The Man in the White Suit: Day By Day

October 12 Saturday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam inscribed a copy of JA to Frances E. Greville: “To / The Countess of Warwick / with the warm regards of / her latest & most / devoted admirer / Mark Twain / Tuxedo Park, N.Y. / October 12, 1907.” [MTP]. Note: see IVL below.  

Isabel Lyon’s journal: (Clipping here) / Miss Dix of 57 West 57 St. will entertain the Countess of Warwick and S.L. Clemens today at luncheon at Delmonicoes. / (June 1937—nearly 30 years later, and I am giving the clipping to Eulabee Dix) [MTP TS 114].

October 12 Monday – In Redding, Conn. Sam finished his Oct. 10 to Frances Nunnally.

Monday, Oct. 12—noon.

October 12 Tuesday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Helen Schuyler Allen at the Hotel St. Andrew, N.Y.C.

October 13 Thursday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Charles J. Langdon.

Dear Charley— / Will you attend to this? It is Livy’s Texas land. I think you took the papers & kindly offered to look after it for her.

I dined with Julie & Edward last night, & had a delightful time. Julie profoundly touched me (even to moisture in the eyes) with her charming tale of “Mark Twains Rule.”

I send my love to you all, & welcome-home to the Idas.

October 13 Friday – United Cigar Stores Co. in the Flatiron building, N.Y.C. wrote asking for permission to use Sam’s letter endorsing the La Tunita cigars. On or just after this day Isabel V. Lyon responded for Sam: “Mr. Clemens would like to do so—but the request comes so frequently that he has had to decline them all” [MTP].

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 13 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: All day except when we went to Mrs. Hoyt’s for luncheon we have been playing Hearts and using Coffee beans for counters. Ashcroft makes a pleasant, bright, considerate and properly appreciative third hand. The King won everything, with occasional streaks of very bad luck, and on one occasion when he picked up a bad hand he said, “This would be a hell of a hand even in the Kingdom of Heaven.” He is so sweet and winsome to play with, and shouts with delight when I pile Hearts upon Mr.

October 13 Tuesday – Sam’s new guestbook:

Name Address Date Remarks

Mrs. Laura Hawkins Frazer Hannibal, Missouri October 15 ——— >  My first sweetheart (65 years ago when she was 6 or 7 years old.)

Her granddaughter Clara    “                  “     “          “

October 13 Wednesday — In Redding, Conn. Sam replied to the Oct. 12 from William Henry Bishop.

Dear Mr. Bishop: / The Mark Twain Library thanks you cordially, through me, its President, for your welcome contribution and forwards herewith its official receipt.
I offer to you & Mrs. Bishop my best wishes for a safe & pleasant voyage. / Sincerely Yours / ... [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Helen Kerr Blackmer (Mrs. Henry Myron Blackmer) in N.Y.C.

October 14 Friday – Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote two letters on Koy-Lo Co. letterhead to Sam. The company was connected with The International Spiral Pin Co. “In accordance with our conversation over the ‘phone yesterday, while you were in Mr. Rogers’ office, I have offered the $2,000. of shares in International Sprial Pin co. to Mr. Stanchfield, and he has accepted them. / This, therefore, cancels the option extended to you on them.”

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 14 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

October 14 Wednesday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Margaret Blackmer.

October 14 Thursday — On this day or Oct. 15 in Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to daughter Clara at the Hotel Latham, N.Y.C.

“Mrs. Gabrilowitsch / Hotel Latham, 5th ave & 28th st. New York

October 15 Saturday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam began a reply to Edmund Dene Morel’s Oct. 10 letter (originally Georges Eduard Pierre Achille Morel de Ville) (1873-1924) British journalist, author and socialist politician. He collaborated with Roger Casement, the English Congo Reform Associaton and others and in newspapers such as the West African Mail, campaigned against slavery in the Congo Free State. Sam would add a P.S. to this note on Oct. 16.

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].

October 15 Tuesday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam wrote to Theodore A. Bingham.

Dear Bingham: / Here is a far-wandering breath from over the fields of Long Ago. Ten days ago we found this letter among relics & mementoes of Susy & her Mother. It is from Susy to her Mother. It was an eager message out of a beating heart then; it is compliment, affection & gratitude uttered from the grave, now.

Yours sincerely

S. L. Clemens

October 15 Thursday – Sam’s original guestbook contains the following names for this date, which do not appear in the new guestbook, transcribed after Dec. 28: Kate V. Saint Maur, The Maples, Redding; Vida C – – ly Sidney, Siasconset Mass.; Fanny Sanford Shaw, Redbank, N.J. [Mac Donnell TS 5, 7]. Note: p. 6 is left blank.

October 15 Friday — In the evening the Mark Twain Library Association held “The Harvest Home Dance” at the barn of Meeker Jones, The attendance was “large”’ at this costume events, which ended with one of Sam’s old favorites, the “Virginia Reel” dance. The minutes do not disclose Sam’s attendance [MTLA minutes copied at the Library by Tenney Nov. 15, 1981].

John Bigelow wrote to Sam.

October 16 Sunday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam finished his Oct. 15 letter to Edmund Dene Morel. “The Senate Memorial reached me early this a.m., & I remained in bed to read it./ If anything can be done—but come & let us talk about it.” Sam wanted another copy of the Senate Memorial “& some terrible illustrations” [MTP]. Note: Gribben identifies this as Memorial Concerning Conditions in the Independent State of the Kongo. April 19, 1904. Committee on Foreign Relations. U. S. Senate. 58th Congress, 2d Session. Document No. 282 [462].

October 16 Monday – Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Ambrose Lee, acknowledging his letter of Oct. 13. Lyon’s response is not extant but is referred to in Lee’s Oct. 18 to Sam [MTP].

Clemens also wrote to the Congo Reform Assoc. in Boston, the letter not extant but referred to in Tyler’s Oct. 17 reply.

October 16 Tuesday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam finished his Oct. 11, 12, 13 to Mary B. Rogers.

Tuesday

You hope you will come out of it “a better woman.” You don’t need it, Mary. You have the clean mind & the right heart, & this is a condition which is not really betterable. It is going to carry you far out of Harry’s reach & mine. But I believe—I truly believe—we shall be allowed to call, sometimes, as the aeons drift by on their long course. St. Peter will sniff & say—

October 16 Wednesday – The New York Times, Oct. 17, p.18, ran an article about humor in Ashcroft v. Hammond libel case, and a deposition of Sam’s read in court this day:

SWORN JEST BY MARK TWAIN.

———

Humorist Says He First Met John Hays Hammond in Jail—Ashcroft’s Suit.