Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-12-22
Marx TwaiH's LATEST.
nhaIna nI..n.an Ila...

FhlIadelph1a Times.
Among the unique objects Of in
terest In the PEDESTAL Art Fund
Loan Association, which was open.
ed to the public by Gen. Grant this
evening, is an album made up q
original contributions from vel
known artists, authors and public
men. The artists have given
sketches, the authors and public
men autograph letters and poems
AT first 1t was intended to have the
album disposed of by rattle, but
perhaps, as the committee was re
minded by Secretary Folger in his
contributed letter that rafting il
illegal, they concluded to sell it fol
its estimated worth, $1,000. This
valuable book has been bound in
oxidized silver, and the fortunate
purchaser will possess truly unique
volume. In sending his cOntrlbu-
ton, Mark Twain wrote the follow
ing characteristic letter, addressed
to Mr.. F. Hopkinson Smith, he
art director of the exposition:
'You know my weakness for Adam
and you know how l have struggled
to get a monument, and failed.
Now, it seems to me, here is my
chance. What do we care for a
statue of Liberty when we've got
the thing itself in its widest sub
Unity? What you want of a mon
ument is to keep you in mind of
something you haven't got some
thing you've lost. Very well :; we
haven't lost liberty-we've lost Adj
am.
"Another thing: What has Eb-
erty donefor us? Nothing partie-
ular that / know of. What have
we done for her? Everything.
We've given her a home-good
home too! and if she knows any,
thing, she knows it's the first time
she ever struck that novelty. She
knows that whe we took her in
she had been a mere tramp for s.
600 years-Biblical measure. Yes,
We not only ended her troubles and
made things soft for her permanent
ly, but we made her respectable
and that she hadn't ever been be-
fore. And now, after we've poured
out these Atlantics of benefits upon
this aged Outcast; 10 and behold
you, we are asked to come forward
and set up a monument to her
Go to. Let her set up a monument
to us, if she wants to do the clean
thing.
But suppose your statue repre-
sented her old, bent, clothed in
rags, doWncast, shame faced with
the insults and humiliations of s.
900 years, implOring a crust and an
hours rest for Gods sake at our
back door? Come, now. You're
shouting! That's the aspect of her
which we need TO be reminded of,
lest we forget it-nOt this proposed
one, where she's hearty and well
fed, and holds up her head and
fiourishes her hospitable schooner
of flame, and appears to be inviting
all the rest of the tramps to come
over. Oh, go tO-this is the very
insolence of prosperito.
But, on the other hand, look at
Adam. What have we done for
Adam? Nothing. What has Ad-
am done for us? Everything. He
gave US life, he gave us death he
gave us heaven, he gave us hell.
These are inestimable privileges
and remember, not one of them
should we have had without Adam.
Well, then, he ought to have mon
ument-for evolution is steadily
and surely abUlishing him, and we
must get up a monument, and be
quick about it, or our children's
children will grow up ignOrat that
there ever was an Adam. With
trifiing alteration this present statue
will answer very well for Adam.
You can turn that blanket into an
ulster without any trouble; part
the hair one side. or conceal the sex
of his head with fire helmet and
at once he's man ; put harp and
a halo and a palm branch in the
left hand, to symbolic the rest.
My friend, the father of Life,
Death and Taxes has been neglec-
ted long enough. Shall this infa-
my be allowed to go on, or shall it
stop right here?
Is it but a question of finance?
Behold the inclosed checks (paid
bank.) Use them as freely as they
are freely contributed. Heaven
knows / would there were a ton of
them, / would send them, for all
my heart is in this sublime work.
Most truly yours,
S. L. &.
Mr.. Clemens has scratched off
this letter at running pace. 1t
was written in loose hand with
photographic pen, and reads as
though the funny things had just
popped into his mind as his pen
ran.
The New York Sun insists that
the nnsifinn of the Democratic mar