第9章

MYDEARHOWELLS，——Ionlyproposetowriteasinglelinetosaywearestillaround。Ah，Ihavesuchadeep，grateful，unutterablesenseofbeing“outofitall。”IthinkIforetastesomeoftheadvantagesofbeingdead。Someofthejoyofit。Idon”treadanynewspapersorcareforthem。WhenpeopletellmeEnglandhasdeclaredwar，Idropthesubject，feelingthatitisnoneofmybusiness；whentheytellmeMrs。 TiltonhasconfessedandMr。B。denied，Isaybothofthemhavedonethatbefore，thereforeletthewornstubofthePlymouthwhite-washbrushbebroughtoutoncemore，andletthefaithfulspitontheirhandsandgettoworkagainregardlessofme——forIamoutofitall。 Wehad2almostdevilishweeksatsea(andItellyouBayardTaylorisareallylovableman——whichyoualreadyknew)thenwestaidaweekinthebeautiful，theverybeautifulcityofHamburg；andsincethenwehavebeenfoolingalong，4hoursperdaybyrail，withacourier，spendingtheother20inhotelswhoseenormousbedchambersandprivateparlorsareanoverpoweringmarveltome：Daybeforeyesterday，inCassel，wehadaloveofabedroom，31feetlong，andaparlorwith2sofas，12chairs，awritingdeskand4tablesscatteredaround，hereandthereinit。Madeofredsilk，too，byGeorge。 ThetimesandtimesIwishyouwerealong！Youcouldthrowsomefunintothejourney；whereasIgoon，daybyday，inasmilelessstateofsolemnadmiration。 Whataparadisethisis！Whatcleanclothes，whatgoodfaces，whattranquilcontentment，whatprosperity，whatgenuinefreedom，whatsuperbgovernment。AndIamsohappy，forIamresponsiblefornoneofit。I amonlyheretoenjoy。HowcharmedIamwhenIoverhearaGermanwordwhichIunderstand。Withlovefromus2toyou2。 MARK。 P。S。WearenottakingsixdaystogofromHamburgtoHeidelbergbecausewepreferit。Quiteonthecontrary。Mrs。Clemenspickedupadreadfulcoldandsorethroatonboardshipandstillkeepstheminstock——soshecouldonlytravel4hoursaday。Shewantedtodivestraightthrough，butIhaddifferentnotionsaboutthewisdomofit。 Ifoundthat4hoursadaywasthebestshecoulddo。BeforeIforgetit，ourpermanentaddressisCareMessrs。Koester&Co。，Backers，Heidelberg。Wegotheretomorrow。 PoorSusy！FromthedaywereachedGermansoil，wehaverequiredRosatospeakGermantothechildren——whichtheyhatewithalltheirsouls。TheothermorninginHanover，Susycametous(fromRosa，inthenursery)andsaid，inhaltingsyllables，“Papa，vievieluhristes？“——thenturnedwithpathosinherbigeyes，andsaid，“Mamma，IwishRosawasmadeinEnglish。” (Unfinished) Frankfortwasabriefhalting-place，theirdestinationbeingHeidelberg。TheywerepresentlylocatedthereinthebeautifulSchlosshotel，whichoverlookstheoldcastlewithitsforestsetting，theflowingNeckar，andthedistantvalleyoftheRhine。 Clemens，whohaddiscoveredthelocation，andlovedit，towardtheendofMayreportedtoHowellshisfelicities。 PartoflettertoW。D。Howells，inBoston： SCHLOSS-HOTELHEIDELBERG，Sunday，a。m。，May26，1878。 MYDEARHOWELLS，……divinelylocated。FromthisairyporchamongtheshininggroveswelookdownuponHeidelbergCastle，andupontheswiftNeckar，andthetown，andoutoverthewidegreenleveloftheRhinevalley——amarvelousprospect。WeareinaCul-de-sacformedofhill- rangesandriver；weareonthesideofasteepmountain；theriveratourfeetiswalled，onitsotherside，(yes，onbothsides，)byasteepandwoodedmountain-rangewhichrisesabruptlyaloftfromthewater”sedge；portionsofthesemountainsaredenselywooded；theplainoftheRhine，seenthroughthemouthofthispocket，hasmanyandpeculiarcharmsfortheeye。 Ourbedroomhastwogreatglassbird-cages(enclosedbalconies)onelookingtowardtheRhinevalleyandsunset，theotherlookinguptheNeckarcul-de-sac，andnaturallywespendnearlyallourtimeinthese- whenoneissunnytheotherisshady。Wehavetablesandchairsinthem； wedoourreading，writing，studying，smokingandsupperinginthem。 Theviewfromthesebird-cagesismydespair。Thepictureschangefromoneenchantingaspecttoanotherinceaselessprocession，neverkeepingoneformhalfanhour，andnevertakingonanunlovelyone。 AndthenHeidelbergonadarknight！Itismassed，awaydownthere，almostrightunderus，youknow，andstretchesofftowardthevalley。 Itscurvedandinterlacingstreetsareacobweb，beadedthickwithlights——awonderfulthingtosee；thentherowsoflightsonthearchedbridges，andtheirglintingreflectionsinthewater；andawayatthefarend，theEisenbahnhof，withitstwentysolidacresofglitteringgas- jets，ahugegarden，asonemaysay，whoseeveryplantisaflame。 Thesebalconiesarethedarlingestthings。Ihavespentallthemorninginthisnorthone。Countingbigandlittle，ithas256panesofglassinit；sooneisineffectrightoutinthefreesunshine，andyetshelteredfromwindandrain——andlikewisedooredandcurtainedfromwhatevermaybegoingoninthebedroom。Itmusthavebeenanoblegeniuswhodevisedthishotel。Lord，howblessedistherepose，thetranquillityofthisplace！Onlytwosounds；thehappyclamorofthebirdsinthegroves，andthemuffledmusicoftheNeckar，tumblingovertheopposingdykes。Itisnohardshiptolieawakeawhile，nights，forthissubduedroarhasexactlythesoundofasteadyrainbeatinguponaroof。Itissohealingtothespirit；anditbearsupthethreadofone”simaginingsastheaccompanimentbearsupasong。 WhileLivyandMissSpauldinghavebeenwritingatthistable，Ihavesattiltedback，nearby，withapipeandthelastAtlantic，andreadCharleyWarner”sarticlewithprodigiousenjoyment。Ithinkitisexquisite。 Ithinkitmustbetheroundestandbroadestandcompletestshortessayhehaseverwritten。Itisclear，andcompact，andcharminglydone。 ThehotelgroundsjoinandcommunicatewiththeCastlegrounds；soweandthechildrenloafinthewindingpathsofthoseleafyvastnessesagreatdeal，anddrinkbeerandlistentoexcellentmusic。 Whenwefirstcametothishotel，acoupleofweeksago，Ipointedtoahouseacrosstheriver，andsaidImeanttorentthecentreroomonthe3dfloorforawork-room。Jokinglywegottospeakingofitasmyoffice；andamusedourselveswithwatching“mypeople“dailyintheirsmallgroundsandtryingtomakeoutwhatwecouldoftheirdress，&c。，withoutaglass。Well，Iloafedalongthereonedayandfoundonthathousetheonlysignofthekindonthatsideoftheriver：“MoblirteWohnungzuVermiethen！“IwentinandrentedthatveryroomwhichIhadlongagoselected。Therewasonlyoneotherroominthewholedouble- houseunrented。 (ItoccurstomethatImadeagreatmistakeinnotthinkingtodeliveraverybadGermanspeech，everyothersentencepiecedoutwithEnglish，attheBayardTaylorbanquetinNewYork。IthinkIcouldhavemadeitoneofthefeaturesoftheoccasion。)——[HeusedthisplanatagatheringoftheAmericanstudentsinHeidelberg，onJuly4th，withgreateffect；sohisideawasnotwasted。] WeleftHartfordbeforetheendofMarch，andIhavebeenidleeversince。Ihavewaitedforacalltogotowork——Iknewitwouldcome。 Well，itbegantocomeaweekago；mynote-bookcomesoutmoreandmorefrequentlyeverydaysince；3daysagoIconcludedtomovemymanuscriptovertomyden。Nowthecallisloudanddecidedatlast。SotomorrowI shallbeginregular，steadywork，andsticktoittillmiddleofJulyor1stAugust，whenIlookforTwichell；wewillthenwalkaboutGermany2 or3weeks，andthenI”llgotoworkagain——(perhapsinMunich。) WebothsendapoweroflovetotheHowellses，andwedowishyouwerehere。Areyouinthenewhouse？Tellusaboutit。 YrsEverMARK。 TherehasbeennoformermentioninthelettersofthecomingofTwichell；yetthishadbeenapartoftheEuropeanplan。MarkTwainhadinvitedhiswalkingcompaniontomakeatrampwithhimthroughEurope，ashisguest。MaterialforthenewbookwouldgrowfasterwithTwichellasacompanion；andthesetwoinspiteoftheirwidelyopposedviewsconcerningProvidenceandthegeneralschemeofcreation，werewhollycongenialcomrades。Twichell，inHartford，expectingtoreceivethefinalsummonstostart，wrote：“Oh，my！doyourealize，Mark，whatasymposiumitistobe？Ido。Tobeginwith，Iamthoroughlytired，andtherestwillbewortheverything。 Towalkwithyouandtalkwithyouforweekstogether——why，it”smydreamofluxury。” August1stbroughtTwichell，andthefriendssetoutwithoutdelayonatrampthroughtheBlackForest，makingshortexcursionsatfirst，butpresentlyextendingtheminthedirectionofSwitzerland。 Mrs。ClemensandtheothersremainedinHeidelberg，tofollowattheirleisure。ToMrs。Clemensherhusbandsentfrequentreportsoftheirwanderings。Itwillbeseenthattheirtrampdidnotconfineitselftopedestrianism，thoughtheydid，infact，walkagreatdeal，andMarkTwaininanotetohismotherdeclared，“Iloathealltravel，exceptonfoot。”