The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-18
Arguing With n Haven.
MARX Twain's "a Tramp Abroad. ~


One day in a dreamy mood Marx
Twain wandered among the woods on
the hills above the Neckar. This new
melancholy Jacques did not find SUP
ject for reflection in "poor bankrupt
DEER" but, with his own peculiar vein OF
fancy, he discovered something to moral.
ize about in the croaking of ravens over
head. As ALI instance of Mark Twain's
powers of imaginative perception, the
passage about the conduct of the ravens
is worth quoting:
"The world was bright with sunshine
outside, but deep and mellow twilight
reigned in there, and also silence SC
profound that Iseemed to hear my own
breathings. When l stood ten minutes,
thinking and imagining, and getting my
spirit in tune with the place.
and in the right mood to enjoy
the supernatural, raven sud
denly uttered hoarse croak over my
head. 1t made me start; and then was
angry because l started. l looked up
and tine creature was sitting on a limb
right over me, looking down at me. j
felt something of the same sense Of
humiliation and injury which one feels
when be finds that human stranger has
been clandestinely inspecting him in his
privacy, and mentally commenting upon
him. eyed the raven, and the raven
eyed me. Nothing was said during some
seconds. Then the bird stepped little
way along his limb to get better point
of observation, lifted his wings, stuck his
head far down below his shoulders toward
me, and croaked again--a croak with a
distinctly insulting expression about it.
If he had spoken in English he could not
have said any more plainly than he did
say in raven, We'll, what do you want
hereT / felt as foolish as if l had been
caught in some mean act by RESPONSE
BILE being, and reproved for it. However,
| made no reply; woald not handy
words with q raven. The adversary
waited while, with his shoulders still
lifted, his head thrust down between
them, and his keen bright eye fixed on
me; then he threw out two or three
more insults, which l could not under
stand, further than that 1 knew por-
ton of them consisted of language not
used in church.
II still made no reply. Now the ad-
versary raised his head and called. There
was an answering croak from little dis
tance in the wood ,-evidently croak OF
inquiry. The adversary explained with
enthusiasm, and the other raven dropped
everything and came. The two sat side
by side on the limb and discussed me as
freely and Extensively as two great nat.
uralists might discuss a new kind of bug.
The thing became more and more EN-.
barrassing. They called in another
friend. This was too much. I saw that
they had the advantage of me, and 50
concluded to get out OF the scrape by
walking out Of it. They enjoyed my de-
feat as much as any low white people
could have done. They craned theil
necks and laughed at me (for raver
can laugh just like man); they squallee
insulting remarks after me as long a!
they could see me. They were nothing
but ravens l knew that what they
thought about me could be a matter o.
no consequence-and yet when even {
raven shouts after you, What a hat!
% pull down your vestp and that sort o
thing, it hurts you and humiliates you
and there is no getting around it witt
fine reasoning and petty arguments"