November 23 Monday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to William Dean Howells, addressing the letter:
“Mr. W. D. Howells |at the Burlington just aft the Holland House, 30th st., on the port tack as you pull out of 5th avenue reaching for 6th, on a taut bowline. New York City |N. Y.”
Dear Howells:
There’ll be a vacant bed Friday Nov 26th—do come up & occupy it & stay a few days. The early train (for Redding) leaves the Grand Central at 8.50 a.m.
November 23 Tuesday — Sam and Paine Stayed at the Hamilton Hotel for the first three days of their visit, which D, Hoffman cites from Marion Allen’s diary as unexpected [135]. Paine writes of their activities the day after their arrival:
November 24 Thursday – In Lee Mass. Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Tabitha “Puss” Greening (Quarles) in Palmyra, Mo. that Sam was in New York but had said he was sorry for her “sad loss” and asked Lyon to send the enclosed check for $25 to help with funeral expenses [MTP]. Note: Greening had written on Nov. 19, letter in the Vassar collection, but not listed by MTPO.
November 24 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y., Sam spoke into a graphophone, dictating a letter that Isabel Lyon later wrote to Dr. Osgood:
Dear Dr. Osgood:
Your letter gives me very great pleasure. I believe there is no greater pleasure than that which one gets out of a compliment heartily expressed. Your warm words have gone to my heart and I am grateful for them.
November 24 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Came to Hfd. —Allyn House” [MTP TS 148]. Note: she had been ill since Nov. 14.
Clemens’ A.D. of this day included: More about international copyright—Congresses & Parliaments made up of men who know nothing about the matter—Clemens disputes with Lord Thring his statement that there is no property in ideas [MTP Autodict2]. The segment was selected for MTE [372-80].
Andrew Carnegie wrote to Sam.
November 24 Sunday – Mary L. Brady wrote to thank Sam for the P&P play; she also praised Mrs. Fry and Miss Herts [MTP].
Richard Conried wrote from NYC to ask to include Clemens’ name on the list of patrons for their Jan. 7 Benefit Entertainment, Manhattan Trade School for Girls [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote on the letter, “Use the name”
Kate Douglas Riggs wrote a verse in reply to Sam’s thanks for the “noble feed & noble company” note of Nov. 22 [MTP]. Note: see the poem in MTJ, 21:3 (Spring, 1983).
November 24 Tuesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Will arrived early and Santa. / Prof. Sanford came today to see about having the library moved to Redding Centre. The Hawaiian mantel came today, but the beautiful Koa wood has been polished until it is terribly yellow, and it won’t go anywhere. Steve Barr and Mr. Adams lugged it around from billiard to dining room— but the polish of it was fearful. The King declared it too offensive, but suggested that all the wonderful shine be scraped off—so the men carried it to the garage to reduce its coloring [MTP: IVL TS 80-81].
November 24 Wednesday — The last of three days’ stay at the Hamilton Hotel. Sam kept their rooms there but stayed mostly with the Allens at Bay House [Nov. 26 to Clara]. On Dec. 6, however, he wrote daughter Jean that the Allens wouldn’t let him stay at the hotel so he gave up his room, Likely Paine kept his room.
November 25 Friday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Lee, Mass.
November 25 Sunday – In N.Y.C. Sam inscribed his “bad liquor good” aphorism in a copy of HF to Isabel Lyon’s journal (in Hartford): “Quietly in bed I stayed. Hattie came in in the morning. I saw Leila in the afternoon” [MTP TS 148]. Note: see letter to Clemens below. Garth W. Cate [MTP].
Isabel V. Lyon wrote a note to Sam.
November 25 Monday – Julia Barnett Rice for the Society of Suppression of Noise wrote to Sam: “Dear Mr. Clemens / We both thank you—the small boy and I. /Gratefully yours…” [MTP]. Note: Rice was crusading against fireworks that injured and killed many small boys each July.
November 25 Wednesday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Margery Hamilton Clinton, 39 E. 57th, N.Y.C.
Dear Plumber:
Oh no, bless your heart, you are not in any danger of losing your job. All you have to do is to be sweet, & look sweet, & sit around & let on to plumb, same as the others do. These are the only requirements in your case, & they will always come easy to you. Your job is quite secure.