ThereportstoMrs。Clemensfollow： LetterstoMrs。Clemens，inHeidelberg： ALLERHEILIGENAug。5，18788：30p。m。 Livydarling，wehadarattlinggoodtimeto-day，butwecameverynearbeingleftatBaden-Baden，forinsteadofwaitinginthewaiting-room，wesatdownontheplatformtowaitwherethetrainscomeinfromtheotherdirection。Wesattherefulltenminutes——andthenallofasuddenitoccurredtomethatthatwasnottherightplace。 OnthetraintheprincipalofthebigEnglishschoolatNauheim(ofwhichMr。Scheidingwasateacher，)introducedhimselftome，andthenhemappedoutourdayforus(fortodayandtomorrow)andalsodrewamapandgaveusdirectionshowtoproceedthroughSwitzerland。Hehadhisentireschoolwithhim，takingthemonaprodigioustripthroughSwitzerland——ticketsfortheroundtriptendollarsapiece。Hehasdonethisannuallyfor10years。WetookapostcarriagefromAachentoOtterhofenfor7marks——stoppedatthe“Pflug“todrinkbeer，andsawthatprettygirlagainatadistance。Herfather，mother，andtwobrothersreceivedmelikeanancientcustomerandsatdownandtalkedaslongasIhadanyGermanleft。Thebigroomwasfullofred-vestedfarmers(theGemeindrathofthedistrict，withtheBurgermeisteratthehead，)drinkingbeerandtalkingpublicbusiness。Theyhadheldanelectionandchosenanewmemberandhadbeendrinkingbeerathisexpenseforseveralhours。ItwasintenselyBlack-foresty。) TherewasanAustralianthere(astudentfromStuttgartorsomewhere，) andJoetoldhimwhoIwasandhelaidhimselfouttomakeourcourseplain，forus——soIamcertainwecan”tgetlostbetweenhereandHeidelberg。 Wewalkedthecarriageroadtillwecametothatplacewhereoneseesthefootpathontheothersideoftheravine，thenwecrossedoverandtookthat。Foragoodwhilewewereinadenseforestandjudgedwewerelost，butmetanativewomenwhosaidwewereallright。Wefooledalongandgotthereat6p。m——atesupper，thenfolloweddowntheravinetothefootofthefalls，thenstruckintoablindpathtoseewhereitwouldgo，andjustaboutdarkwefetchedupattheDevil”sPulpitontopofthehills。Thenhome。Andnowtobed，prettysleepy。JoesendsloveandI sendathousandtimesasmuch，mydarling。 S。L。C。 HOTELGENNIN。 Livydarling，wehadalovelydayjoggedrightalong，withagoodhorseandsensibledriver——thelasttwohoursrightbehindanopencarriagefilledwithapleasantGermanfamily——oldgentlemanand3prettydaughters。Attabled”hotetonight，3disheswereenoughforme，andthenIboredalongtediouslythroughthebilloffare，withaback-ache，notdaringtogetupandbowtotheGermanfamilyandleave。Imeanttosititthroughandmakethemgetupanddothebowing；butatlastJoetookpityonmeandsaidhewouldgetupanddropthemacurtsyandputmeoutofmymisery。Iwasgrateful。Hegotupanddeliveredasuccessionoffrankandheartybows，accompanyingthemwithanatmosphereofgood-fellowshipwhichwouldhavemadeevenanEnglishfamilysurrender。OfcoursetheGermansresponded——thenIgotrightupandtheyhadtorespondtomysalaams，too。So“thatwasdone。” WewalkedupagorgeandsawatumblingwaterfallwhichwasnothingtoGiessbach，butitmademeresolvetodropyoualineandurgeyoutogoandseeGiessbachilluminated。Don”tfail——buttakealongday”srest，first。Iloveyou，sweetheart。 SAML。 OVERTHEGEMMIPASS。 4。30p。m。Saturday，Aug。24，1878。 Livydarling，JoeandIhavehadamostnobleday。Startedtoclimb(onfoot)at8。30thismorningamongthegrandestpeaks！Everyhalfhourcarriedusbackamonthintheseason。Weleftthemharvesting2dcropofhay。At9wewereinJulyandfoundripestrawberries；at9。30wewereinJuneandgatheredflowersbelongingtothatmonth；at10wewereinMayandgatheredaflowerwhichappearedinHeidelbergthe17thofthatmonth；alsoforget-me-nots，whichdisappearedfromHeidelbergaboutmid-May；at11。30wewereinApril(bytheflowers；)atnoonwehadrainandhailmixed，andwindandenvelopingfogs，andconsidereditMarch；at12。30wehadsnowbanksaboveusandsnowbanksbelowus，andconsidereditFebruary。NotgoodFebruary，though，becauseinthemidstofthewilddesolationtheforget-me-notstillbloomed，lovelyasever。 WhataflowergardentheGemmiPassis！AfterIhadgotmyhandsfullJoemademeapaperbag，whichIpinnedtomylapelandfilledwithchoicespecimens。IgatherednoflowerswhichIhadevergatheredbeforeexcept4or5kinds。WetookitleisurelyandIpickedallIwantedto。 Imailedmyharvesttoyouawhileago。Don”tsendittoMrs。Brooksuntilyouhavelookeditover，flowerbyflower。Itwillpay。 AmongthecloudsandeverlastingsnowsIfoundabraveandbrightlittleforget-me-notgrowingintheverymidstofasmashedandtumbledstone- debris，justascheerfulasifthebarrenandawfuldomesandrampartsthattoweredaroundweretheblessedwallsofheaven。IthoughthowLillyWarnerwouldbetouchedbysuchagracioussurprise，ifshe，insteadofI，hadseenit。SoIpluckedit，andhavemailedittoherwithanote。 Ourwalkwas7hours——thelast2downapathassteepasaladder，almost，cutinthefaceofamightyprecipice。Peoplearenotallowedtoridedownit。Thispartoftheday”sworktaxedourknees，Itellyou。 Wehavebeenloafingaboutthisvillage(Leukerbad)foranhour，nowwestayhereoverSunday。Nottiredatall。(Joe”shatfellovertheprecipice——sohecameherebareheaded。)Iloveyou，mydarling。 SAML。 ST。NICHOLAS，Aug。26th，”78。 Livydarling，wecamethrougha-whoopingtoday，6hourstrampupsteephillsanddownsteephills，inmudandwatershoe-deep，andinasteadypouringrainwhichnevermoderatedamoment。Iwasaschipperandfreshasalarkallthewayandarrivedwithouttheslightestsenseoffatigue。 Butweweresoakedandmyshoesfullofwater，soweateatonce，strippedandwenttobedfor2？hourswhileourtrapswerethoroughlydried，andourbootsgreasedinaddition。Thenweputourclothesonhotandwenttotabled”hote。 MadesomeniceEnglishfriendsandshallseethematZermatttomorrow。 Gatheredasmallbouquetofnewflowers，buttheygotspoiled。Isentyouasafety-matchboxfullofflowerslastnightfromLeukerbad。 IhavejusttelegraphedyoutowirethefamilynewstomeatRiffeltomorrow。Idohopeyouareallwellandhavingasjollyatimeasweare，forIloveyou，sweetheart，andalso，inameasure，theBays—— [LittleSusy”swordfor“babies。”]——GivemylovetoClaraSpauldingandalsotothecubs。 `SAML。 This，asfarasitgoes，isatruerandbetteraccountoftheexcursionthanMarkTwaingaveinthebookthathewrotelater。A TrampAbroadhasaqualityofburlesqueinit，whichdidnotbelongtothejourneyatall，butwasinventedtosatisfythecravingforwhatthepublicconceivedtobeMarkTwain”shumor。Theseriousportionsofthebookaremuchmorepleasing——morelikehimself。 Theentirejourney，aswillbeseen，lastedoneweekmorethanamonth。 Twichellalsomadehisreportshome，someofwhichgiveusinterestingpicturesofhiswalkingpartner。Inoneplacehewrote： “Markisaqueerfellow。Thereisnothinghesodelightsinasaswift，strongstream。Youcanhardlygethimtoleaveonewhenonceheiswithintheinfluenceofitsfascinations。” TwichelltellshowatKanderstegtheywereouttogetheroneeveningwhereabrookcomesplungingdownfromGasternthalandhowhepushedinadrifttoseeitgoracingalongthecurrent。“WhenIgotbacktothepathMarkwasrunningdownstreamafteritashardashecouldgo，throwinguphishandsandshoutinginthewildestecstasy，andwhenapiecewentoverafallandemergedtoviewinthefoambelowhewouldjumpupanddownandyell。Hesaidafterwardthathehadnotbeensoexcitedinthreemonths。” InotherplacesTwichellreferstohiscompanion”sconsiderationforthefeelingofothers，andforanimals。“Whenwearedriving，hisconcernisallaboutthehorse。Hecan”tbeartoseethewhipused，ortoseeahorsepullhard。” AfterthewalkoverGemmiPasshewrote：“Markto-daywasimmenselyabsorbedinflowers。Hescrambledaroundandgatheredagreatvariety，andmanifestedtheintensestpleasureinthem。Hecrowdedapocketofhisnote-bookwithhisspecimens，andwantedmoreroom。” WhereuponTwichellgotouthisneedleandthreadandsomestiffpaperhehadandcontrivedthelittlepaperbagtohangtothefrontofhisvest。 ThetrampreallyendedatLausanne，whereClemensjoinedhisparty，butashortexcursiontoChillonandChamonixfollowed，thetravelersfinallyseparatingatGeneva，TwichelltosetoutforhomebywayofEngland，Clemenstoremainandtrytowritethestoryoftheirtravels。Hehurriedagood-byletterafterhiscomrade： ToRev。J。H。Twichell： (Nodate) DEAROLDJOE，——Itisactuallyallover！Iwassolow-spiritedatthestationyesterday，andthismorning，whenIwoke，Icouldn”tseemtoacceptthedismaltruththatyouwerereallygone，andthepleasanttrampingandtalkingatanend。