The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-31
7HE AMERICAN CLAIMANT.
Nv MARK TWAIN.
r,pv,igh. 1891, W S. L. C7sm.r.

.r,,o, OF "nSocrSrs ABROAD" "ron sAwrsh' hocsts
stsRr riSy"
f.pv,ight 1891, ~ s. L. C7nner.
CHAPTER ri.
n,-,,r IN, first few days he kept the fact
,,u,n,I, beiore his mind that he was in a
al' suhsrs there was work and bread for all. !"
hu. Y, Tar convenience sake he fitted 1t to =
luz .,,no nd hummed 1t to himself: but as
NV Nv IRE on the fact itselsbegnu to take on
''' n,I,fn, look, and next the tune got fatiGued
NV ,r,son,,y run down and stopped. His first
"a' W. n,s I, get an upper clcrkship In one OF
tn0t ,a,,nonts, where his Oxford education
w, I'LL c,me into play and do him service. But
s,,,l no chance whatever There COM
..,sn,y was no recommendation: political
h.,linc. without competency. was worth Six
oTi, lie was glaringly English. and that wac
nsce.sarily against him In the political centre
~ nation where both parties prayed Tor the
VI ,.'at ..use on the house tops and blasphemed
49,, ,bo rellar. by his dress he was cowboy:
...t Won him respect when his back was not
.,,,od In, IL couldn't get clerIshp Tor him.
p,t hs had said in a rash moment. that he
LII wear those clothes till the owner or the
n.,,s friends caught sight OF them aud
,..d for that money. and his conscience
Iii not let him retire from that en- 60 cement
A, ,be end OF a week things were beginning
D., vear rather startlin: look. He had hunted
.vorywl,ere for work. descending gradually the
.cale Of quality. until apparently lie mad sued
tr slj the various kinds OF WORK man with
out special calling might hope to be able to
4, axcert ditchinC and other coarse manual
,orts-and had got neither work nor the prom
ise Of il.
Ha was m mechanically turning over the leaves
o,hls diary, meanwhile. and now his eye fell
,,non tl,e first record made after lie was burnt
out:
"tmyse,r did not doubt my stamina before.
ro,ody could doubt It now. II they could see
how am housed. and realize that feel abso.
in,ov no disgust with these quarters. but am
a, serensy content with them as any dog
would be in similar kennel Terms $2o a
week. | said would start at the bottom.
have kept M word
A shuder went Quakinc through him. and
be exclaimed:
"What have been thinking OF! This the
bottom. incoming along whole week. and
these terrific expenses climbing and climbing
ali the time! must end this folly straight
away
He settled up at once. and went forth to find
loss sumptuous lodgings. He had to wander
10 and fro and seek with diligence. but he sue
csedsd They made him pay In advance.
$3.50: this secured both bed and food for. q
week. The good. natured. hard-worked land
lady took him up three flights OF narrow. un-
caru.tsJ stairs and delivered him into his
room. There were two double bedsteads in
it and one single one. He would be allowed
10 ,leep alone in one OF the double beds until
.ous new boarder should come. but he
wouldn't be charged extra
So he would presently be required to sleep
with some stranger! The thought of it made
him sick. Mrs Marsh. the landlady. was worry
friendly and hoped he would like her house:
they all liked it, she said.
And they're very nice set OF boys. They
carry on a good deal. but that's their fun. You
See this room opens into this back one. and
sometimes they're all in one and sometimes In
the other and hot nights they all sleep on the
roof when it don't rain.
THE seasons so curly that they've already
had night or two UP there. They get out
thsra the minute it's bot enough. Nyou like
togo up and pick out place. you can. You'll
find chalk in the side Of the chimney. where
there's brick wanting. You Just take the
chalk and-but OF course you've done it be-
fore"
"Oh. no. haven't"
why. Of course you haven't-what am
without chaking I'll be bound Well. you
Just chalk out place the size Of q blanket
anywhere on the tin that amt already
marked off, you know. and that's your prop
erty. You and your bedmate take turnsbout
carrying up the blankets and pillows aud
fetching them down again: or one carries
them up and the other fetches them down.
you fix it the way you like. you know. You'll
like the boys: they're everlasting sociable-
except the printer. He's the one that sleeps In
that single bed-the strangest creature: why.
Idon't believe you could get that man to sleep
with another man. not II the house was afire.
Mind you. I'm not Just talking. I know. The
boys tried him to see. They took his bed out
one night. and so when he got home about 3
In the morning-he was on q morning paper
then. but he's on an evening one nowhere
wasn't any place for him but with the iron
mouder. and. II you'll believe me. he just set
the rest OF the nlght-he did. honest. They
say he's cracked. but it amt so: he's English
they're awful particular. You won't mind my
saylng that-you-you're English?"
Yes"
Thought 40. could toll It BY the way you
nispronounced the words that's got as in
them. you know. such as saying 'lo1' whom
you mean 'lan'-but you'll get over that He's
aright down good fellow. and little sociabls
Win the photographerS boy and the caulker
and the blacksmith that works in the Navy
Yard. but not so much so with the others
The TACT is. though it's private. and the others
don't know it. he's a kind Of an aristocrat, his
father being doctor. and you know what style
thatis- England. mean? because in this
country doctor amt 80 very much. evon il
he's that. But over there OF course it's differ
ont So this chap mad a falling out with his
lather. and was pretty high strung. and just
cut Tor this country. and the first he knew he
had to get to work or starve. Well. he'd been
to college. you SEQ. and so he Judged he was all
tght-did YOU say auything!"
MOL only sighed"
And there's whore he was mistaken. Why.
~ mighty near starved. And I reckon lie
would have starved sure enough. II some jour
irinter or other hadn't took pity on him and
s't hin II place as apprentice. So lie learnt
me trade. and then he was all risht-but 1t was
sc!ose call. Onco he thought no had got to haul
IN MS pride and holler for his father and-why.
you're signing again. Is ANYTHING the matter
win son docs my clatter-"
ON. dear. no. Pray 60 on-I like it."
les. You see, he s been over here ten YEARS: