, 1881-01-02

halatious Of domestic sesvage- Attlmes Il Il - Us
difficult to get breath OF fresh air as II - 70
procure u good drink Of pnlatable water
TEE LIVING OBEL1SK.
strange News Comes from Hartford IN
Regard to 81 mark Twain'1 - Sanity.
Correspondence Nt,v York Sun.
HARTFORD, Dec eG,-Under ordinary cir
cumstances it would no doubt be judiciousto
withhold. from the public the Information
which am about to communicate. But rs
exaggerated accounts Of Mr.. Mark Twaln's
present condition are already in circulation
here in town, and these false reports are
likely, sooner or later, to reach the ears OF
the humorist's friends in other parts OF the
| country, causing them greater solicitude than
the true facts warrant, it seems best to pub-
I lish an accurate and authentic statement OF
| the case. -
It is well known that ar. Clemens Is sub
! ject to protracted spells OF profound me'an-
| cho1y, usually eliminating III hallnclnat'ohs
| OF the most bizarre character. After one'o1
! these attacks he was seized with sudden
and unaccountable but utintense hatred for
bust Of Calvin, presented to Mrs. Clemens on
| her wedding day by her uncle, Clergyman
! Mark Twain fancietl that tliis harmless image
meant to do him evil, and, after heapins con-
tuineIy on his foe by distigurlng the plaster
face with mixed mustachios and a goatee, he
at last put an end to the imaginary fend and
to the bust by dcmolishlng it with poker. At
another time Twain believed himself to be
the real editor Of Gen. Joe Hawley's newspa-
per, the Co,rnnt, and, his illusion led to
! SOME complications that would have been
amusing if they had not been serious. Again,
| it is said, he tried to take up collection
| along tie middle aisle Of the Rev. zoe
TwitchelI's church, ut the moment fancylng
himsefa deacon. BY similar illusions ne
has been led at times to attempt an active
| part in politics.
| Although aware that ever since his speech
at the Grant reception Mr clemens ; 9 6aS been
! until this morning what form the ATTACK had
taken. / met MI. j., a common friend Of
mine and Clemens, IN front OF the. Post
Office. "lIave you been up to IWaln,s
| lately??" he asked. "No,' said l. us any
thing the mattero'' "Well, you had better
20 up and see,'' he replied, with sls'lihcant
motion Of his right forefinger.
proceeded thIeqEh % the damp, ably y
Twaim's BRIGHT red mansion and rang the
door-bell. Vas Mr. Clemens at home ? No,
| not exactly. That was to say, he wasn't IN
| the house; might find him yonder in the
tie bottoms Of. my. trousers, and trudssd +!
I throu gl1 the mud and snow to the place inGi-
cnted hv tho dnmestic. There T. discovered
the hunorist, standing on an empty dry-goods
box Ills posture was very erect His arms
wore q long ulster, reaching to his ankles,
and on his head high peaked hat. procured
during lis travels il the Tyrol. His face
was Solemn.
"Hello, Mark" said I; :" what are you DO
ing on that boxo Merry Christn1as!"
!; He stiffly inclined his head "Didn't you
know" he demandedt Ill slow, grave tones,
centuries? What in thunder do yo!m1, mean
"Come. Gomez saiu T., mo Joking. Get
down OF the box, and 70 in wherei it's warm -
iH YOU refer to the pedestal,'' he replied,
II cail't get down unless I'm covered. And Al L
monolith, m m seasoned as I am seasoned"
..in that Hm ulster iI2e and and that hat.''
"You really think so ?' he eagerly asked.
His features relaxed into an @ expression Its sn4
down upon the edge Of the box, anil began to
drum aaaiust the side with his heels. You
really Believed am the genuine, only: 'or1gl-
nnl obelisk 81 r. = =" = -:
"Qbelisk r. sald !: ~ say VIE 5ne ,fhev,se Hueu,sa
eot it us far as the trestleWork. You're q
iuniorist, notan obelisk.'' .
Mark, Twain iinmedlately ascendeu tne .d
asan wie his e failures Se1 aqe Mefe 6ee,
i,nposed upon,' lie remarked with great dig
nifty. s'That thing in New York is bogus.
It Is II practical joke Of: Gorringe's. It IS a
Cardiff giant of an obellsk, compost plas lS
ter fraud concocted on the VOYAGE over, au
palmed Oft OIL an u1lsuspectmg comnllnltt.
freight No 2 New 1ork 5ei,"iT MG% f axen W hi:
4ufItat tnot1 ~ NV hat This seemed to pieast
, | HIM y ponC deal.