Ah，myboy！ithasbeensucharichholidaytome，andIfeelundersuchdeepandhonestobligationstoyouforcoming。IamputtingoutofmymindallmemoryofthetimeswhenI misbehavedtowardyouandhurtyou：Iamresolvedtoconsideritforgiven，andtostoreupandrememberonlythecharminghoursofthejourneysandthetimeswhenIwasnotunworthytobewithyouandshareacompanionshipwhichtomestandsfirstafterLivy”s。Itisjustifiabletodothis；forwhyshouldIletmysmallinfirmitiesofdispositionliveandgrovelamongmymentalpicturesoftheeternalsublimitiesoftheAlps？ Livycan”tacceptorendurethefactthatyouaregone。Butyouare，andwecannotgetaroundit。Sotakeourlovewithyou，andbearitalsoovertheseatoHarmony，andGodblessyouboth。 MARK。 FromSwitzerlandtheClemenspartyworkeddownintoItaly，sight- seeing，adiversioninwhichMarkTwainfoundlittleenoughofinterest。Hehadseenmostofthesightstenyearsbefore，whenhismindwasfresh。HeunburdenedhimselftoTwichellandtoHowells，afteraperiodofsuffering。 ToJ。H。Twichell，inHartford： ROME，Nov。3，”78。 DEARJOE，……Ihavereceivedyourseveralletters，andwehaveprodigiouslyenjoyedthem。HowIdoadmireamanwhocansitdownandwhaleawaywithapenjustthesameasifitwasfishing——orsomethingelseasfullofpleasureandasvoidoflabor。Ican”tdoit；else，incommondecency，IwouldwhenIwritetoyou。Joe，ifIcanmakeabookoutofthemattergatheredinyourcompanyoverhere，thebookissafe； butIdon”tthinkIhavegatheredanymatterbeforeorsinceyourvisitworthwritingup。IdowishyouwereinRometodomysightseeingforme。RomeinterestsmeasmuchasEastHartfordcould，andnomore。Thatis，theRomewhichtheaveragetouristfeelsaninterestin；butthereareotherthingsherewhichstirmeenoughtomakelifeworthliving。 LivyandClaraSpauldingarehavingaroyaltimeworshipingtheoldMasters，andIasgoodatimegrittingmyineffectualteethoverthem。 Afriendwaitsforme。Apoweroflovetoyouall。 Amen。 MARK。 InhislettertoHowellshesaid：“IwishIcouldgivethosesharpsatiresonEuropeanlifewhichyoumention，butofcourseamancan”twritesuccessfulsatireexcepthebeinacalm，judicialgood- humor；whereasIhatetravel，andIhatehotels，andIhatetheopera，andIhatetheoldmasters。Intruth，Idon”teverseemtobeinagood-enoughhumorwithanythingtosatirizeit。No，Iwanttostandupbeforeitandcurseitandfoamatthemouth，ortakeaclubandpoundittoragsandpulp。IhavegotintwoorthreechaptersaboutWagner”soperas，andmanagedtodoitwithoutshowingtemper，butthestrainofanothersucheffortwouldburstme！“ FromItalytheClemenspartywenttoMunich，wheretheyhadarrangedinadvanceforwinterquarters。Clemensclaims，inhisreportofthemattertoHowells，thathetookthepartythroughwithouttheaidofacourier，thoughthirtyyearslater，insomecommentwhichhesetdownonbeingshowntheletter，hewroteconcerningthisparagraph：“Probablyalie。”Hewrote，also，thattheyacquiredagreataffectionforFrauleinDahlweiner：“Acquireditatonceanditoutlastedthewinterwespentinherhouse。” ToW。D。Howells，inBoston： No1a，Karlstrasse，2eStock。 CareFrauleinDahlweiner。 MUNICH，Nov。17，1878。 MYDEARHOWELLS，——Wearrivedherenightbeforelast，prettywellfagged： an8-hourpullfromRometoFlorence；arestthereofadayandtwonights；then51/2hourstoBologna；onenight”srest；thenfromnoonto10：30p。m。carriedustoTrent，intheAustrianTyrol，wheretheconfoundedhotelhadnotreceivedourmessage，andsoatthatmiserablehour，inthatsnowyregion，thetribehadtoshivertogetherinfirelessroomswhilebedswerepreparedandwarmed，thenupat6inthemorningandanobleviewofsnow-peaksglitteringintherichlightofafullmoonwhilethehotel-devilslazilyderangedabreakfastforusinthedrearygloomofblinkingcandles；thenasolid12hourspullthroughtheloveliestsnowrangesandsnow-drapedforest——andat7p。m。wehauledup，indrizzleandfog，atthedomicilewhichhadbeenengagedforustenmonthsbefore。Munichdidseemthehorriblestplace，themostdesolateplace，themostunendurableplace！——andtheroomsweresosmall，theconveniencessomeagre，andtheporcelainstovessogrim，ghastly，dismal，intolerable！SoLivyandClara(Spaulding)satdownforlorn，andcried，andIretiredtoaprivate，placetopray。ByandbyweallretiredtoournarrowGermanbeds；andwhenLivyandIfinishedtalkingacrosstheroom，itwasalldecidedthatwewouldrest24hoursthenpaywhateverdamageswererequired，andstraightwayflytothesouthofFrance。 Butyousee，thatwassimplyfatigue。Nextmorningthetribefellinlovewiththerooms，withtheweather，withMunich，andheadoverheelsinlovewithFrauleinDahlweiner。Wegotalargerparlor——anampleone——threwtwocommunicatingbedroomsintoone，forthechildren，andnowweareentirelycomfortable。Theonlyapprehension，atpresent，isthattheclimatemaynotbejustrightforthechildren，inwhichcaseweshallhavetogotoFrance，butitwillbewiththesincerestregret。 NowIbroughtthetribethroughfromRome，myself。Weneverhadsolittletroublebefore。Thenexttimeanybodyhasacouriertoputouttonurse，Ishallnotbeinthemarket。 Lastnighttheforlornitieshadalldisappeared；sowegatheredaroundthelamp，aftersupper，withourbeerandmypipe，andinaconditionofgratefulsnugnesstackledthenewmagazines。Ireadyournewstoryaloud，amidthundersofapplause，andweallagreedthatCaptainJennessandtheoldmanwiththeaccordion-hatarelovelypeopleandmostskillfullydrawn——andthatcabin-boy，too，welike。OfcourseweareallgladthegirlisgonetoVenice——forthereisnoplacelikeVenice。NowIeasilyunderstandthattheoldmancouldn”tgo，becauseyouhaveapurposeinsendingLyddybyherself：butyoucouldsendtheoldmanoverinanothership，andweparticularlywanthimalong。Supposeyoudon”tneedhimthere？Whatofthat？Can”tyoulethimfeedthedoves？Can”tyoulethimfallinthecanaloccasionally？Can”tyoulethisgood- naturedpursebeadailypreytoguidesandbeggar-boys？Can”tyoulethimfindpeaceandrestandfellowshipunderPereJacopo”skindlywing？ (However，youarewritingthebook，notI——still，Iamoneofthepeopleyouarewritingitfor，youunderstand。)Ionlywanttoinsist，inafriendlyway，thattheoldmanshallshedhissweetinfluencefrequentlyuponthepage——thatisall。 Thefirsttimewecalledattheconvent，PereJacopowasabsent；thenext(JustatthismomentMissSpauldingspokeupandsaidsomethingaboutPereJacopo——thereismoreinthisactingofoneminduponanotherthanpeoplethink)time，hewasthere，andgaveuspreservedrose-leavestoeat，andtalkedaboutyou，andMrs。Howells，andWinnie，andbroughtouthisphotographs，andshowedusapictureof“thelibraryofyournewhouse，“butnotso——itwasthestudyinyourCambridgehouse。Hewasverysweetandgood。Hecalledonusnextday；thedayafterthatweleftVenice，afterapleasantsojournOf3or4weeks。HeexpectstospendthiswinterinMunichandwillseeusoften，hesaid。 Prettysoon，Iamgoingtowritesomething，andwhenIfinishitIshallknowwhethertoputittoitselforinthe“Contributors”Club。”That“Contributors”Club“wasamosthappyidea。Bytheway，Ithinkthatthemanwhowrotetheparagraphbeginningatthebottomofpage643hassaidamightysoundandsensiblething。Iwishhissuggestioncouldbeadopted。 Itislovelyofyoutokeepthatoldpipeinsuchaplaceofhonor。 Whileitoccurstome，ImusttellyouSusie”slast。Sheissorelybadgeredwithdreams；andherstockdreamisthatsheisbeingeatenupbybears。Sheisagraveandthoughtfulchild，asyouwillremember。 Lastnightshehadtheusualdream。Thismorningshestoodapart(aftertellingit，)forsometime，lookingvacantlyatthefloor，andabsorbedinmeditation。Atlastshelookedup，andwiththepathosofonewhofeelshehasnotbeendealtbywitheven-handedfairness，said“ButMamma，thetroubleis，thatIamneverthebear，butalwaystheperson。” Itwouldnothaveoccurredtomethattheremightbeanadvantage，eveninadream，inoccasionallybeingtheeater，insteadofalwaysthepartyeaten，butIeasilyperceivedthatherpointwaswelltaken。 I”msendingtoHeidelbergforyourletterandWinnie”s，andIdohopetheyhaven”tbeenlost。 MywifeandIsendlovetoyouall。 Yrsever，MARK。 TheHowellsstory，runningatthistimeintheAtlantic，andsomuchenjoyedbytheClemensparty，was“TheLadyoftheAroostook。”Thesuggestionsmadeforenlargingthepartofthe“oldman“areeminentlycharacteristic。 MarkTwain”sforty-thirdbirthdaycameinMunich，andinhisletterconveyingthisfacttohismotherwegetabriefaddedoutlineofthedailylifeinthatoldBavariancity。