The Man in the White Suit: Day By Day

July 4, 1909 Sunday

July 4 Sunday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote an aphorism to A.O. Einer: “Let persons devoid of principle lie wantonly, if they will, but let you & me make it the rule of our life to lie for revenue only” [MTP].

Sam’s new guestbook:

NameAddressDateRemarks
Dr. Wiley _)   
Mrs. Wiley)New York) July 4 (Sunday) 

July 5, 1909 Monday

July 5 Monday — Paine writes of “happier” events:

We have invented a new game, three-ball carom billiards, each player continuing until he has made five, counting the number of his shots as in golf, the one who finishes in the fewer shots wins, It is a game we play with almost exactly equal skill, and he is highly pleased with it. He said this afternoon:

“I have never enjoyed billiards as I do now. I look forward to it every afternoon as my reward at the end of a good day’s work.”

July 6, 1909 Tuesday

July 6 Tuesday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Marjorie Breckenridge.

Dear Marjorie—

I am very glad you are back again. I would come & see you, but the doctor does not allow me to walk so far, & I don’t drive because I don’t enjoy it. So you must come & see me. I am oldest, anyway, you know. /

Lovingly SLC [MTAq 261].

July 7, 1909 Wednesday

July 7 Wednesday — In Redding, Conn. Sam inscribed copies of TA, TS, and HF with aphorisms to Emily G. Byng (Lady Stafford):

Whenever you find you are on the side of a majority, it is time to reform.

We ought never to do wrong when people are looking

None but the dead are permitted to speak truth [MTP].


 

July 8, 1909 Thursday

July 8 ThursdayMrs. Henderson wrote from Ayrshire, Scotland to ask for Sam’s autograph [MTP].

July 9, 1909 Friday

July 9 FridaySam’s new guestbook:

NameAddressDateRemarks
Rev. Joseph H. Twichell   
Mrs. Twichell Hartford July 9 & 10 

July 10, 1909 Saturday

July 10 SaturdayJoe and Harmony Twichell finished a two-day stay at Stormfield.

July 11, 1909 Sunday

July 11 Sunday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote a Stormfield picture postcard to Dorothy Quick.

July 12, 1909 Monday

July 12 Monday Anne-Netta Brownlee wrote from Youngstown, Ohio, a lengthy letter of admiration in which she discusses articles on Twain and his books. The letter is copied by a different hand and both are in the file [MTP].

Eugene T. Skinkle wrote to Sam with questions about CS. Sam’s reply was published in the Chicago Tribune of 24 Apr. 1910; a copy from that paper in the file is only: “July 16/09 / Sir: / YES, I done it. M.T.” [MTP]

July 14, 1909 Wednesday

July 14 Wednesday Isabel Ashcroft (Lyon) returned from her honeymoon to respond to the attachment Clemens had placed on her house, “The Lobster Pot.” The New York Times, p. 4, July 15, reported on the conflict and her return. The Ashcrofts had sailed from the US on June 8.

WANTS MARK TWAIN TO EXPLAIN TO HER

Mrs. Ashcroft Hurries Back from Her Honeymoon

Abroad to Find Out About $4,000 Suit.

FORMERLY HIS SECRETARY

July 15, 1909 Thursday

July 15 Thursday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Frances Nunnally in Camp Esta-Naula East Sebago, Maine.

July 16, 1909 Friday

July 16 Friday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote a one-liner to Eugene T. Skinkle: “Sir: YES, I done it. / M.T.” [MTP: Chicago Tribune, 24 April 1910]. Note: Skinkle published a book, Practical Ice Making and Refrigeration (1897). See July 12. Sam answered Skinkle’s questions about CS; it is noted the Chicago paper carried this but three days after his death. Jean wrote on her father’s reply: Mr.

