St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-14
Mark Twain Explains a Lecture.
A WASHINGTON MAN MADE A DATE FOR
THE HUMORIsT WITHOUT HIS
KNOWLEDGE.


THE HUMORIsT WITHOUT HIS
KNOWLEDGE.
When Mark Twain was in Washington
he told number of interesting incidents
and anecdotes. A gentleman well known
in political and newspaper circles, on be-
ing introduced to this we'll known author,
said to him that he had once had the
pleasure of listening to lecture OF his
which was delivered in this city twenty
years ago.
ssDid your" asked Mark, in that inimit-
able drawl of his. "Well, now, III have
to tell you something about that lecture.
It was little the hardest and roughest
experience ever underwent in my whole
career as q lecturer. / came to Washing
tom with no intention whatever OF deliver
ing lecture. I simply came, don't yon
know. to meet NV friends, see the city,
and keep little track of what was going
on in congress, as do hundreds of other
people In the course Of the winter. This
was twenty years ago, you remember.
Snow. had not been in the city more
than day or two before friend of mine
came to my room at the hotel early one
morning. wakened me out of sound
sleep, and nearly stunned me by asking II
i was aware of the facs that | was to de-
liver lecture at Lincoln Hall that even
inc. told him no and that he must be
crazy to get out Of bee ut such an unseemly
honr to ask ouch foolish question. But
ha soon assured me that he was perfectly
sane bv showing me the morning papers,
which All announced that Mark Twein was
N lecture that evening and that his sub
;ect would be THE Sandwich Islands. To
ss,, that was surprised would be drawing
ii mildly. / was mad, for thought some
one had put up game on me
nWeu. on careful inquiry learned that
avn old theatrical friend of mine thought
ha would do me favor. So he made all
tha necessary arrangements for me to lee
tnre with the exception of the slight cir
cnmstance that he neglected to inform me
"a any of his intentions. He rented Lincoln
Hall billed the town and sent the news
rarars advertisements and notices about
the coming lecture. And the worst OF it
Was that he had done all his work thor
onrhIv. After learning this was In
dilemma. had never prepared any lee
tura on the Sandwich Islands. what was
Ito do9 could not back out by telling
the people that was unprepareo. NO,
that was out Of the question, because the
nnhl;c wouldn't believe it. The bling OF
the town had been too well done TOT thaa.
"a there was only one thing left for me 20
do. and that was to lock mysel1 IN my
room m and write that lecture between the
breakfast hour and 7:30 that evening.
Well. did It, and was on hand 81 tno au-
yertised hour, facing ONE of the biggest
audiences ever addressed.
~ did not use any manuscript, put III
those early days always had my iecsuIs
In writing, and kept it on reading STAND
4 one side Of the place where stood on
tho platform was very good q me men, 3,
sneaking without notes; but the very fact
that / had my manuscript near at hand
here s.ihe could readily turn to il without
having to undergo the mortlacation ortiz q aan,[ q
ara p snd kept me from making awkward
nsusss. 81 M But the writing Of that sand
wich island lecture in one day was the
toughest ono lob ever put ON me. - Wdsesng-
ton Poa,