Certainly，itwouldseemtohavebeenaquieterandmoreprofitableexistencethanhehadknownamidtheconfusionofthingsleftbehindin，America。 ToMrs。JaneClemensandMrs。Moffett，inAmerica： No。1aKarlstrasse，Dec。1，MUNICH。1878。 MYDEARMOTHERANDSISTER，——Ibrokethebackoflifeyesterdayandstarteddown-hilltowardoldage。ThisfacthasnotproducedanyeffectuponmethatIcandetect。 Isupposewearelocatedhereforthewinter。Ihaveapleasantwork- roomamilefromherewhereIdomywriting。ThewalktoandfromthatplacegivesmewhatexerciseIneed，andallItake。WestaidthreeweeksinVenice，aweekinFlorence，afortnightinRome，andarrivedhereacoupleofweeksago。LivyandMissSpauldingarestudyingdrawingandGerman，andthechildrenhaveaGermanday-governess。IcannotseebutthatthechildrenspeakGermanaswellastheydoEnglish。 SusieoftentranslatesLivy”sorderstotheservants。IcannotworkandstudyGermanatthesametime：soIhavedroppedthelatter，anddonotevenreadthelanguage，exceptinthemorningpapertogetthenews。 Wehaveallprettygoodhealth，latterly，andhaveseldomhadtocallthedoctor。Thechildrenhavebeenintheopenairprettyconstantlyformonthsnow。InVenicetheywereonthewaterinthegondolamostofthetime，andweregreatfriendswithourgondolier；andinRomeandFlorencetheyhadlongdailytramps，forRosaisafamoushandtosmelloutthesightsofastrangeplace。Heretheywanderlessextensively。 ThefamilyalljoininlovetoyouallandtoOrionandMollie。 AfflyYoursonSAM。 XIX。 LETTERS1879。RETURNTOAMERICA。THEGREATGRANTREUNION LifewentonverywellinMunich。EachdaythefamilyfellmoreinlovewithFrauleinDahlweinerandherhouse。 MarkTwain，however，didnotsettledowntohisworkreadily。His“pleasantwork-room“providedexercise，butnoinspiration。WhenhediscoveredhecouldnotfindhisSwissnote-bookhewasreadytogiveuphistravel-writingaltogether。IntheletterthatfollowswefindhimmuchlessenthusiasticconcerninghisownperformancesthanoverthestorybyHowells，whichhewasfollowingintheAtlantic。 The“detective“chaptermentionedinthisletterwasnotincludedin”ATrampAbroad。”Itwaspublishedseparately，as”TheStolenWhiteElephant”inavolumebearingthattitle。Theplay，whichhehadnowfound“dreadfullywitlessandflat，“wasnootherthan“SimonWheeler，Detective，“whichhehadonceregardedsohighly。The“Stewart“referredtowasthemillionairemerchant，A。T。Stewart，whosebodywasstolenintheexpectationofreward。 ToW。D。Howells，inBoston： MUNICH，Jan。21，(1879) MYDEARHOWELLS，——It”snouse，yourlettermiscarriedinsomewayandislost。Theconsulhasmadeathoroughsearchandsayshehasnotbeenabletotraceit。Itisunaccountable，forallthelettersIdidnotwantarrivedwithoutasinglegratefulfailure。Well，Ihaveread-up，now，asfarasyouhavegot，thatis，towherethere”sastormatseaapproaching，——andwethreethinkyouareclear，out-HowellsingHowells。 Ifyourliteraturehasnotstruckperfectionnowwearenotabletoseewhatislacking。Itisallsuchtruth——truthtothelife；everywhereyourpenfallsitleavesaphotograph。Ididimaginethateverythinghadbeensaidaboutlifeatseathatcouldbesaid，butnomatter，itwasallafailureandlies，nothingbutlieswithathinvarnishoffact，——onlyyouhavestateditasitabsolutelyis。Andonlyyouseepeopleandtheirways，andtheirinsidesandoutsidesastheyare，andmakethemtalkastheydotalk。Ithinkyouaretheverygreatestartistinthesetremendousmysteriesthateverlived。Theredoesn”tseemtobeanythingthatcanbeconcealedfromyourawfulall-seeingeye。Itmustbeacheerfulthingforonetolivewithyouandbeawarethatyouaregoingupanddowninhimlikeanotherconscienceallthetime。Possiblyyouwillnotbeafullyacceptedclassicuntilyouhavebeendeadahundredyears，——itisthefateoftheShakespearesandofallgenuineprophets，——butthenyourbookswillbeascommonasBibles，Ibelieve。You”renotaweed，butanoak；notasummer-house，butacathedral。InthatdayI shallstillbeintheCyclopedias，too，thus：“MarkTwain；historyandoccupationunknown——buthewaspersonallyacquaintedwithHowells。” There——Icouldsingyourpraisesallday，andfeelandbelieveeverybitofit。 Mybookishalffinished；Iwishtoheavenitwasdone。Ihavegivenupwritingadetectivenovel——can”twriteanovel，forIlackthefaculty； butwhenthedetectiveswerenosingaroundafterStewart”sloudremains，IthrewachapterintomypresentbookinwhichIhaveveryextravagantlyburlesquedthedetectivebusiness——ifitispossibletoburlesquethatbusinessextravagantly。YouknowIwasgoingtosendyouthatdetectiveplay，sothatyoucouldre-writeit。WellIdidn”tdoitbecauseI couldn”tfindasingleideainitthatcouldbeusefultoyou。Itwasdreadfullywitlessandflat。Iknewitwouldsaddenyouandunfityouforwork。 IhavealwaysbeensorrywethrewupthatplayembodyingOrionwhichyoubegan。Itwasamistaketodothat。DokeepthatMSandtackleitagain。Itwillworkoutallright；youwillsee。Idon”tbelievethatthatcharacterexistsinliteratureinsowell-developedaconditionasitexistsinOrion”sperson。Nowwon”tyouputOrioninastory？Thenhewillgohandsomelyintoaplayafterwards。Howdeliciouslyyoucouldpainthim——itwouldmakefascinatingreading——thesortthatmakesareaderlaughandcryatthesametime，forOrionisasgoodandridiculousasoulaseverwas。 Ah，tothinkofBayardTaylor！Itistoosadtotalkabout。IwassogladtherewasnotasinglestingandsomanygoodpraisefulwordsintheAtlantic”scriticismofDeukalion。 LovetoyouallYrsEverMARK WeremainheretillmiddleofMarch。 In”ATrampAbroad”thereisanincidentinwhichtheauthordescribeshimselfashuntingforalostsockinthedark，inavasthotelbedroomatHeilbronn。Theaccountoftherealincident，aswrittentoTwichell，seemsevenmoreamusing。 The“YarnAbouttheLimburgerCheeseandtheBoxofGuns，“like“TheStolenWhiteElephant，“didnotfindplaceinthetravel-book，butwaspublishedinthesamevolumewiththeelephantstory，addedtotheramblingnotesof“AnIdleExcursion。” WiththediscoveryoftheSwissnote-book，workwithMarkTwainwasgoingbetter。Hisletterreflectshisenthusiasm。 ToRev。J。H。Twichell，inHartford： MUNICH，Jan26”79。 DEAROLDJOE，——Sunday。Yourdeliciousletterarrivedexactlyattherighttime。ItwaslaidbymyplateasIwasfinishingbreakfastat12 noon。LivyandClara，(Spaulding)arrivedfromchurch5minuteslater； Itookapipeandspreadmyselfoutonthesofa，andLivysatbyandread，andIwarmedtothatbutcherthemomenthebegantoswear。Thereismorethanonewayofpraying，andIlikethebutcher”swaybecausethepetitionerissoapttobeinearnest。Iwaspeculiarlyalivetohisperformancejustatthistime，foranotherreason，towit：LastnightI awokeat3thismorning，andafterragingtomyselffor2interminablehours，Igaveitup。Irose，assumedacatlikestealthiness，tokeepfromwakingLivy，andproceededtodressinthepitchdark。SlowlybutsurelyIgotongarmentaftergarment——alldowntoonesock；Ihadoneslipperonandtheotherinmyhand。Well，onmyhandsandkneesIcreptsoftlyaround，pawingandfeelingandscoopingalongthecarpet，andamongchair-legsforthatmissingsock；Ikeptthatup；andstillkeptitupandkeptitup。AtfirstIonlysaidtomyself，“Blamethatsock，“ butthatsoonceasedtoanswer；myexpletivesgrewsteadilystrongerandstronger，——andatlast，whenIfoundIwaslost，Ihadtositflatdownonthefloorandtakeholdofsomethingtokeepfromliftingtheroofoffwiththeprofaneexplosionthatwastryingtogetoutofme。Icouldseethedimblurofthewindow，butofcourseitwasinthewrongplaceandcouldgivemenoinformationastowhereIwas。ButIhadonecomfort——IhadnotwakedLivy；IbelievedIcouldfindthatsockinsilenceifthenightlastedlongenough。SoIstartedagainandsoftlypawedallovertheplace，——andsureenoughattheendofhalfanhourIlaidmyhandonthemissingarticle。Irosejoyfullyupandbuttedthewash-bowlandpitcheroffthestandandsimplyraised——sotospeak。Livyscreamed，thensaid，“Whoisthat？whatisthematter？“Isaid“Thereain”tanythingthematter——I”mhuntingformysock。”Shesaid，“Areyouhuntingforitwithaclub？“ Iwentintheparlorandlitthelamp，andgraduallythefurysubsidedandtheridiculousfeaturesofthethingbegantosuggestthemselves。 SoIlayonthesofa，withnote-bookandpencil，andtransferredtheadventuretoourbigroominthehotelatHeilbronn，andgotitonpaperagooddealtomysatisfaction。 IfoundtheSwissnote-book，sometimeago。