Transcribed some newly found Stormfield related articles this
weekend...lot's of rain here in Connecticut today.
Too big for the list server so I posted them here:
http://twainproject.blogspot.com/
Good stuff, here's a teaser of what is in the articles:
Signed the Wrong Letter
Early one morning the phone beside Dad's (JudgeJohn N. Nickerson of Redding)
bed rang persistantly. He answered. It was Mr. Clemens - distress plainly
registered by his voice,
"Jack, can you come to me atonce? I am in trouble - very serious trouble."
"What under heavens is thematter now?" my father asked.
"I'll tell you when you get here, can youcome now?" the humorist answered.
Dad called me to hurry through mybreakfast, harness my horse and be ready to
drive to Stormfield in half an hour. When we arrived Mr. Clemens was angrier
than we had ever seen him and his daughters Clara and Jean were very much
disturbed.
"Now, Sam, what onearth has happened that you are so excited and upset?"
asked Dad. The great humorist replied with something far removed from humor,
"Well, Jack, justas you predicted, I have been a damned fool, and as a
result I am in the deal of a fix. A trusted friend of mine who has recently
married a 'man of experience' brought me a document to sign without in any
way explaining it- and I was foolish enough to require no explanation."
"At the moment I wasconcentrating on the writing of a script and, as was my
custom, took the paper and quickly signed as she directed without reading it
and I supposed the matter was dismissed, but this morning, to my horror, I
discover that I have signed over to a trusted friend ABSOLUTE Power of
Attorney over everything that I possess and I cannot spend so much as a
nickel! without her O.K. Could any man have been a bigger damned fool??"
Eventually she consented to withdraw ifa certain [piece] of Mr. Clemens
treasured real estate (and he owned property in several states) could be
turned over to her. As Mr. Clemens was convinced this was the only way out
he acceded. Dad took care of the transaction and the case was closed.
One day after the case was settled, Dad was seated beside Mr.Clemens' bed
talking to him when the humorist reached over to a table and picked up a
copy of Innocents Abroad. I saw his eyes twinkle as he opened the book and
wrote something inside the front cover, then he passed the book to my
father. Dad grinned as he read the handwriting, then passed the book to me.
This is what he wrote:
"The sane man readeth first but the ass signeth withoutlooking. Truly yours,
Mark Twain"
Below this he added:
"To John N.Nickerson with the compliments of the Author."
This book today is amongmy (Helen's) treasures.
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