Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-09-08
MARK TWAIN AGAIN WITH US.
The Solemn Truth About Mr.. hurst Hal.
stead's Courageous Venture Across
the Atlantic.

MIR. Marx Twain, OF nowhere In par |
ticular-sometimes, though seldom,
known as Mr.. Samuel i. Clemens, Of |
Hartford, Conn.-set out for Europe |
on the steamer Holsatia. The follow
ing day he did the same thing over
again, the steamship, for reasons which
were explained at the time, having
been obliged to come back and take a
fresh start Yesterday Mr.. Twain re-
turned. He was one Of the passen-
gers on the Gallia.
There" said he, as the ship left
quarantine and began to journey up
the bay, the danger is finally passed
ITO what danger do you refer, Mr..
Twain ?" asked reporter of the
World, who had been trying for ten
minutes without success to lift the
great humorist from deep and silent
melancholy.
Why, you see," replied the re-
turning wanderer, whose voice has
lost none of its Querulous plaintive-
ness by dealing with foreign tongues,
Il haven't been at all certain but
what we'd have to 60 back and begin
this voyage all over again. | said to
my friend Mrs. Clemens the other
day, If they had to try twice to get
us started, what reason have we to
hope that they won't find it necessary
to try several times before they are
able to get us baek?' It's one of the
peculiarities Of sea life that, given
the same circumstances, you always
look for the same results. When the
ship begins to roll sideways and kick
up behind at the same time. | always
know that l am expected to perform
certain duty. | learned it ten years
ago on the Quaker City. You might
suppose that | would have forgotten
my part after so long residence on
shore. But there it is again. It's
habit; everything connected with sea
comes down to a matter of habit
You might confine me forty years in a
Rhode Island corn patch, and at the
end of that time I'd know just as
well what to do when ship kicks up
as / do at this moment. The darkest
night never confuses me in the least.
4 It's little singular when you look at
it, amt it? But | presume it's at
| tributable to the solemn steadfastness
of the great deep. By the way, how
is Pinafore 2"
" Beg pardon; how is what ?"
Pinafore | understand you
have had Pinafore in America.
told Sullivan and Gilbert Pinafore
was sure to be a great success"
Indeed Why did you think sop
didn't; that was the reason il
was sure to succeed. "
1t was pleasant to hear Mr.. Twain
run on in this way, but the reporter,
realizing that there was much that the
public was burning to know, felt com
PEELED to conduct the rest of the inter
view in systematic, business like
manner.
" You sailed in the same ship with
Bayard Taylor and Mr. Murat Hal
stead of Cincinnati, did you not, Mr..
Twain 2"
Tho same craft, all honor to her
(Mr. Twain lifted his hat reverently),
carried all three of us"
" 1t was said at the time that you
inveigled Mr., Halstead into making
the voyage by promising him free use
of your linen ?"
swell Mr. Twain spoke leisurely
II did tell Murat that I'd lend him
clean shirt. You see, he didn't ex-
pect to go. His wife was going and
he'd sort of come down to see her
safely launched. You remember the
ship ran away with party of excur-
sionists who had got aboard to bid
poor Mr. Taylor gopd-by and was
obliged to anchor OFF the Hook all
night During the evening Murat
sort of got his sea legs on. and says he,
Clemens Che always calls me Glenn
ens), says he, Clemens, if you'll lend
me a shirt believe I'll 90 across
All right, says |, I'll do it. So
Murat he fixed things with the cap
tain and stayed aboard, We got along
pretty well with winds a middling,
about nor-nor-Yest by sou, till we
came to latitude 36, longitude 49l.
and then Murat wanted his clean
shirt-that is, he wanted mine. 1t
was about three bells from noon when
| took that garment to the door of
Murat's stateroom. Here, says |
'clCthe yourself Ike orlpce Of tbs
TeaiM At eight bells Mr. Murat
eame, out Of his apartment with his
: coat buttoned up to his chin and his
laee as red as a red, red nose He
wore his coat buttoned up to his chin
all the rest of the voyage, and | never
50 much as got a glimpse of my shirt.
There was a kind of rumor on the
ship that Murat never wore that
shirt or any other shirt. | don't
know how true it was, but when |
came to study the thing it did look to
me as II I'd put a rather tough prob
lem to the editor of the Cincinnati
Cemmeroial, for his neck measures
eighteen inches, while mine never
lOOteu up more than htteen, even
when | had the mumps."
Did you see anything Of Mr.. Tay-
lor after you landed ?"
No, Tn very sorry now, but |
! was prevented by one thing and
another from calling upon him"
You have written book since
you lett America, / believer"
Yes, I've sort of put some words
together"
What do you call it?"
" Well, | don't know what I shall
call it. I've turned over good many
names in my mind, but none of EN-
seemed to hit her exactly. You see,
she ain novel if she was I'd call
her Lucy, or the Crescent Cross, or
If He Shouldn't Come, What Then p
or some such suggestive title, but the
/ L l.