WhenitwasfirstlostIwasgladofit，forIwasgettinganideathatIhadlostmyfacultyofwritingsketchesoftravel；thereforethelossofthatnote-bookwouldrenderthewritingofthisonesimplyimpossible，andletmegracefullyout；IwasabouttowritetoBlissandproposesomeotherbook，whentheconfoundedthingturnedup，anddownwentmyheartintomyboots。Buttherewasnownoexcuse，soIwentsolidlytowork——toreupagreatpartoftheMSwritteninHeidelberg，——wroteandtoreup，——continuedtowriteandtearup，——andatlast，rewardofpatientandnoblepersistence，mypengottheoldswingagain！ SincethenI”mgladProvidenceknewbetterwhattodowiththeSwissnote-bookthanIdid，forIlikemywork，now，exceedingly，andoftenturnoutover30MSpagesadayandthenquitsorrythatHeavenmakesthedayssoshort。 OneofmydiscouragementshadbeenthebeliefthatmyinterestinthistourhadbeensoslenderthatIcouldn”tgougematterenoughoutofittomakeabook。Whatamistake。I”vegot900pageswritten(notawordinitabouttheseavoyage)yetIsteppedmyfootoutofHeidelbergforthefirsttimeyesterday，——andthenonlytotakeourpartyoffouronourfirstpedestriantour——toHeilbronn。I”vegotthemdressedelaboratelyinwalkingcostume——knapsacks，canteens，field-glasses，leatherleggings，patentwalkingshoes，muslinfoldsaroundtheirhats，withlongtailshangingdownbehind，sunumbrellas，andAlpenstocks。TheygoallthewaytoWimpfenbyrail-thencetoHeilbronninachancevegetablecartdrawnbyadonkeyandacow；Ishallfetchthemhomeonaraft；andifotherpeopleshallperceivethatthatwasnopedestrianexcursion，theythemselvesshallnotbeconsciousofit——Thistripwilltake100pagesormore，——oh，goodnessknowshowmany！forthemoodiseverything，notthematerial，andIalreadyseemtosee300pagesrisingbeforemeonthattrip。Then，IproposetoleaveHeidelbergforgood。Don”tyousee，thebook(1800MSpages，)mayreallybefinishedbeforeIevergettoSwitzerland？ Butthere”sonething；IwanttotellFrankBlissandhisfathertobecharitabletowardmein，——thatis，letmetearupalltheMSIwantto，andgivemetimetowritemore。Ishan”twastethetime——Ihaven”ttheslightestdesiretoloaf，butaconsumingdesiretowork，eversinceI gotbackmyswing。AndyouseethisbookiseithergoingtobecomparedwiththeInnocentsAbroad，orcontrastedwithit，tomydisadvantage。 IthinkIcanmakeabookthatwillbenodeadcorpseofathingandI meantodomylevelbesttoaccomplishthat。 Mycrudeplansarecrystalizing。Asthethingstandsnow，IwenttoEuropeforthreepurposes。Thefirstyouknow，andmustkeepsecret，evenfromtheBlisses；thesecondistostudyArt；andthethirdtoacquireacriticalknowledgeoftheGermanlanguage。MyMSalreadyshowsthatthetwolatterobjectsareaccomplished。ItshowsthatIammovingaboutasanArtistandaPhilologist，andunawarethatthereisanyimmodestyinassumingthesetitles。Havingthreedefiniteobjectshashadtheeffectofseemingtoenlargemydomainandgivemethefreedomofaloosecostume。Itisthreestringstomybow，too。 Well，yourbutcherismagnificent。Hewon”tstayoutofmymind——Ikeeptryingtothinkofsomewayofgettingyouraccountofhimintomybookwithouthisbeingoffended——andyetconfoundhimthereisn”tanythingyouhavesaidwhichhewouldseeanyoffensein，——I”monlythinkingofhisfriends——theyarethepartieswhobusythemselveswithseeingthingsforpeople。ButI”mboundtohavehimin。I”mputtingintheyarnabouttheLimburgercheeseandtheboxofguns，too——mightygladHowellsdeclinedit。Itseemstogatherrichnessandflavorwithage。Ihaveverynearlykilledseveralcompanieswiththatnarrative，——theAmericanArtistsClub，here，forinstance，andSmithandwifeandMissGriffith(theywerehereinthishouseaweekortwo。)I”vegototherchaptersthatprettynearlydestroyedthesameparties，too。 O，Switzerland！thefurtheritrecedesintotheenrichinghazeoftime，themoreintolerablydeliciousthecharmofitandthecheerofitandthegloryandmajestyandsolemnityandpathosofitgrow。Thosemountainshadasoul；theythought；theyspoke，——onecouldn”thearitwiththeearsofthebody，butwhatavoiceitwas！——andhowreal。Deepdowninmymemoryitissoundingyet。AlpcallethuntoAlp！——thatstatelyoldScripturalwordingistherightoneforGod”sAlpsandGod”socean。Howpunywewereinthatawfulpresence——andhowpainlessitwastobeso；howfittingandrightitseemed，andhowstinglesswasthesenseofourunspeakableinsignificance。AndLordhowpervadingwerethereposeandpeaceandblessednessthatpouredoutoftheheartoftheinvisibleGreatSpiritoftheMountains。 Nowwhatisit？Therearemountainsandmountainsandmountainsinthisworld——butonlythesetakeyoubytheheart-strings。Iwonderwhatthesecretofitis。Well，timeandtimeagainithasseemedtomethatI mustdropeverythingandfleetoSwitzerlandoncemore。Itisalonging——adeep，strong，tugginglonging——thatistheword。Wemustgoagain，Joe——Octoberdays，letusgetupatdawnandbreakfastatthetower。I shouldlikethatfirstrate。 LivyandallofussenddelugesoflovetoyouandHarmonyandallthechildren。IdreamedlastnightthatIwokeupinthelibraryathomeandyourchildrenwerefrolicingaroundmeandJuliawassittinginmylap； youandHarmonyandbothfamiliesofWarnershadfinishedtheirwelcomesandwerefilingoutthroughtheconservatorydoor，wreckingPatrick”sflowerpotswiththeirdressskirtsastheywent。Peaceandplentyabidewithyouall！ MARK。 IwanttheBlissestoknowtheirpartofthisletter，ifpossible。Theywillseethatmydelaywasnotfromchoice。 FollowingthelifeofMarkTwain，whetherthroughhislettersoralongthesequenceofdetailedoccurrence，wearenevermorethanalittlewhile，oralittledistance，fromhisbrotherOrion。InoneformoranotherOrioniseverpresent，hisinquiries，hisproposals，hissuggestions，hisplansforimprovinghisownfortunes，commandourattention。Hewasoneofthemosthumancreaturesthateverlived；indeed，hishumanityexcludedeveryformofartificiality—— everythingthatneedstobeacquired。Talented，trusting，child- like，carriedawaybytheimpulseofthemoment，despiteakeensenseofhumorhewasneverabletoseethathislatestplanorprojectwasnotboundtosucceed。MarkTwainlovedhim，pitiedhim——alsoenjoyedhim，especiallywithHowells。Orion”snewplantolectureintheinterestofreligionfounditswaytoMunich，withthefollowingresult： ToW。D。Howells，inBoston： MUNICH，Feb。9。(1879) MYDEARHOWELLS，——IhavejustreceivedthisletterfromOrion——takecareofit，foritisworthpreserving。Igotasfaras9pagesinmyanswertoit，whenMrs。Clemensshutdownonit，andsaiditwascruel，andmademesendthemoneyandsimplywishhislecturesuccess。IsaidIcouldn”tlosemy9pages——soshesaidsendthemtoyou。ButIwillacknowledgethatIthoughtIwaswritingaverykindletter。 NowjustlookatthisletterofOrion”s。Didyoueverseethegrotesquelyabsurdandtheheart-breakinglypatheticmorecloselyjoinedtogether？Mrs。Clemenssaid“Raisehismonthlypension。”SoIwrotetoPerkinstoraiseitatrifle。 Nowonlythinkofit！Hestillhas100pagestowriteonhislecture，yetinoneinkingofhispenhehasalreadyswoopedaroundtheUnitedStatesandinvestedtheresult！ Youmustputhiminabookoraplayrightaway。Youaretheonlymancapableofdoingit。Youmightdieatanymoment，andyourverygreatestworkwouldbelosttotheworld。IcouldwriteOrion”ssimplebiography，andmakeiteffective，too，bymerelystatingthebaldfacts——andthisI willdoifhediesbeforeIdo；butyoumustputhimintoromance。ThiswastheunderstandingyouandIhadthedayIsailed。 ObserveOrion”scareer——thatis，alittleofit：(1)Hehasbelongedtoasmanyasfivedifferentreligiousdenominations；lastMarchhewithdrewfromthedeaconshipinaCongregationalChurchandtheSuperintendencyofitsSundaySchool，inaspeechinwhichhesaidthatformanymonths(itrunsinmymindthathesaid13years，)hehadbeenaconfirmedinfidel，andsofeltittobehisdutytoretirefromtheflock。 2。Afterbeingarepublicanforyears，hewantedmetobuyhimademocraticnewspaper。AfewdaysbeforethePresidentialelection，hecameoutinaspeechandpubliclywentovertothedemocrats；heprudently“hedged“byvotingfor6staterepublicans，also。 Thenewconvertwasmadeoneofthesecretariesofthedemocraticmeeting，andplacedinthelistofspeakers。Hewrotemejubilantlyofwhataten-strikehewasgoingtomakewiththatspeech。Allright——butthinkofhisinnocentandpatheticcandorinwritingmesomethinglikethis，aweeklater： “IwasmorediffidentthanIhadexpectedtobe，andthiswasincreasedbythesilencewithwhichIwasreceivedwhenIcameforward；soIseemedunabletogetthefireintomyspeechwhichIhadcalculatedupon，andpresentlytheybegantogetupandgoout；andinafewminutestheyallroseupandwentaway。” Howcouldamanuncoversuchasoreasthatandshowittoanother？