July 17, 1909 Saturday

July 17 Saturday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote three notes to unidentified persons authorizing Albert B. Paine to take the contents of Sam’s safety deposit box. The second note survives [MTP: AAA-Anderson Galleries catalog 4346, Nov, 11-12 Nov. 1937, item 89]. Note: Hill points out that Paine was made manager of Clemens’ business affairs on this day, and “had the restrictions removed from his use of unpublished material in his biography” [242]. See also July 24,

July 18, 1909 Sunday

July 18 Sunday - In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to daughter Clara:

Clärchen dear Jean is a surprise & a wonder. She has plenty of wisdom, judgment, penetration, practical good sense—like her mother—& character, courage, definiteness, decision; also goodness, a humane spirit, charity, kindliness, pity; industry, perseverance, intelligence, a clean mind, a clean soul, dignity, honesty, truthfulness, high ideals, loyalty, faithfulness to duty—she is everything that Miss Lyon isn’t.

July 19, 1909 Monday

July 19 Monday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Eric L. Pape in Gloucester, Mass..

Dear Mr. Pape, / By command of physicians, I am not to stir outside the limits of this farm for the next half year to come. Otherwise I would be there on the 4th of August and do my share in welcoming the President.

July 24, 1909 Saturday

July 24 Saturday Albert Bigelow Paine, as of July 17 the official manager of Clemens’ business affairs, signed an agreement on this day to take over the editing of the volumes of letters [Hill 242]. Note: this had originally been a duty reserved to Clara Clemens and/or Isabel Lyon.

July 26, 1909 Monday

July 26 MondayJean Clemens’ 29" birthday.

The New York Times, p. 1, “Taft’s Trip On Mississippi” reported that Mark Twain had been invited to pilot a steamer on the river when President Taft took a trip from St. Louis to New Orleans. Though the article referred to unnamed friends of Clemens saying he would probably accept the invitation due to his high regard for Taft, Sam’s health would not allow such a trip.

July 27, 1909 Tuesday

July 27 TuesdayJ. Wylie Smith wrote from Glascow, Scotland to Sam having read CS and lamenting the fact there was now 500 or so adherents in the city, plus a rumor that Clemens regretted writing the book and even that Clemens had become a Christian Scientist! [MTP].

July 28, 1909 Wednesday

July 28 Wednesday — An unidentified person in St. Francis Hospital, Cape Girardeau, Mo. sent a picture postcard of a levee and steamboat scene to Sam. Most of the penciled text is behind a pasted on sticker, but this much is legible: “Just a little reminder of the old Miss. R. “At the bottom the name appears to be “Anne C Hocky” [MTP].

July 29, 1909 Thursday

July 29 ThursdaySam’s new guestbook:

NameAddressDateRemarks
Edward Loomis   
Julie Loomis) New YorkJuly 29-30 

Chatto & Windus wrote to Sam, enclosing a financial statement and thanking him “for your kind letter of the 19th inst. ... We are indeed sorry to hear that you are not well...’” [MTP].

July 30, 1909 Friday

July 30 FridaySam’s new guestbook:

NameAddressDateRemarks
Ossip Gabrilowitsch[New York]July 30 

July 31, 1909 Saturday

July 31 Saturday - Sam’s new guestbook:

NameAddressDateRemarks
Dorothy HarveyDeal, New JerseyJuly 31-August 2nd 
Alma P. Harvey   
 Jessica H. AlwardChicago July 31—Aug.2 

August 1909

AugustCurrent Literature published an anonymous article, “Mark Twain from a New Angle” [Tenney 46]. In his third supplement, Tenney adds: Summarizes and quotes Henderson’s ‘Mark Twain’. ..; also, quotes INDEPENDENCE BELGE...where ‘Jacques Lux refers to Prof. Archibald Henderson’s study as one of rare consciousness and singular force. ‘The Yankees,’ he says, ‘are as proud of possessing a Mark Twain as their fathers were ashamed of acknowledging Edgar Poe as their fellow-countryman.

August 2, 1909 Monday

August 2 Monday — Sam’s new guestbook:

NameAddressDateRemarks
Dr. George HelmerNew York August 2-3 

August 3, 1909 Tuesday

August 3 TuesdayJean Clemens, following up on the July 19 letter of her father’s to Eric L. Pape in Gloucester, Mass., wrote to Mrs. Pape. In part:

Dear Mrs. Pape, / Please pardon my discourtesy as being caused by my necessity as a farmer, of working not intentional. I meant to write long ago when I first received the invitation to attend the Gloucester celebration, but I am excessively busy these days as father’s secretary and farming on my own account, the days slipped by—rushed by, without my realizing how they sped.

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