The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-07-04
VISIT TO MARK TWAIN.
lpuvxa. in Norristown Herald l

Looking over the hotel arrivals in a morning paper recently, my eyes fell upon these words: - hotel, Samuel L Clemens, Hartford, Conn. "Ahi" l thought, !" the gloriously funny and alto gether enchanting Mark Twain 1! How I would like to see him Why couldn't see him? icould procure a proper let- ter of introduction, and, accompanied by young lady friend, could actually con- verse with the living object of my distant adoration p
 No sooner did these thoughts pass my mind than l started oF to accomplish the preliminary duty, namely, to obtain the letter. returned home with very nice one; and my friend and proceeded to the - hotel. We sent our cards with the letter. MT Clemens was not in !; was expected at 4 p. m. We concluded to take walk to pass the intervening time. When we returned at half-past three, procession was passing the hotel. The streets were black with people, who, in their constant motion, resembled a swarm of ants congregated over some spilled sweet.
 When the parade had passed we re- turned to the parlor, and resumed our patient waiting.
 In few moments man appeared with ladder. He certainly was approaching us l confess to the thought that perhaps Mir. Twain intended to perch himself on its top in order to be admired respectfully at distance-that perhaps he feared gushing young ladies But the ladder man walked by and out of sight.
 Ten minutes passed. Then a man en- tered, short, thickset, funny face, gray eyes, red hair. There he Is p thought. and saw my friends face flush up. But it was not he.
 More time passed. We had ceased watching SO impatiently for our looked for idol, when a medium sized, rather narrow-shouldered man walked up to us, touched his hat and remarked:
 "Excuse-me, is-either -of-you- ladies Miss M-S-W
 "I am Miss S-," said. rising. GAre you MT. Clemens ?" He confessed that he was. shook hands. and introduced my friend. We were both surprised. Mir. Clemens walked to the ice-pitchar and poured himself some of the fluid, smiling and saying:
 WLl-you allow me-to-take - water9 Nothing -intoxi- catingP l believe one of us kindly said, " Certainly"
 From MT. Clemens way of drawling I had first thought he had neglected to swallow the usual after water" down stairs. However, after we had conversed few moments, found myself entirely mistaken. The drawl was perfectly nat uraL
 MT. Clemens has sharp gray eyes, sur rounded by fine close network of wrinkles, with heavy gray brows, and luxuriant gray hair-a symphony In gray, as it were. He confessed to being forty nine years old. Of couse ws made the regulation remark that he did not look it. We meant 1t though. he does not look it. |
 He said he had been prevented from reaching tho hotel in his cab by the crowd, and had consequently missed the four o'clock train. What . providence we saw in that crowd
 Said l, "Mr. Twain-it sounds much | more natural than MT. Ciemens"-(hel | smilsd) "Pray don't think me too per- sonal, but when did you commence writ ing r He thought moment and said |
 "Well, my first production that | -attracted-any-attention,-in-only- a-uanow- circle, -for-it - was-on- Mississippi river affairs, was writ ten when-l-was, let me -see, ,-l wenty-seven-years- I-should- l have commenced-long-before. Every | writer -serve-an apprentice | ship-and d-the-sooner-h he-begins- the-better." Then l asked
 Do you ever sit down with . dsliber- QfA dAfArNa n ofina fn u,rskA funnyr
 No" he replied gravely. @ln-iact -l-always = intend -to-write-so thing serious ;-I- generally have - some object in view, - and the fun-comes in - naturally bearing the-same- relation to-the- founda- tion-as-foam-does-to-champagne."
 We were quite edi6ed with this charm ing talk. Once, when the writer humbly mentioned her own aspirations, etc., MT. Twain remarked:
 "I-am- going-off- off-the-stage but some-years ago -l - would - have-been-very-j jealous-of-you."
 Whereupon we informed Mir. T. that we penetrated to the utmost depths of this exquisite sarcasm, and requested him to spare our tender feelings.
 90 ne spared them.
 Finally, delighted with our satisfactory visit to our favorite humorist, we rose to depart. MT. Twain told us that he comes to New York every few weeks. Said we sadly:
 "You did not ask us to come again"
 "Why, I-was-just-about-to-ask -you," he replied. "You-see-El dont-talk- -rapidly-as- you-do. InUfact, l-shall require you to