Notawordofcomplaint，yousee——onlyapatient，sadsurprise。 3。HisnextprojectwastowriteaburlesqueuponParadiseLost。 4。Then，learningthattheTimeswaspayingHarte$100acolumnforstories，heconcludedtowritesomeforthesameprice。Ireadhisfirstoneandpersuadedhimnottowriteanymore。 5。ThenhereadproofontheN。Y。Eve。Postat$10aweekandmeeklyobservedthattheforemansworeathimandorderedhimaround“likeasteamboatmate。” 6。Beingdischargedfromthatpost，hewantedtotryagriculture——wassurehecouldmakeafortuneoutofachickenfarm。Igavehim$900andhewenttoaten-housevillageamilesaboveKeokukontheriverbank—— thisplacewasarailwaystation。Hesoonaskedformoneytobuyahorseandlightwagon，——becausethetrainsdidnotrunatchurchtimeonSundayandhiswifefounditratherfartowalk。 ForalongtimeIanswereddemandsfor“loans“andbynextmailalwaysreceivedhischeckfortheinterestduemetodate。Inthemostguilelesswayheletitleakoutthathedidnotunderestimatethevalueofhiscustomtome，sinceitwasnotlikelythatanyothercustomerofminepaidhisinterestquarterly，andthisenabledmetousemycapitaltwicein6monthsinsteadofonlyonce。Butalas，whenthedebtatlastreached$1800or$2500(Ihaveforgottenwhich)theinterestatetooformidablyintohisborrowings，andsohequietlyceasedtopayitorspeakofit。AttheendoftwoyearsIfoundthatthechickenfarmhadlongagobeenabandoned，andhehadmovedintoKeokuk。Laterinoneofhiscasualmoments，heobservedthattherewasnomoneyinfatteningachickenon65centsworthofcornandthensellingitfor50。 7。Finally，ifIwouldlendhim$500ayearfortwoyears，(thiswas4 or5yearsago，)heknewhecouldmakeasuccessasalawyer，andwouldproveit。Thisisthepensionwhichwehavejustincreasedto$600。Thefirstyearhislegalbusinessbroughthim$5。Italsobroughthimanunremunerativecasewheresomevillainsweretryingtochousesomenegroorphansoutof$700。Hestillhasthiscase。Hehaswaggleditaroundthroughvariouscourtsandmadesomeboomingspeechesonit。Thenegrochildrenhavegrownupandmarriedoff，now，Ibelieve，andtheirlitigatedtown-lothasbeendugupandcartedoffbysomebody——butOrionstillinfeststhecourtswithhisdocumentsandmakesthewelkinringwithhisvenerablecase。Thesecondyear，hedidn”tmakeanything。Thethirdhemade$6，andImadeBlissputacaseinhishands——abouthalfanhour”swork。Orioncharged$50forit——Blisspaidhim$15。Thusfourorfiveyearsoflavinghasbroughthim$26，butthiswilldoubtlessbeincreasedwhenhegetsdonelecturingandbuysthat“lawlibrary。” Meantimehisofficerenthasbeen$60ayear，andhehasstucktothatlairdaybydayaspatientlyasaspider。 8。ThenhebyandbyconceivedtheideaoflecturingaroundAmericaas“MarkTwain”sBrother“——thattobeonthebills。Subjectofproposedlecture，“Onthe，FormationofCharacter。” 9。Iprotested，andhegotonhiswarpaint，couchedhislance，andranaboldtiltagainsttotalabstinenceandtheRedRibbonfanatics。ItraisedafinerowamongthevirtuousKeokukians。 10。Iwrotetoencouragehiminhisgoodwork，butIhadletamailintervene；sobythetimemyletterreachedhimhewasalreadywinninglaurelsasaRedRibbonHowler。 11。Afterwardhetookarabidpartinaprayer-meetingepidemic；droppedthattotravestyJulesVerne；droppedthat，inthemiddleofthelastchapter，lastMarch，todigestthematterofaninfidelbookwhichheproposedtowrite；andnowhecomestothesurfacetorescueour“nobleandbeautifulreligion“fromthesacrilegioustalonsofBobIngersoll。 Nowcome！Don”tfoolawaythistreasurewhichProvidencehaslaidatyourfeet，buttakeitupanduseit。OnecanlethisimaginationrunriotinportrayingOrion，forthereisnothingsoextravagantastobeoutofcharacterwithhim。 Well-good-bye，andashortlifeandamerryonebeyours。PooroldMethusaleh，howdidhemanagetostanditsolong？ Yrsever，MARK。 ToOrionClemens(Unsentandinclosedwiththeforegoing，toW。D。Howells)： MUNICH，Feb。9，(1879) MYDEARBRO。，——Yourshasjustarrived。IencloseadraftonHartfordfor$25。Youwillhaveabandonedtheprojectyouwanteditfor，bythetimeitarrives，——butnomatter，applyittoyournewerandpresentproject，whateveritis。YouseeIhaveanineradicablefaithinyourunsteadfastness，——butmindyou，Ididn”tinventthatfaith，youconferreditonmeyourself。Butfireaway，fireaway！Idon”tseewhyachangeablemanshouldn”tgetasmuchenjoymentoutofhischanges，andtransformationsandtransfigurationsasasteadfastmangetsoutofstandingstillandpeggingatthesameoldmonotonousthingallthetime。 Thatistosay，Idon”tseewhyakaleidoscopeshouldn”tenjoyitselfasmuchasatelescope，noragrindstonehaveasgoodatimeasawhetstone，norabarometerasgoodatimeasayardstick。Idon”tfeellikegirdingatyouanymoreaboutficklenessofpurpose，becauseIrecognizeandrealizeatlastthatitisincurable；butbeforeIlearnedtoacceptthistruth，eachnewweeklyprojectofyourspossessedthepowerofthrowingmeintothemostexhaustingandhelplessconvulsionsofprofanity。Butfireaway，now！Yourmagichaslostitsmight。Iamabletoviewyourinspirationsdispassionatelyandjudicially，now，andsay“Thisoneorthatoneortheotheroneisnotuptoyouraverageflight，orisaboveit，orbelowit。” Andso，withoutpassion，orprejudice，orbiasofanykind，Isitinjudgmentuponyourlectureproject，andsayitwasuptoyouraverage，itwasindeedaboveit，forithadpossibilitiesinit，andevenpracticalones。WhileIwasnotsorryyouabandonedit，Ishouldnotbesorryifyouhadstucktoitandgivenitatrial。Butonthewholeyoudidthewisethingtolayitaside，Ithink，becausealectureisamosteasythingtofailin；andatyourtimeoflife，andinyourowntown，suchafailurewouldmakeadeepandcruelwoundinyourheartandinyourpride。Itwasdecidedlyunwiseinyoutothinkforamomentofcomingbeforeacommunitywhoknewyou，withsuchacourseoflectures； becauseKeokukisnotunawarethatyouhavebeenaSwedenborgian，aPresbyterian，aCongregationalist，andaMethodist(onprobation)，andthatjustayearagoyouwereaninfidel。IfKeokukhadgonetoyourlecturecourse，itwouldhavegonetobeamused，notinstructed，forwhenamanisknowntohavenosettledconvictionsofhisownhecan”tconvinceotherpeople。Theywouldhavegonetobeamusedandthatwouldhavebeenadeephumiliationtoyou。Itcouldhavebeensafeforyoutoappearonlywhereyouwereunknown——thenmanyofyourhearerswouldthinkyouwereinearnest。Andtheywouldberight。Youareinearnestwhileyourconvictionsarenew。Buttakingitbyandlarge，youprobablydidbesttodiscardthatprojectaltogether。ButIleaveyoutojudgeofthat，foryouaretheworstjudgeIknowof。 (Unfinished。) ThatMarkTwaininmanywayswashardlylesschild-likethanhisbrotherisnowandagainrevealedinhisletters。Hewasofsteadfastpurpose，andhepossessedthedrivingpowerwhichOrionClemenslacked；buttheimportancetohimofsomeofthesmallermattersoflife，asshowninaletterlikethefollowing，bespeaksacertainsimplicityofnaturewhichheneveroutgrew： ToRev。J。H。Twichell，inHartford： MUNICH，Feb。24。(1879) DEAROLDJOE，——Itwasamightygoodletter，Joe——andthatideaofyoursisarattlinggoodone。ButIhavenotsotdownheretoansweryourletter，——foritisdownatmystudy，——butonlytoimpartsomeinformation。 ForamonthsIhadnotshavedwithoutcrying。I”dspend3/4ofanhourwhettingawayonmyhand——nouse，couldn”tgetanedge。Triedarazorstrop-sameresult。SoIsatdownandputinanhourthinkingoutthemystery。Thenitseemedplain——towit：myhandcan”tgivearazoranedge，itcanonlysmoothandrefineanedgethathasalreadybeengiven。 IjudgethatarazorfreshfromthehoneisthisshapeV——thelongpointbeingthecontinuationoftheedge——andthataftermuchusetheshapeisthisV——theattenuatededgeallwornoffandgone。ByGeorgeIknewthatwastheexplanation。AndIknewthatafreshlyhonedandfreshlystrappedrazorwon”tcut，butafterstrappingonthehandasafinaloperation，itwillcut——SoIsentoutforanoil-stone；nonetobehad，butmessengerbroughtbackalittlepieceofrockthesizeofaSafety- matchbox——(itwasboughtinashoemaker”sshop)badflawinmiddleofit，too，butIput4dropsoffineOliveoilonit，pickedouttherazormarked“Thursday“becauseitwasneveranyaccountandwouldbenolossifIspoiledit——gaveitabriskandrecklesshoningfor10minutes，thentrieditonahair——itwouldn”tcut。ThenItrotteditthroughavigorous20-minutecourseonarazor-strapandtrieditonahair-itwouldn”tcut——trieditonmyface——itmademecry——gaveita5-minutestroppingonmyhand，andmyland，whatanedgeshehad！