The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-11-02
MARK TWAIN AID LUCY
American and British Humorists
Recall Stories Of Each Other.
NOVEL IDEA IN STARTING A PAPER

of a Proposed EosANoftcH 1AsASAA~
mailing sheet-EIis Comments on
Aristophanes, RabeIais and Doytie.
Does NOT want 20 BE IN same Place
with Elijah III. In Next world.
Henry ". Lucy, the British humor
list, better known as Toby, NJ. p ar
rived in the United States the other
morning at New York for a i've 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 ar
gent need Of an ocean voyage for Mrs.
Clemens, who is an invalid. Mr. Lucy
as he came off 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 f. A. Alb
hey, the artist, when he proposed to
me that we start 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 suppresslng the story. / con-
sidered the matter and wrote TO Twain
that it was agreeable to me. Since
then he has made every effort and
successfully, to keep out Of my way"
Before Mark Twain sailed be was
told what Lucy had said, and be re-
piled:
That's true; we did talk It over, and
1 think there never was better paying
Institution that could be devised. You
yea, the idea was to write the most
scandalous things about d man while
he was alive and tell him It would be
published at the time Of his death UNI
less he paid to have it kept out Of the
papers. Ii the man paid handsomely
we would allow him 70 alter the proof
and cover up the spots on his career.
There are very few men who have not
some spots that can be artisteally COW
cred. He could cut the proof, add to It
or polish It as much as he wished but
he had to pay for that. lie 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
'sWe 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 l gently but firmly had T.
eliminate Lucy from the money propo.
sition. / calculated that he would moi
I land until tomorrow or else 1 should
not have sent the note until today
But he is a good fellow, and hope he
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 certainty
AT the pier Mark Twain was occupied
in getting eighteen pieces Of baggage
and his wife, two daughters and am
other lady who, like Mrs. Clemens, il
an inyalid on board the ship. Some one
suggested that Dir. Clemens was hav-
ing great deal Of trouble
Well" be replied, Il always was
sorry for Father Noah, be had 50 much
trouble getting all OF bis animals
aboard the ark. But, you see, I'm pee
wish today have absorbed all Of my
wife's pugnacity and an Of my daugh-
ters' audacity."
AIT the pier a tax assessor from Tar
rytown was waiting for the humrist
When Mr.. Clemens appeared the as
SCISSOR stepped up to him and said, an
anxious look in his eyes, When are
you coming backn Mr.. Twain did not
answer, but, turning to the reporters
said:
Il don't own the Casey house at Tar
rytown. | have only rented it for a
year. AS matter Of fact ! am tired Of
renting four houses and being able t.
occupy but one. don't see that it mat
tiers to that fellow at what time ! an
going to return"
1t was remarked that mention hat
been made of the fact that Mr.. Glen
ems had been compared with Rabelai
and Aristophanes.
"Rabelais, yes" he commented: "Aris
tophanes, no. l never knew Aristopf
lanes personally. All Of what knew Q
him was told me by William Dea
1 Howells. I get quite a confused ide
OF what be was like Sometimes
think of him sailing up the Englis
channel with Sir John Hawkins; agai
think Of Aristophanes as the Gree
physician and again as an Italian Vi
tuoso. If had lived in the ffteent
century I should have been Rabelai
/ know him from top to bottom"
when you wrote 'Huckleberry Finn
and told OF the king, who after striI
ping was painted as the tiger for II
circus, did you haye Dowie in mind
, somebody asked.
A deep frown came over the author