The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-14

bother some peOple-in fact that was the
intention-but the harvest has been larger
than L was calculating upon. The OesO-
I phagus has gathered in the guilty and the
innocent alike. whereas | was only fishing
for the innocent-the innocent and cOnfd-
ing i knew a few of these would write
and ask me; that would give me but little
trouble; but I was not expecting that the
wise and learned would call upon me for
succOr. However. that has happened, and
it is time for me to speak up and stop
the inquiries If / can, for letter writing is
not restful 10 me. and | am not having
so much fun out of this thing as ! counted
on. That you may understand the situ-
alton / will insert a couple OF sample in
quiries. The first from a public instructor
in the Philippines:
Santa Cruz. nocos Sur. P. l.
FEB. 70. 1902.
MY Dear Sir-I have just been reading
the first part of your latest story entitled
| y Double barreled Detective Story and
am much delighted with il. In Part ~
occurs this passage: Far in the empty
sky a solitary "Oesophagus" slept, upon
motiOness wing; everywhere broOded still
ness, serenity and the peace of God. Now,
there is one word | do not understand,
namely, 'OesOphagUs.' My only work of ref
erence is the STANDARD Dictionary but that
fails to explain the meaning. If you can
| spare the time | would be glad 10 have the
meaning cleared up. as 1 consider the pas
] sage a very touching and beautiful one.
/ Ii may seem foolish to you. but consider
my lack of means away out in the northern
part of Luzon. Yours very truly"
| Do you notice? Nothing I'm the paragraph
disturbed him but that one word. Ii shows
that that paragraph was most ably con-
| structed for the deception il was intended
| TO put upon the reader. IL was my inten-
ton that it should read plausibly, and it is
! now plain that IL does; ii was my intention
| that IL should be emotional and touching,
/ and you see, yourself, that IL fetched this
public instructor Alas, if 1 had but left
| that one treacherous word out L should
/ nave scored! scored everywhere; and the
| paragraph would have slidden through
every readers sensibilities like oil, and left
| not suspicion behind.
The other sample inquiry is from a pro-
| lessor in New England university. 1t con-
| tains one naughty word (Which 1 cannot
! bear to suppress). but he is not in the theO-
| logical department. so IL is no harm:
| Dear Mr.. Clemens-'Far in the empty
| sky solitary oesophagus slept upon mo-
| tlOnleSs wing
1T is not often 1 get a chance to read
| much periodical literature. but / have just
gone through at this belated period with
| much qualification and edification, your
| Double-barreled Detective Story.
| But what in hell is oesophagus? 1
| keep one myself, but it never sleeps in the
/ air anywhere else. My profession is to
| deal with words, and Oesophagus interested
/ me the moment j lighted upon it, But as
| companion of my youth used to say: III
! be eternally, cO-eternally cussed' if l can
make il out. Is it a joke, or L an ignO-
| ramuS?'
| Between you and me, 7 was almost
/ ashamed of having fooled that man, but for
/ prides sake | was not going to say so. |
/ wrote and told him il was "A joke-and that
| is what l am now saying 10 my Springfield
| inquirer. And | told him to carefully read
| the whole paragraph. and he would find not
a vestige of sense in any detail Of il. This
| also l commend TO my Springfield inquirer.
| L have confessed. l am sorry-partially.
| l Will not do so any more-fOr the present.
| Don't ask me any more questions; let the
/ OesOphagus have a rest-on his same old
| motionless wing. MARK TWAIN.
New York city, April TO- 1902.
comment by the Republican,
The Double barreled Detective Story"
which appeared in Harpers Magazine for
| January and February last, is the most
elaborate or burlesques ON detective fic-
| ton. with striking melOdramatic passages,
| in which il is difficult TO detect the de-
| ceptiOn, so ably is it done. But the illusion
| ought not TO endure even the first incident
| in the February number. AS for the para
| graph which has admirably illustrated
| the skill Of Mr. ClemenSS ensemble and
the carelessness of readers, here ii is:
| 1T was crisp and spicy morning in early
| October. The lilacs and laburnums, lit with
| the glOry-fireS OF autumn, hung burning
and flashing in the upper air. fairy bridge
| provided by kind Nature for the wngless
| wild things that have their home in the
| treetops and would visit together; the
| larch and the pOmegranate flung their pur-
| pie and yellow flames in brilliant broad
| splashes along the slanting sweep of the
| woodland; the sensuous fragrance of in
| Vulnerable deciduOus flowers rose upon the
I
| a solitary oesopha gus slept upon motion
| less wing: everywhere brOoded stiffness.
| serenity and the peace of Cod
| The success of Mark Twains joke recalls
| to mind his story OF the petrised man in
| the cavern. whom he described most pune
| tiliOusly. first giving a picture of the scene,
| its impressive solitude and all that: then
| going on TO describe the majesty OF the
| figure, casually mentioning that the thumb
| of his right hand rested against the side of
| his nose: then. after further description. OBJ
serving that the fingers of the right hand
! were extended i'm a radiating fashion. and.
| recurring 10 the dignifed attitude and posi-
| ton OF the man. incidentally remarked
| that the thumb OF the left hand was I'm
| contact with the little finger of the right
! and so on. But il was so ingeniOusly writ
| ten that Mark relating the history years
| later I'm article which appeared in that
| excellent magazine OF the past. the Galaxy.
declared that one ever found out the
| joke. and. If We remember Alright, that that
| astonishing old moCkery actually
/ looked for In the region where he. as A
| Nevada newspaper editor had located il.
| IL is certain that Mark Twain's jumping
frog has good many more "pnts" than
| any other frog.