Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-07-05

that mark removed and he held out
a well-shaped and well-cared-for hand.
on the back of which, between the
thumb aud first finger was tattooed
big blue anchor. when | was lit
tie fool at school, with my head full
OF stories of adventure, my highest
ambition was TO go to sea- An old
sailor who lived in the village tattooed
about IA dozen Of Us on the sly, and l
remember the lies told my mother.
as | kept my hand done up in "a rag,
pretending | had cut it, till the sore
heahed. Then she gave me such
thrashing rs broke up my plan. for
tunately, 10 have IA fine red and blue
heart done on the back OF the other.
The Disagreement caused me no
end OF annoyance and since has cost
me considerable money for gloves,
which | always wear winter and sum-
mer, though | detest them in warm
weather. But man cant wear gloves
at the table, aud often at restaurants ]
catch people ST ring at my hand, and
| wonder il. they think | have served
my term in the fo'castle of some oyster
or lumber schooner.
A tattoo mark is easily removed.
May | drop into personal history?
When | was small boy | had my
share of warts. l tried in turn 36S
ways of removing them, but without
results; indeed seemed to get wartier
and wartier right along. But at last
somebody revealed to me the 369th
way, and i tried it. Thus: l drove
needle down into the basement OF the
wart; then held the other end OF the
needle in the flame OF candle some
little time, the needle became red hot
throughout its length and proceeded TO
cook the wart. Presently l drew the
needle out; it had white atoms like
nits sticking about its point, that wart
was done for; If the point was clear, /
drove it in again and cooked till |
got those white things. They were
the roots of the wart Twenty-four
hours later the wart would become soft
and flabbv, and l removed it with a
single wipe OF my hand. Where IL had
been was smooth surface now, which
quickly healed and left no scar. With
in two days | was wartlesS. and have
so remainder until this day.
Well, II long time afterward, when /
was sixteen years old, a sailor tattooed
an anchor and rope on the back of my
left hand with India ink. The color
was deep, dark blue, and extrdva-
gantly conspicuous. | was proud Of il
for "A while but by the time | had
worn il nine years was tired OF it
aud ashamed Of it. | could find nobody
who could tell me how TO get rid of it;
but at last my wart experience of near
half q generation before occurred to
me, and | got me several needles and
candle straightway. | drove the
needles along just under the surface OF
the skin and tolerable close together,
and made them include the whole
tattoo mark; then fired up on them
and cooked the device thoroughly.
Next day wiped the device off with my
hand. The place quickly healed and
lief no scar. A faint blush tint re-
manned, and | was minded to begin
again and cook that out; but as it was
hardly detachable and not noticeable.
it did not seem worth the fuel, and so
! left il there, and there it is yet,
though suppose ] am the only mem
Der of my tribe that knows it,
! was In London good many years
ago when the Tichborne claimants
case Was being tried, and batch of
learned experts testified that an India
ink tattoo mark could not be removed,
but | was not asked to testify, and so
those people don know any better to
this day. Let the "well-to-do New
Yorker fetch me some need es and a
candle and name his bet. | will take
him up.-MarE Twain.