Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-05-24
Mark Twain and His Style.

pie ODlect OF laughing, and WITHOUT Delng
called upon TO enter the combat against
some particular sect or doctrine, and with
out danger of coming across anything with
| tendency To insult or injGre. One can
read Mark Twain, too, without being
obliged to study out mutilations OF the
English language, about as difficult to de-
cipher as Egyptian hieroglyphics. There
is nothing, in fact, To- interfere with good,
hearty enjoyment, such as one experiences
in a lively farce ON the stage. Mark
Twain's writings have been current and go
ing the rounds of the press for a couple of
years. but the present book is the first col
lection of them. 1t is merely promise of
| something better in future, brought out by
appreciation and encouragement
The book is dedicated TO John Smith,
whom the author processes to have known
in various parts of the world, and as he has
learned that the man TO whom a volume is
dedicated alway buys copy, he anticipates
that princely affiuence is about to burst
upon him.
The first account, which furnishes the
title to his book, is funny, from the ingeni-
Gus way in which it is introduced and the
fluency which characterizes its humor
Mark took letter of introduction to an
old gentleman, a resident of Angels Camp,
and was told to inquire particularly after
one Rev. LeonidaS w. Smiley, who had
been an early and intimate friend of the old
gentleman of Angels Camp, and in this
way his good graces might be efiectually
secured. No sooner was the name men
Toned than the old man began an inter
minable story about one Jim Smiley, who
had lived In those parts some time ago and
"was the curiosest man shout always bet
ting on anything that turned up you ever
see; if he could get anybody to bet on the
other side, and if he couldn't. he'd change
sides" He would bet on a dog fight, or a
cat fight, or a chicken fight, or a horse race.
If there were two birds on fence, he
would bet on which one would flv first. If
there was camp meeting he would bet on
Parson Walker. If he saw straddle. bug.
he would bet on his destination and how
long itwould take him to go to it, and then
follow tie bug 10 Mexico if necessary i'm
order to win his bet He once inquired
after Parson Walkers wife, who had been
i'll, and, when told by her husband that
hopes were entertained of her recovery,
says, "In risk two and half that she
don't. This was the individual who
owned bull-pup, which would always hold
of until the bets were all made, then
catch his antagonist by the hind leg and
hold on till the sponge was thrown up.
This pup was pronounced genius, and
was never conquered until his master
fought him against dog that had no hind
legs, when lie died from very chagrin.
Smilley's sporting proclivlties finally got
him into scrape. He had frog, which
he had educated to jump and catch flies.
He had never succeeded in getting a bet on
the frogs capacity for jumping, until one
day a stranger said that "he didn't think
the frog was much of a jumper and if he
had frog himself, he would bet forty dol
lars on his jumping" Smiley immediate
~ offered to procurea frog, and, the money
being put up, went out for that purpose.
Having brought back second animal, the
two betters touched up their frogs, and
while the strange one jumped with all his
might and main, Smilley's pet could not
move. The bet was lost, and, the stranger
having departed with his money, Smiley
took up his favorite, and turned him upside
down, and the water-bird belched out a
double handful of shot. The old gentle
men had an lnexhaustible fund of anec-
dotes concerning Smiley, and was about
proceeding with the recital when Mark got
up and left him.
Then follows an affecting story about
Aureiid's Unfortunate Young Man Azure
liza presents the following short summary
of events concerning her lover, and asks
Marks advice as to what course she shall
pursue: When sixteen years old, she met
and loved, with all the devotion of pas
sionate nature, young man from New
Jersey, named Williamson Breckenridge
Caruthers. They were engaged under the
most fiattering auspices. =" But at last the
tide of fortune turned; young Caruthers
became infected with the small pox of the
most virulent type, and when he recovered
from his illness his face was pitted like
waffie-mould, and his comeliness gone for
ever" Aurelia thought to break off the
engagement, nut pity for her lover caused
her to postpone the marriage day, and give
him another trial. The day before the
marriage was to have taken place, Brock
inridge, while absorbed in watching the
flight of balloon, walked into well, and
fractured one of his legs so that it had to
be taken off. Again Aurel'a was moved TO
break off the engagement, but relented.
Again misfortune overlook the unhappy
youth. He lost one arm by the discharge
of a Fourth-ofJuly cannon, and within
three months got the other pulled out by a
carding machine. Still the girls brave
soul bore her up, and she resolved to bear
with her friends unnatural disposition yet
while longer. Caruthers fell sick with
the erysipelas, and lost the use of one of
his eyes. Now the lady's friends insisted
that the match should be broken of. But
Aurela, with a generous spirit that did her
credit, could not see that Breckenridge was
TO blame, and so extended the time once
more. Shortly before the time set for the
nuptials, another disaster occurred. There
was but one scalped by the Owens
River Indians during that year, and
that man was Williamson Breckin-
ridge Caruthers, of New Jersey. AT last,
Aurelia was in serious perplexity as to
what she ought to do, and applied to
Mark" =" 1t was delicate question" says
Mark; zone which involved the life long
| happiness of a woman and that of nearly
twO-thirds of man. " Finally he advised
Aurelia to build him up again-supply
| him with wooden arms and wooden legs,
glass eye and a wig, and give him anoth-
er show. In case they were married and
he should die, the wooden legs and such
other valuables would revert to the widow,
and there would be no other loss than that
of the cherished fragment of most noble
and unfortunate husband, who honestly
strove to co right, but whose extraordinary
instincts are against him. Mark thought,
however, that it would have been a happy
conceit on the part Of Caruthers if he had
started with his neck and broken that
| first.
Mark Twain's complaint about CORE
spondents is as good as his answers to cor
respondents, of which there are several.
One young man writes concerning the
throwing OF bouquets at the opera. "No,
you are wrong" says Mark; that is the
proper way TO throw brickbat or a toma-
hawk, but it doesn't answer so well for q
boquet you will hurt some one If you
keep it up. Take your ncsegay upside
down, take it by the stems, and toss it with
sweep. did you ever pitch quoits ?
That's the idea The practice of reckless