Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-16
A Book for the Times.

Publishing Company a copy of 1.-THE limo
cents Abroad, or the New Pilgrims Pro
gress, by Mark Twain. 1t is IAN account
of the steamship Quaker City's pleasure
excursion to Europe and the Holy Land;
with descriptions of countries, nations, in
cidents and adventures, as they appeared
to the author" 1t is written in the enter
tanning style for which the author is famous,
and will be found both interesting and in
structiYe. The author states that mot
withstanding it is only record of q picnic,
it has purpose, which is, to suggest to
the reader how he would be likely to see
Europe and the East if he looked at them
with his own eyes instead of the eyes OF
those who travelled in those countries be.
fore him" He offers no apologies for any
departures from the usual style of travel
writing that may be charged against him,
for he thinks he has seen with impartial
ewes, and is sure he has written at least
honestly, whether wisely or not. With
this introduction the reader will be pre-
pared to enjoy rare and unique literary
feast. We give specimen or two;
BUYING GLOVES IN GIBRALTAR.
A very handsome young lady in the store
offered me a pair of blue gloves. 1 did
not want blue, but she said they would
look very pretty on hand like mine. The
remark touched me tenderly. l glanced
furtively at my hand, and somehow 1t did
seem rather comely member. l tried a
glove on my left, aud blushed. Manifestly
the size was too small for me. But L felt
gratifed when she said:
''Oh, it is just right!"-yet I knew it
was no such thing.
1 tugged at it diligently, but it was dis
couraging work. She said:
'Ah! see yOu are accustomed to wear
| ing kid gloves-but some gentlemen are so
awkward about putting them on.
1t was the last compliment l had expect
ed. 1 only understand putting on the buck
| skin article perfectly. 1 made another ef-
fort, and tore the glove from the base OF
the thumb into the palm of the hand-and
tried to hide the rent. She kept up her
compliments, and kept up my determine
ton to deserve them or die:
.'Ah. You have had experience" A rI
down the back of the hand. ''They are
Just right for you-your hand is very small
If they tear you need not pay for them.
IA rent across the middle. 81 can always
tell when a gentleman understands putting
on kid gloves. There it a grace about il
that comes withlong practice. THE whole
after-guard of the glove fetched away, as
the sailors say, the fabric parted across the
knuckles, and nothing was left but mel
ancholy ruin.
| I was too much flattered to make an ex
posture, and throw the merchandise on tht
angels hands. l was hot, vexed, confused
but still happy; but hated the other boy
for taking such an absorbing interest in thu
proceedings. wished they were in Jericho
1 felt exquisitely mean when 1 said, cheer
fnlly:
@This one does very we'll it fits ele
gantly. like a glove that fits No, new
er mind. ma'am, never mind; Ill put thu
other on in the street 1t is warm here.
1t lcas warm. 1t was the warmest place
1 ever was in. 1 paid the bill, and as
passed out with a fascinating bow,
thought detected light in the womanI
eve that was gently ironical; and when
looked back from the street, and she wa
laughing to herself about something o.
other, 1 said to myself with whitening sar
earn, sob, certainly, yOu know how t.
put on kid gloves, don't you?-a sef-com
placent ass. ready to be fattered out O
your senses by every petticoat that chooses
to take the trouble to do 1t.
| FLORENCE.
They keep up the passport system here
but so thew do in Turkey. This shows thai
the Papal States are as far advanced as
Turkey. This fact will be alone sufficient
to silence the tongues of malignant calum.
niators. had to get my passport vlsed fol
| Rome in Florence, and then they would moi
let me come ashore here until policeman
| had examined it on the wharf and sent me
a permit They did not even dare to lei
me take my passport in my handstor twelve
| hours, 1 looked so formidable. They
| Judged it best to let me cool down. They
| thought wanted to take the town, likely.
Little did they know me. wouldn t have
it. They examined my baggage at the de-
pot. They took one of my ablest jokes
and read it over carefully twice, and then
read it backwards. But it was too deep
for them. They passed it around, and
| everybody specialized on it awhile, but II
mastered them all.
It was no common joke. At length a
veteran officer spelled it over deliberately,
and shook his head three or four times,
and said that, in his opinion, it was sedi-
tious. That was the first time l felt
alarmed. | Immediately said L would eX-
plain the document, and they crowded
around. And SO 1 explained and explained
and explained, and they took notes of all l
said but the more explained the more
| they could not understand it, and when
they desisted at last, could not even
understand it myself. They said they be-
lieved it was an incendiary document,
leveled at the government. l declared
solemnly that it was not; but they only
shook their heads, and would not be salts
fed. Then they consulteda good while; and,
finally, they confscated it. l was very
sorry for this, because had worked a
long time on that joke, and took good
deal of pride in it, and now 1 suppose
shall never see it any more. l suppose it
will be sent up and filed away among the
criminal archives of Rome, and will always
be regarded as a mysterious internal ma
chine which would have blown up like a
mine and scattered the good Pope all
around, but for a miraculous providential
interference. And l suppose that all the
time am in Rome the police will dog
me about from place to place, because
they think am dangerous character.
The work is sold only by subscription.
An agent purposes canvassing this city for
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