San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1893-03-31
THE COMIC DUEL IN FRANCE.
How Mark Twain Made Fun of Ore and
Came to GricE

How Mark Twain Made Fun of Ore and
Came 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 Clemen-
ceau and Deroulede we're too murder
Gus. Honor did not demand and civ
ilization prohibited the bloody sacri-
fee Still, each man was to have six
shots. Clemerceau is journalist.
The great dread of the journals other
than La Justice, was that the fight
ing editor, Clemenceau, would give
his paper a scoop. Hence elaborate
arrangements. Each of the alleged
duelists parted quite frantically with
his dear friends. One distributed
locks of hair, and took care to have a
kodak along, that his magnificent
form might be pictured posing with a
pistol. There were kisses and tears.
France palpitated; Europe was full Of
hysteria. The world had woe in the
universal expression. Everybody said.
AT last there is to be duel to the
dsathi Alas, this is murder! The
Seeding of blood is dreadful. These
t'-mbatants are terrors. There Is
doom in the air" Clemenceau seems
to have had a CLEAN of sense, and We
almost suspect him of 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 it was so. Each
eombatant was allowed six shots.
When two had been discharged one
oSthe spectators rushed in and beg
ged the bloodthirsty principals to
1esist, 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, as there
were assurances extended that both
were heroes, they desisted. The tes-
timony that they were brave was con-
elusive. Honor was white as snow
There 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 a
principal. Shots were 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 he is famous for amusing
himself. The pen portrait he drew
of Gambetta was the most grotesque.
The horrors of French ducling were
set forth wonderfully Some time
years-passed. Samuel L. Clemens
was in Paris. Herbert Hit. secre-
tary of legation. was showing the
literary celebrity the lions of
France, and in the elegant and polite
French he commands was presenting
the distinguished. Hit pronounced
Carnot Karrnott; and being asked
why he does it says, We'll, my
couutrymen call him Karrnott, and
they know much better how TO pro
nounce French than l do. | shall
cal the French as my constituent:
call them. As Hit was taking Glen
ems about they struck a series OF
magnificent apartments and swarthy
and portly gentleman came forward
and Mr.. Hit had the honor of pre-
senting the celebrated Mark Twain
to the gifted and illustrious Gambct
ia. Something there struck the rec
objection of Mark. and he pulled Hit
saying, For Gods sake. let me get
out of here" But Hit could not
comprehend, and told the French
statesman how immortal Mark Twain
was in America. Aha, yes SAID
Gambetta. There is, l assure you,
no name more familiar; none, none, "
and still Mark pleaded to Robert,
For Gods sake let's go hOmc;n and
Hit at last sympathizing with a.
unknown sorrow, turned away-aud
had an explanation. 1t has never
been determined whether Gam BETA
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
form.