November 25 Thursday — Thanksgiving Day — In Hamilton, Bermuda Sam joined the Allen family at Bay House for Thanksgiving dinner. He enjoyed it so much there that he stayed with them for the remainder of his Bermuda visit [D. Hoffman 135].
November 26 Saturday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote thanks to an unidentified man.
“I hardly need to say that your letter has given me great pleasure—you would know that,yourself—& I thank you very very much” [MTP].
Harper’s Weekly in “A Constant Reader,” ran “The God of Battles,” p. 1814. Tenney: “Incorrectly ascribes to MT a letter in the previous issue. Also, p. 1820, a brief MT anecdote on an occasion when he missed his steamboat and made no excuse in his report: ‘My boat left at 7.20. I arrived at the wharf at 7.35 and could not catch it’” [39].
November 26 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Andrew Carnegie at 2 E. 91 St., N.Y.C..
Dear St. Andrew:— / I should be delighted to be able to attend that dinner of yours, and would endeavor to come in a proper frame of mind, if the people who are trying to doctor me would let me come at all; but I have had many warnings from them, and from other sources, which convince me that I must stay in the house, hereafter, at night. If I were allowed to go any place after dark, it would be to your dinner [MTP].
November 26 Tuesday – Nelle R. Eberhart, Oscar Eberhart, Charles Wakefield Codman, and Blanche K. Knowlton wrote from Homestead Pa. to Editors of Harper’s. “We have just finished reading ‘Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven.’ / Give us more on the same plan. We have been reading advanced thought for fifteen years and rarely find much that is congenial in the magazines” [MTP].
John H. Johnston wrote to Sam.
November 26 Thursday – Thanksgiving – Elizabeth Wallace, whom Sam had met upon his arrival in Bermuda on Jan. 26, arrived at Stormfield for a visit of several days. She is listed for this day in Sam’s new guestbook, with his note under Remarks: “Stayed several days but not long enough. Blackmer, discovered her in Bermuda about a year ago.” She left Stormfield the morning of Nov. 29. In her 1914 recollection, Mark Twain and the Happy Island, Wallace writes:
November 26 Friday — In Hamilton Bermuda Sam wrote to daughter Clara.
Clärchen dear, I do hope Jean & the house are getting along well, for I don’t feel a bit like leaving this peaceful refuge. If I could be sure of Jean & the house’s happiness I wouldn’t sail from here till the 18th of December.
November 27 Sunday – In N.Y.C. Sam inscribed Hillcrest Edition sets of his books to daughters Clara and Jean. Only two volumes to Jean are given by MTP. The set to Clara was sold by Sotheby’s auction, Apr. 13, 2004, Lot 27, for $96,000. Like the two sets with aphorisms given on Oct. 29, 1904 to William R. Coe and William F. Benjamin (H.H. Rogers’ son-in-laws), Sam used mostly maxims from FE, “Puddn’head Wilson’s New Calendar” (in Clara’s set, nineteen of 23 aphorisms were from FE) [MTP].
November 27 Tuesday – George Chainey wrote a long rambling letter from Williams Bay, Wisc. to Sam, enclosing a flyer on “The Unsealed Bible,” volume 1 of 30 planned [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “Crank Letter / Auto”
Elizabeth L. Howard wrote from Anoka, Minn. to wish Sam birthday greetings as her birthday was the same. Her husband was an 80 year old disabled veteran of the Civil War from Michigan [MTP].
November 27 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam sent a telegram to Frances Nunnally, at St. Timothy’s School, Catonsville, Md: “I HOPE YOUR TEAM WILL WIN FRANCESCA DEAR I COULD NOT GO TO BOSTON” / SL CLEMENS” [MTP].
Sam also sent a telegram to Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Warfield, Governor of Maryland: “BEST THANKSGIVING WISHES TO YOU ALL, BY NO MEANS FORGETTING MISS LOUISE” [MTP].
November 27 Friday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “The King read for the benefit of the Library” [MTP: IVL TS 81].
Elizabeth Wallace describes the events of a full day at Stormfield: