May 15 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Greenwich, Conn.
May 16 Saturday – Dorothy Quick arrived in New York for a visit and stay-over at Sam’s house until Monday, May 18. With Isabel Lyon, the pair had tickets for “Girls” at Daly’s Theatre:
Insert: Girls, play at Daly’s theatre (See May 12 to Quick)
May 17 Sunday – Dorothy Sturgis wrote to Sam.
Dear Mr. Clemens.
You are indeed a most noted personage if a letter will reach you without any address on it at all. But do tell me why it went to Hartford, did you ever live there?
I saw a lovely article about you in the Transcript the other day, headed
May 18 Monday – Dorothy Quick ended her weekend visit and left for home in the late afternoon [May 19 to Allen].
Howells & Stokes wrote to advise Sam the cost of bookcases on drawing #45 would be $267
Elizabeth Jordan wrote to Lyon (though catalogued to Clemens). She was delighted he would come if in town [MTP].
Robert Mountsier for Univ. of Michigan Students Lecture Assoc. wrote to invite Sam to lecture sometime during the coming year [MTP].
May 19 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Helen S. Allen in Hamilton, Bermuda.
I am so sorry, you dear child! You must be pretty desolate, now, with so many of your pets gone. I hope the disaster will not spoil the fancy dress dance for you.
May 20 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean, now under the care of Dr. Harlands and Dr. Peterson, in a house taken for the summer at Eastern Point, Gloucester, Mass. Two hired nurses, Edith and Mildred Cowles, and friend Marguerite Schmidt, looked after her there. Insert: Eastern Point Lighthouse, erected and first lit, 1832.
May 21 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Gloucester, Mass.
Thursday night.
May 22 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote condolences to George de Forest Brush, after hearing of his loss from daughter Jean.
May 23 Saturday – Harper & Brothers wrote to Sam, advising him not to satisfy the request of Rossiter Johnson, who wanted “permission to include in his forthcoming set of books the synopsis of 2 or 3 of” Sam’s books, and to stick to “that policy which you have followed so consistently in refusing permission for your works & name to be associated with other publications…” [MTP].
Robert W. Breckons wrote on U.S. Attorney’s Office, Honolulu, to ask Sam to put his autograph on enclosed postcard for Breckons’ eight year old daughter [MTP].
May 24 Sunday – Clara Clemens’ cabled from England that she had arrived safely. The cable arrived in the morning at 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. [May 24 to Sturgis] Sam then sent a telegram to daughter Jean, c/o Dr. Harlands: “Clara has arrived safely. Much love to you. Father” [MTP]. Note: Clara Clemens had arrived in England for her singing tour of Paris and London.
Sam also replied to the May 21 from Dorothy Sturgis:
Dear Dorothy—