The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1903-11-07
MARK TWAIN AND LUCY
American and British Humorists
Recall Stories of Each Other.
NOVEL IDEA IN STARTING APAPER
of q Proposed Postmortem Black
mailing Sheet-Hfs Comments on
Aristophanes, Rabelats and Dovvie.
Does Not Want to Be In Same Place
With Elijah HI. In Next World.

ArStOpnanes, ft8oeA8lS anu DOwhe.
Does Not Want to BE In Same Place
With Elijah HI. In Next World.
Henry W. Lucy, the British humor-
ist. better known as Toby, NJ. p, ar
rived In the United States the other
morning at New York for five weeks
visit. Shortly after he arrived Mark
Twain, with his family, sailed for
Italy, says the New York Times. The
chief motive for the trip was the ur-
gent need of an ocean voyage for Mrs.
Clemens, who Is an invalid. Mr.. Lucy
as he came of the steamship had a
note in his hand which, he said, was
from Mark Twain. 1t read, You ar
rive this morning. and sail this aft
ernoon in order to avoid YOU"
In explaining the note he said:
Some time ago Mark Twain and
were at a surprise dinner to E. A. Abb
hey, the artist, when he proposed to
me that we start a paper called the
Obituary We were to print the life
of every living man of prominence,
send him the proof and ask him for
$3.50 for suppressing the story. l con-
sidered the matter and wrote to Twain
that 1t was agreeable to me. Since
then lie has made every effort, and
successfully, to keep out Of my way"
Before Mark Twain sailed be was
told what Lucy had said. and he re-
piled:
That's true; we did talk 1t over, and
think there never was a better paying
institution that could be devised. You
see, the idea was to write the most
scandalous things about a man while
he was alive and tell him it would be
published at the time Of his death I'M
less he paid to have it kept out Of the
papers. If the man paid handsomely
we would allow him to alter the proof
and cover up the spots on his career.
There are very few men who have not
some spots that can be artistically COW
cred. He could cut the proof, add to Il
or polish il as much as he wished, but
he had to pay for that. He could have
as many of the copies of the paper in
which the article was printed as he
wished. and in the end he could by
paying enough money get as good a
reputation as he wanted and one of
which his family could be proud.
I'VE had no circulation to our paper.
for. you see. the circulation end is the
losing end. When got home / found
could make more money by Twain than
by two, so | gently but firmly had to
eliminate Lucy from the money propO-
sitiOn. l calculated that he would not
land until tomorrow or else | should
not have sent the note until today.
will do well. However his situation
reminds me of what st. Clair Nickel
way said to me when he learned that
the Harpers had promised me a pen
sion for life in consideration of work
had promised to do for them. Colonel
Harvey is living on hope he said.
while you are living on a certainty"
At the pier Mark Twain was occupied
in getting eighteen pieces Of baggage
and his wife. two daughters and an
other lady who, like Mrs. Clemens, is
an invalid on board the ship. Some one
suggested that Mr.. Clemens was hav-
ing a great deal Of trouble.
Well" he replied. Il always was
sorry for Father Noah, he had so much
trouble getting all Of his animals
aboard the ark. But. you see, I'm pee
wish today. | have absorbed all Of my
wife's pugracity and all Of my daugh-
terS' audacity."
At the pier a tax assessor from Tar
rytOwn was waiting for the humorist.
When Mr.. Clemens appeared the as
SCISSOR stepped up to him and said. an
anxious look in his eyes. when are
you coming back" Mr.. Twain did not
answer. but. turning to the reporters,
said:
81 don't own the Casey house at Tar
rytown. | have only rented it for a
year. AS q matter of fact am tired Of
renting four houses and being able to
occupy but one. don't see that it mat
tiers to that fellow at what time am
going to return"
1t was remarked that mention had
been made OF the fact that Mr.. Glenn
ems had been compared with Rabelais
and AristOphanes.
"Rabelais. yes" he commented; Arts
tophanes, no. | never knew Aristoph
anes personally. All Of what knew Of
him was told me by William Dean
Howells. | get quite a confused idea
of what he was like. Sometimes |
think Of him sailing up the English
channel with Sir John Hawkins; again
l think Of AristophaneS as the Greek
physician and again as an Italian "ir-
tuosO II | had lived in the fifteenth
century | should have been Rabelais.
| know him from top 10 bottom"
When you wrote 'Huckleberry Finn
and told Of the king, who after strip
Io ~