The St. Louis Republic., 1903-10-25
If He Should Meet Elijah II in
the Next World. He Says.
He Would Hasten Ia
the Other Place.
WILL SPEND YEAR IN ITALY.
Hopes That Climate Will Benefit
Mrs. ClemenS'S Health
Laughs Over Proposed
Post -MOrtem Black
mailing Sheet.


/ REPUBLTc SPECIAL.
New York oct. e4.-Marl Twain. will
! Mrs. clemens and the Misses Clara l.. ans
Jean Clemens. sailed FOR Europe this
morning ON the steamship Princess Irene
He will spend with his family at least
one year in Florence. in the soft climate
| Of which he hopes that Mrs. Clemens will
be able 10 recover her shattered health.
Before his departure the author said
that he had planned. in addition TO his
regular literary work to start three nov
els wbIle abroad.
4 do not expect TO finish them all in
Florence. as no particular time has beer
set Tor turning them over 10 the publish
ers." he said
At the pier some one asked Mark what
he thought Of the local political situation.
He said:
Z am OF the opinion that the fusionists
will win. At least I hope SO. 1 do not
believe that the people of New York will
fail to return Mayor Low. Certainly all
self-respecting people hope for this.
Fusion must be likened to heaven. in
comparison TO Tammany. which IS GER
tainly hell"
TALKS On DOwTE.
Mr. Clemens was asked II he thought
Dowie resembled the character OF the
King in "Huckleberry Finn" The humor-
ist laughed
Il reckon he was a little different
though" he said. because the King
painted himself with yellow spots to
frighten people away. As to any reSem-
biance between the two-weI. let me
see. Maybe there is. but then. YOU know
that l have never seen Dowi- with his
clothes on. But there IS a thing I do
wish TO say: I am harassed by the pre-
sentiment
4 fear that I am going to meet Dowie.
No. not in this world: in the other world.
Ny life has been such In the past year
that I feel certain am going TO meet
DOwie in that other land. Wheree oh. !
don't know, but wherever IL il. whether in
heaven or he'll. wherever Il is that / 20
in this other life-if find Dowie there. !
am going 10 the other place straight
will spend no time making up my mind
it's made up already. l like society. ] al
ways want il. but don't want DoWie.
don't want Mrs. Eddy, either. or any Of
her kind"
Mr.. Clemens was informed that Il. W
Lucy Of London Punch. who arrived here
this morning on the Lucania. had stated
that Mr.. Clemens and he. at a dinner at
Mrs. Edwin A. Abbey's home in London
few years ago. had talked over the ad-
visibility of getting out a post-mortem
blackmailing sheet to be called the
Obituary" Mr. Lucy said that the hu-
morist was to start the paper upon his
return to this country. and that the two
were to divide the profits.
WOULD AVOID MEETING
Mr.. Lucy said that since then he had
heard nothing about how the paper was
doing, and that some time before sailing
for this country he wrote Mr.. Clemens
asking him about it. In reply he received
a cable dispatch saying that the humorist
would leave this country the day before
Lucy arrived IT, order to avoid an ac-
counting.
Yes. Lucy and talked over such a
paper" said Mr.. Clemens. and think
more promising. We would write our
obituaries OF men who are alive. there is
no money in writing an obituary around IA
corpse: it takes no interest in what is said
about it-dOeSn't care. You could call il
any kind Of a name and only strain your
self.
But when YOU write an obituary about
a man who is alive you find that he -
TO pay for the elimination Of the SHADY
spots in his career. as well as the spots
which are amenabIe TO being shaded 10y
an artistic hand. It will be great money
maker. but ! found there was more money
in it for Twain than for two, 50 elm
mated Lucy.
I would never have sent any message
at all. had I known he would be in the
city the same day that I was. Lucy oc-
cupies the position with regard 10 me that
st. Clair McKelway says Harper
Bros. occupy. 'Harper's' he said. are
living on hope. while Clemens has an ac-
cOmplished certainty So il IS with
Lucy
Mr.. Clemens referred to the annuity
which has been granted to him for life
by the Harpers.
Nj. Lucy VINO u hhpNn as Toby. NJ.
P upon landing produced this letter.
written several weeks ago BY Mark
Twain:
My Dear Lucy: You will arrive on the
morning that I depart. and so there isn't
going to be any rendering of accounts The
Obituary viii still be continued 10 be pub
lished. but you're out Of it. I am firmly
convinced that in its earning capacity II
IS better for Twain than FOR you. You were
is better for Twain than for two. You were
the other segment Of the two GOod-by.
lSigneD MARK TWAIN"