WethoughtweknewwhatsharprazorswerewhenweweretrampinginSwitzerland，butitwasamistake——theyweredullbesidethisoldThursdayrazorofmine—— whichImeantonameThursdayOctoberChristian，ingratitude。Itookmywhetstone，andin20minutesIputtwomoreofmyrazorsinsplendidcondition——butIleavetheminthebox——IneveruseanybutThursdayO。 C。，andshan”ttillitsedgeisgone——andthenI”llknowhowtorestoreitwithoutanydelay。 WeallgotoParisnextThursday——address，Monroe&Co。，Bankers。 WithloveYsEverMARK。 InParistheyfoundpleasantquartersattheHotelNormandy，butitwasachilly，rainyspring，andthetravelersgainedaratherpoorimpressionoftheFrenchcapital。MarkTwain”sworkdidnotgowell，atfirst，becauseofthenoisesofthestreet。Butthenhefoundaquietercornerinthehotelandmadebetterprogress。InabriefnotetoAldrichhesaid：“Isleeplikealambandwritelikealion——Imeanthekindofalionthatwrites——ifanysuch。”Heexpectedtofinishthebookinsixweeks；thatistosay，beforereturningtoAmerica。Hewaslookingafteritsillustrationshimself，andalettertoFrankBliss，ofTheAmericanPublishingCompany，referstothefrontpiece，which，fromtimetotime，hascausedquestionastoitsorigin。ToBlisshesays：“ItisathingwhichImanufacturedbypastingapopularcomicpictureintothemiddleofacelebratedBiblicalone——shallattributeittoTitian。 Itneedstobeengravedbyamaster。” TheweathercontinuedbadinFranceandtheyleftthereinJulytofinditlittlebetterinEngland。TheyhadplannedajourneytoScotlandtovisitDoctorBrown，whosehealthwasnotverygood。InafteryearsMarkTwainblamedhimselfharshlyfornotmakingthetrip，whichhedeclaredwouldhavemeantsomuchtoMrs。Clemens。 Hehadforgottenbythattimetherealreasonsfornotgoing——thecontinuedstormsanduncertaintyoftrains(whichmadeitbarelypossibleforthemtoreachLiverpoolintimefortheirsailing- date)，andwithcharacteristicself-reproachvowedthatonlyperversityandobstinacyonhisparthadpreventedthejourneytoScotland。FromLiverpool，ontheeveofsailing，hesentDoctorBrownagood-byword。 ToDr。JohnBrown，inEdinburgh： WASHINGTONHOTEL，LIMESTREET，LIVERPOOL。 Aug。(1879) MYDEARMR。BROWN，——Duringallthe15monthswehavebeenspendingonthecontinent，wehavebeenpromisingourselvesasightofyouasourlatestandmostprizeddelightinaforeignland——butourhopehasfailed，ourplanhasmiscarried。Oneobstructionafteranotherintrudeditself，andourshortsojournofthreeorfourweeksonEnglishsoilwasthusfritteredgraduallyaway，andwewereatlastobligedtogiveuptheideaofseeingyouatall。Itisagreatdisappointment，forwewantedtoshowyouhowmuch“Megalopis“hasgrown(sheis7now)andwhatafinecreaturehersisteris，andhowprettilytheybothspeakGerman。Therearesixpersonsinmyparty，andtheyareasdifficulttocartaroundasnearlyanyothermenageriewouldbe。MywifeandMissSpauldingarealong，andyoumayimaginehowtheytaketoheartthisfailureofourlongpromisedEdinburghtrip。Weneverevenwroteyou，becausewewerealwayssosure，fromdaytoday，thatouraffairswouldfinallysoshapethemselvesastoletusgettoScotland。Butno，——everythingwentwrongwehadonlyflyingtripshereandthereinplaceoftheleisurelyoneswhichwehadplanned。 WearrivedinLiverpoolanhouragoverytired，andhavehaltedatthishotel(bytheadviceofmisguidedfriends)——andifmyinstinctandexperienceareworthanything，itistheveryworsthotelonearth，withoutanyexception。Weshallmovetoanotherhotelearlyinthemorningtospendto-morrow。WesailforAmericanextdayinthe“Gallic。” Wealljoininthesincerestlovetoyou，andinthekindestremembranceto“Jock“——[SonofDoctorBrown。]——andyoursister。 Trulyyours，S。L。CLEMENS。 ItwasSeptember3，1879，thatMarkTwainreturnedtoAmericabythesteamerGallic。Intheseventeenmonthsofhisabsencehehadtakenona“traveledlook“andhadaddedgrayhairs。ANewYorkpapersaidofhisarrivalthathelookedolderthanwhenhewenttoGermany，andthathishairhadturnedquitegray。 MarkTwainhadnotfinishedhisbookoftravelinParis——infact，itseemedtohimfarfromcomplete——andhesettleddownrathergrimlytoworkonitatQuarryFarm。When，afterafewdaysnowordofgreetingcamefromHowells，Clemenswrotetoaskifheweredeadoronlysleeping。Howellshastilysentalinetosaythathehadbeensleeping“Thesleepofatorpidconscience。IwillfeignthatIdidnotknowwheretowriteyou；butIloveyouandallofyours，andIamtremendouslygladthatyouarehomeagain。Whenandwhereshallwemeet？HaveyoucomehomewithyourpocketsfullofAtlanticpapers？“Clemens，toilingawayathisbook，was，asusual，notwithouttheprospectofotherplans。Orion，asliterarymaterial，neverfailedtoexcitehim。 ToW。D。Howells，inBoston： ELMIRA，Sept。15，1879。 MYDEARHOWELLS，——Whenandwhere？Hereonthefarmwouldbeanelegantplacetomeet，butofcourseyoucannotcomesofar。SowewillsayHartfordorBelmont，aboutthebeginningofNovember。ThedateofourreturntoHartfordisuncertain，butwillbethreeorfourweekshence，Ijudge。Ihopetofinishmybookherebeforemigrating。 IthinkmaybeI”vegotsomeAtlanticstuffinmyhead，butthere”snoneinMS，Ibelieve。 Say——afriendofminewantstowriteaplaywithme，Itofurnishthebroad-comedycuss。Idon”tknowanythingabouthisability，buthisletterservestoremindmeofouroldprojects。Ifyouhaven”tusedOrionorOldWakeman，don”tyouthinkyouandIcangettogetherandgrindoutaplaywithoneofthosefellowsinit？Orionisafieldwhichgrowsricherandricherthemorehemulchesitwitheachnewtop-dressingofreligionorotherguano。Dropmeanimmediatelineaboutthis，won”tyou？IimagineIseeOriononthestage，alwaysgentle，alwaysmelancholy，alwayschanginghispoliticsandreligion，andtryingtoreformtheworld，alwaysinventingsomething，andlosingalimbbyanewkindofexplosionattheendofeachofthefouracts。Pooroldchap，heisgoodmaterial。Icanimaginehiswifeorhissweetheartreluctantlyadoptingeachofhisnewreligiousinturn，justintimetoseehimwaltzintothenextoneandleaveherisolatedoncemore。 (Mem。Orion”swifehasfollowedhimintotheouterdarkness，after30 years”rabidmembershipinthePresbyterianChurch。) Well，withthesincerestandmostaboundinglovetoyouandyours，fromallthisfamily，Iam，YrseverMARK。 TheideaoftheplayinterestedHowells，buthehadtwingesofconscienceinthematterofusingOrionasmaterial。Hewrote： “MorethanonceIhavetakentheskeletonofthatcomedyofoursandvieweditwithtears……Ireallyhaveacompunctionortwoabouthelpingtoputyourbrotherintodrama。Youcansaythatheisyourbrother，todowhatyoulikewithhim，butthealienhandmightinflictanincurablehurtonhistenderheart。” Asamatteroffact，OrionClemenshadakeenappreciationofhisownshortcomings，andwouldhaveenjoyedhimselfinaplayasmuchasanyobserverofit。Indeed，itismorethanlikelythathewouldhavebeenpleasedatthethoughtofsuchdistinguisheddramatization。Fromthenextletteronemightalmostconcludethathehadreceivedahintofthisplan，andwasbentuponsupplyingrichmaterial。 ToW。D。Howells，inBoston： ELMIRA，Oct。9”79。 MYDEARHOWELLS，——Sincemyreturn，themailfacilitieshaveenabledOriontokeepmeinformedastohisintentions。Twenty-eightdaysagoitwashispurposetocompleteaworkaimedatreligion，theprefacetowhichhehadalreadywritten。Afterwardhebegantoselloffhisfurniture，withtheideaofhurryingtoLeadvilleandtacklingsilver-mining——threwuphislawdenandtookinhissign。ThenhewrotetoChicagoandSt。Louisnewspapersaskingforasituationas“paragrapher“——enclosingatasteofhisqualityintheshapeoftwostanzasof“humorousrhymes。”ByalatermailonthesamedayheappliedtoNewYorkandHartfordinsurancecompaniesforcopyingtodo。 However，itwouldtaketoolongtodetailallhisprojects。Theycomprisearemovaltosouth-westMissouri；applicationforareporter”sberthonaKeokukpaper；applicationforacompositor”sberthonaSt。 Louispaper；are-hangingofhisattorney”ssign，“thoughitonlycreaksandcatchesnoflies；“butlastnight”sletterinformsmethathehasretackledthereligiousquestion，hiredadistantdentowritein，appliedtomymotherfor$50tore-buyhisfurniture，whichhasadvancedinvaluesincethesale——purposesbuying$25worthofbooksnecessarytohislaborswhichhehadpreviouslybeenborrowing，andhisfirstchapterisalreadyonitswaytomeformydecisionastowhetherithasenoughungodlinessinitornot。PoorOrion！ YourletterstruckmewhileIwasmeditatingaprojecttobeguileyou，andJohnHayandJoeTwichell，intoadescentuponChicagowhichIdreamofmaking，towitnessthere-unionofthegreatCommandersoftheWesternArmyCorpsonthe9thofnextmonth。Mysluggishsoulneedsafierceupstirring，andifitwouldnotgetitwhenGrantentersthemeetingplaceImustdoubtless“lay“forthefinalresurrection。CanyouandHaygo？Atthesametime，confoundit，IdoubtifIcangomyself，forthisbookisn”tdoneyet。ButIwouldgiveaheaptobethere。ImeantoheavesomeholinessintotheHartfordprimarieswhenIgoback；andiftherewasasolitaryofficeinthelandwhichmajesticignoranceandincapacity，coupledwithpurityofheart，couldfill，Iwouldrunforit。 ThisnaturallyremindsmeofBretHarte——butlethimpass。 WeproposetoleavehereforNewYorkOct。21，reachingHartford24thor25th。If，uponreflection，youHowellsesfind，youcanstopoverhereonyourway，Iwishyouwoulddoit，andtelegraphme。Gettingprettyhungrytoseeyou。Ihadanideathatthiswasyourshortestwayhome，butlikeasnotmygeographyiscrippledagain——itusuallyis。 YrseverMARK。 The“ReunionoftheGreatCommanders，“mentionedintheforegoing，wasawelcometoGeneralGrantafterhisjourneyaroundtheworld。 Grant”striphadbeenonecontinuousovation——atriumphalmarch。 In”79mostofhisoldcommanderswerestillalive，andtheyhadplannedtoassembleinChicagotodohimhonor。APresidentialyearwascomingon，butiftherewasanythingpoliticalintheprojecttherewerenosurfaceindications。MarkTwain，onceaConfederatesoldier，hadlongsincebeencompletely“desouthernized“——atleasttothepointwherehefeltthatthesightofoldcomradespayingtributetotheUnioncommanderwouldstirhisbloodasperhapsithadnotbeenstirred，eveninthatearliertime，whenthatsamecommanderhadchasedhimthroughtheMissouriswamps。Grant，indeed，hadlongsincebecomeaherotoMarkTwain，thoughitishighlyunlikelythatClemensfavoredtheideaofathirdterm。SomedaysfollowingtheprecedingletteraninvitationcameforhimtobepresentattheChicagoreunion；butbythistimehehaddecidednottogo。Theletterhewrotehasbeenpreserved。 ToGen。WilliamE。Strong，inChicago： FARMINGTONAVENUE，HARTFORD。 Oct。28，1879。 GEN。WM。E。STRONG，CH”M，ANDGENTLEMENOFTHECOMMITTEE： IhavebeenhopingduringseveralweeksthatitmightbemygoodfortunetoreceiveaninvitationtobepresentonthatgreatoccasioninChicago； butnowthatmydesireisaccomplishedmybusinessmattershavesoshapedthemselvesastobarmefrombeingsofarfromhomeinthefirsthalfofNovember。ItiswithsupremeregretthatIlostthischance，forIhavenothadathoroughstirringupforsomeyears，andIjudgedthatifI couldbeinthebanquetinghallandseeandheartheveteransoftheArmyoftheTennesseeatthemomentthattheiroldcommanderenteredtheroom，orroseinhisplacetospeak，mysystemwouldgetthekindofupheavalitneeds。GeneralGrant”sprogressacrossthecontinentisofthemarvelousnatureofthereturningNapoleon”sprogressfromGrenobletoParis；andasthecrowningspectacleintheonecasewasthemeetingwiththeOldGuard，so，likewise，thecrowningspectacleintheotherwillbeourgreatcaptain”smeetingwithhisOldGuard——andthatistheveryclimaxwhichIwantedtowitness。 Besides，IwantedtoseetheGeneralagain，anyway，andrenewtheacquaintance。Hewouldrememberme，becauseIwasthepersonwhodidnotaskhimforanoffice。However，Iconsumeyourtime，andalsowanderfromthepoint——whichis，tothankyouforthecourtesyofyourinvitation，andyieldupmyseatatthetabletosomeotherguestwhomaypossiblygraceitbetter，butwillcertainlynotappreciateitsprivilegesmore，thanIshould。 Withgreatrespect，Iam，Gentlemen，Verytrulyyours，S。L。CLEMENS。 Private：——Ibegtoapologizeformydelay，gentlemen，butthecardofinvitationwenttoElmira，N。Y。andhencehasonlyjustnowreachedme。 Thisletterwasnotsent。Hereconsideredandsentanacceptance，agreeingtospeak，asthecommitteehadrequested。CertainlytherewassomethingpicturesqueintheideaoftheMissouriprivatewhohadbeenchasedforarainyfortnightthroughtheswampsofRallsCountybeingselectednowtojoininwelcometohisancientenemy。 Thegreatreunionwastobesomethingmorethanamerebanquet。Itwouldcontinueforseveraldays，withprocessions，greatassemblages，andmuchoratory。 MarkTwainarrivedinChicagoingoodseasontoseeitall。ThreeletterstoMrs。Clemensintimatelypresenthisexperiences：hisenthusiasticenjoymentandhisownpersonaltriumph。 Thefirstwasprobablywrittenafterthemorningofhisarrival。 TheDoctorJacksoninitwasDr。A。ReevesJackson，theguide- dismaying“Doctor“ofInnocentsAbroad。 ToMrs。Clemens，inHartford： PALMERHOUSE，CHICAGO，Nov。11。 Livydarling，Iamgettingatrifleleg-weary。Dr。Jacksoncalledanddraggedmeoutofbedatnoon，yesterday，andthenwentoff。Iwentdownstairsandwasintroducedtosomescoresofpeople，andamongthemanelderlyGermangentlemannamedRaster，whosaidhiswifeowedherlifetome——hurtinChicagofireandlaymenacedwithdeathalongtime，buttheInnocentsAbroadkepthermindinacheerfulattitude，andso，withthedoctor”shelpforthebodyshepulledthrough……TheydrovemetoDr。 Jackson”sandIhadanhour”svisitwithMrs。Jackson。StartedtowalkdownMichiganAvenue，gotafewstepsonmywayandmetanerect，soldierlylookingyounggentlemanwhoofferedhishand；said，“Mr。 Clemens，Ibelieve——Iwishtointroducemyself——youwerepointedouttomeyesterdayasIwasdrivingdownstreet——mynameisGrant。” “Col。FredGrant？“ “Yes。Myhouseisnottenstepsaway，andIwouldlikeyoutocomeandhaveatalkandapipe，andletmeintroducemywife。” SoweturnedbackandenteredthehousenexttoJackson”sandtalkedsomethingmorethananhourandsmokedmanypipesandhadasociablegoodtime。Hiswifeisverygentleandintelligentandpretty，andtheyhaveacunninglittlegirlnearlyasbigasBaybutonlythreeyearsold。 Theywantedmetocomeinandspendanevening，afterthebanquet，withthemandGen。Grant，afterthisgrandpow-wowisover，butIsaidIwasgoinghomeFriday。ThentheyaskedmetocomeFridayafternoon，whentheyandthegeneralwillreceiveafewfriends，andIsaidIwould。 Col。GrantsaidheandGen。ShermanusedtheInnocentsAbroadastheirguidebookwhentheywereontheirtravels。 IsteppedinnextdoorandtookDr。Jacksontothehotelandweplayedbilliardsfrom7to11。30P。M。andthenwenttoabeer-milltomeetsometwentyChicagojournalists——talked，sangsongsandmadespeechestill6 o”clockthismorning。Nobodygotintheleastdegree“undertheinfluence，“andwehadapleasanttime。Readawhileinbed，slepttill11，shaved，wenttobreakfastatnoon，andbymistakegotintotheservants”hall。Iremainedthereandbreakfastedwithtwentyorthirtymaleandfemaleservants，thoughIhadatabletomyself。 Atemporarystructure，clothedandcanopiedwithflags，hasbeenerectedatthehotelfront，andconnectedwiththesecond-storywindowsofadrawing-room。ItwasforGen。Granttostandonandreviewtheprocession。Sixteenpersons，besidesreporters，hadticketsforthisplace，andaseventeenthwasissuedforme。Iwasthere，lookingdownonthepackedandstrugglingcrowdwhenGen。Grantcameforwardandwassalutedbythecheersofthemultitudeandthewavingofladies” handkerchiefs——forthewindowsandroofsofallneighboringbuildingsweremassedfulloflife。Gen。Grantbowedtothepeopletwoorthreetimes，thenapproachedmysideoftheplatformandthemayorpulledmeforwardandintroducedme。Itwasdreadfullyconspicuous。TheGeneralsaidawordorso——Ireplied，andthensaid，“ButI”llstepback，General，Idon”twanttointerruptyourspeech。” “ButI”mnotgoingtomakeany——staywhereyouare——I”llgetyoutomakeitforme。” GeneralShermancameontheplatformwearingtheuniformofafullGeneral，andyoushouldhaveheardthecheers。Gen。Loganwasgoingtointroduceme，butIdidn”twantanymoreconspicuousness。 WhentheheadoftheprocessionpasseditwasgrandtoseeSheridan，inhismilitarycloakandhisplumedchapeau，sittingaserectandrigidasastatueonhisimmenseblackhorse——byfarthemostmartialfigureI eversaw。Andthecrowdroaredagain。 Itwaschilly，andGen。Deemslentmehisovercoatuntilnight。Hecameafewminutesago——5。45P。M。，andgotit，butbroughtGen。Willard，wholentmehisfortherestofmystay，andwillgetanotherforhimselfwhenhegoeshometodinner。Mineismuchtooheavyforthiswarmweather。 IhaveaseatonthestageatHaverley”sTheatre，tonight，wheretheArmyoftheTennesseewillreceiveGen。Grant，andwhereGen。Shermanwillmakeaspeech。AtmidnightIamtoattendameetingoftheOwlClub。 Iloveyoueversomuch，mydarling，andamhopingtogetawordfromyouyet。 SAML。