The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1879-01-23
ARK TWAIy'S MARRIAGE.
new lie Was Transformed from i BO-
AeHlan to a Respectable
Benedict.

Benedict.
Inc urnlng point in Mr.. Clemens
.lte MS made IN lSGS, when he Went
20 me doly Land with the excursion
istS on the Quaker City. He had been
Ln-Ne" York but a short. acting as
correspondent of the Alta. when the
ol,2oLtuhhY occurred TO make this trip
Wien proved eventually To be the
ny, IIiol fortunate one for our Bohemian.
IAf propuelOrS of the Alto had been
paSng - much per letter. in which
nj: -Ienens served up New York in 4
SeIiDcOiillc way, when they were as
tOills.eu 70 receive an urgent request
70 40 aIce 200 10 enable him 10 90
auIo'u with the innocent con
sIurhllOn Tor this to be correspondence
lIOuI points Of interest visited. lie
I MIor i've or six letters 10 the New
2IAIrt6une during the same voyage.
-AItera little hesitation, natural under
such circumstances, Mr.. Clemens t.
quest Vas granted, and he Joined the
/ eNcuraonlsts- To the moral and re-
/ ilSloE people who made up this party
ms presence was undesirable, for he
sun carried his mining manners; with
hlin, ald spoke the WashOe yernacuIar.
II happened that, among the passen-
I gers, lIere was an old gentleman from
Elmlra,N. Y, named Langdon, who
WAS accompanied by his son q mere
3 boy. and daughter. This boy conceived
{ a sort Of friendship for Mr.. Clemens.
/ and associated with him almost con-
stdntly. lie introduced his friend to
: MS SlSteT,MlSS Olivia =. I.angdOu. and
/ We may Idd, to his fate. The old
gentleman fought rather shy of
/ the WaSlOe BOhemians society
/ but the young lady looked on
him kindly and the light of her ewes
/ purified hi: life. II was a case of love
at first siglt 50 far as Mr.. Clemens
was concerned, and the influence of
/ the teellnf was most beneficial. He
/ began 10 Inc cleanly, in moral sense.
! abandoned cards and gambling and
drink, andgaye UP scoffing al the re-
; ligiOuS opinions Of his fellow passpn-
/ gers. He wanted to find grace with
the lady of his love and with her faith
eT. Before the voyage was over he
asked Mr.. Langdon, for Olivia. and
the refuSa he received chilled bur
! did not tishearten him. He sim
ply told The somewhat indignant
parent hat he could wait
but he Wa determined TO marry his
daughter. Ii was said of John Foster.
the English writer, and at one time
editor Of the London Examiner, that
his lOve-leiters were the most remark
able ever Penned, because they were
written tthe instigatiOn of young
lady whom he wished to make his
wife, but Who, knowing his hal itual
Incidence, and at the same time his
great talent, refused to listen 10 his
addresses till ne had distinguished
himself. He did so, and won a bride
that was proud of him. Mr.. Clemens
case is hardly parallel to this. but is
similar i'll some respects. We think
his "lnnOcnce Abroad" was labor of
love III degree. 1t made him fame as
a humorous writer, and, while all the
world was talking about him and his
book. he came to Elmira, accompanied
BY an editorial friend from Cleveland.
and again renewed his suit for Miss
l.angdOn's hand. This time the old
gentleman listened with more COM
placency. The young lady'S brother
pleaded for Clemens, and his Cleveland
friend. who knew Mr.. LangdOn very
well, also advocated his claims. but
more powerful pleaders than
either of these was the Young
lady's own heart, and for her
father. the evidences of capacity
Mr.. Clemens had given, and also Of
reformation OF life. A family meet
ing was held, and into its charmed cir
Gle the expeetant bridegroom gladly
stepped. changing Bohemianism for
respectability, poverty for wealth, the
Loneliness Of bachelorhood to the so
ciety of married life. He intended the
change should be complete, for on
some OF the envelopes containing we'd
ding cards sent to former friends in
California and Nevada, he added 10
the address the significant words.
.gOOd-bye.r'-San Francisco call.