The Bessemer indicator., 1893-03-25
THE COMIC DUEL IN FRANCE.
How Mark Twain Made Fun of Ono and
Game to Grief


The great duel that caused so much |
emotion in France turned out to be |
the most comic performance Of the |
season, writes Murat Halstead. First, |
the arrangements between Clcmen- |
ceau and Derouledc were too murder |
Gus. Honor did not demand and civ |
ilization prohibited the bloody sacri- !
fee Still, each man was to have six |
shots. tlcmcnccau is Il journalist
The great dread OF the journals other
than La Justice. was that the fight |
ing editor, tlcmeuceau, would give
his paper IL scoop. Hence elaborate
arrangements. Each of tho alleged
duelists parted quite frantically with
his dear friends. One distributed
locks of hair, and took care to have Il
kodak along, that his magnificent
form might be pictured posing with
pistol. There were kisses and tears.
France palpitated; Europe WAS full of
hysteria. The world had woe in the
universal expression Every body said:
"At last there is to be duel to the
death. Alas, this is murder, The
shedding of blood is dreadful. These
combatants are terrors. There is
COON in the air" Clemcnccau seems
TO have had CLEAN of sense, and we
almost suspect him of a spark of hui
nor. He told the weeping and vail
| ing boys that he had been to the
field of honor so often they might be
assured there was no danger. And
the sorrow of it is that ii was so. Each
combatant was allowed six shots.
| When two had been discharged one
of the spectators rushed in and beg
ged the bloOdthirsty principals to
desist, declaring and swearing that
honor was satisfied But the en-
ragged gentlemen insisted upon an
other exchange of shots. That was
also harmless, and then. rs there
were assurances extended that both
were heroes, they dcsisted. The tes-
tiinony that they We're brave was con-
elusive. Honor was white as snow.
Iherc was no stain of blood. All the
| journals were full of heroism The
world reels with the giddy load Of
glory. The salvation Of France is Sc
cure. The duel willrcmind the popu-
lace of that in which Gambetta was
| principal Shots We're exchanged at
thirty yards and no one was harmed.
Mark Twain made this affair the sub
| ject of one of his funniest essays. He
! poured out more wit and humor than
usual. and lie is famous for amusing
himself The pen portrait he drew
of Gambetta was the most grotcsque
The horrors of French dueling were
set forth wonderfully. Some time
years-passcd. Samuel l.. Clemens
was in Paris. Herbert Hit. secre-
taly of legation, was showing the
literary celebrity the lions Of
France, ana in the elegant and polite
lronch he commands was presenting
the distinguished. Hit pronounced
Garnet Karrnott; and being asked
why he does 1t says. We'll my
countrymen call him Karrnott. and
they know much better how to pro-
nouncc French than | do. | shall
call the French as my constituents
call them. As Hit was taking Clem-
ems about they struck u series Of
magnificent apartments and Il swarthy
and portly gentleman came forward
and Mr.. Hit had the honor of pre-
scnting the celebrated Mark Twain
to the gifted and illustrious Gambet-
ia Something there struck the rec
objection of Mark, and he pulled Hit
saying, 'For Gods sake, let me get
ont of here" But Hit could not
comprehend, and told the French
statesman how immortal Mark Twain
was in America. AHA. yes. said
Gumbetta. There is, | assure You.
no name more familiar; none, none"
and still Mark pleaded to Robert,
''for Gods sake let's go home;" ana
Hit at last sympathizing with an
unknown sorrow, turned away-and
had an explanation. 1t has never
been determined whether Gambetta
meant anything by what he said.
There are hopes that he did and fears
that he did not, but Mark Twain is
neither hopeful nor fearful in that
ia,