Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-01-04
4 GENTLE REMINDER.
Mark TwaIn's Visit to the White House
And His WIfe's Warning.


And His WIfs's Warning.
l was always needless. 1 was borr
needless, and, therefore, was con
stantly and quite unconsciously com
mftting breaches Of the minor pro
prieties. which brought upon me hu
miliations which ought to have hu
inflated me but didn't. because didn I
know anything had happened. But
Livy knew, and as the humiliatiOns
fell to her share, poor child. who had
not earned them and did not deserve
them. She always said was the most
difficult child she had. She was very
sensitive about me. It distressed her
to see me do needless things, which
could bring me under criticism, and so
she was always watchful and alert to
protect me from the kind of trangres-
sions which have been speaking of.
When l was leaving Hartford for
| Washington upon the occasion refer
! red to she said: 81 have writton small
warning and put it in pocket Of your
dress vest. When yOu are dressing to
go to the authors reception at the
White House you will naturally put
your fingers In your vest pockets, ac-
cording to your custom, and you will
find sthat little note there. Read 1t
carefully, and do as 1t tells you. 1
cannot be with you, and 80 l delegate
my sentry duties to this little note. If
l should give you tho warning by word |
OF mouth now. it would pass from |
your head and he forgotten in a few
minutes.
It was President Cleveland's first |
term. had never seen his wife, the |
young, the beautiful, the good hearted,
the sympathetic, the fascinating. Sure
enough, just as had finishing dress |
to 60 to the White House 1 found that |
little note, which had long ago for
gotten. 1t was grave little note, a |
serious little note. like its writer, but
1t made me laugh. Livy's gentle grav.
tiles often produced that effect upon
me where the expert humorist's best
joke would have failed, for 1 do not |
laugh easily.
When we reached the White House
and 1 WAS shaking hands with the
President be started to say something,
but l interrupted him and said:
"If your ExcellencY will excuse me, |
/ will come back In a moment; now l
have very Important matter to a.
tend to, and it must be attended to at
once"
I turned to Mrs. Cleveland, the
young. the beautiful, the fascinating,
and gave her my card. on the back OF
which l had written: HE didn't
aud asked her to sign her name be-
low those words.
She said: HE didn'tp He didn't
what p
oh" l said. Never mind. We
cannot stop to discuss that now. This
is urgent Won't YOU please sign your
name ?" q handed her fountain
pen.)
Why" she said, II cannot commit
myself in that way. Who is it that
didn't ?-and what is 1t that he did
not ?"
"Oh," said. "Time is flying, fly
ing, Won't YOU take me out of my
distress and sign your name to it It's
all right. 1 give you my word it's all
right"
She looked nonplussed. but hesitat-
ingly and mechanically she took the
pal and said:
II will sign it. l will take the risk.
But you must tell me all about it,
right after ward, so that you can be ar.
rested before you get out of the house
in case there should be anything Grim
i 1al about this"
Then she signed, and l handed her
Mrs Clemens note, which was very
brief, very simple and to the point 1t
said: "Don t wear your arctics in the
| White House." 1t made her shout,
and at my request she summoned a
messenger and we sent that card at
once to the mail on its way to Mrs.
Clemens in Hartford. - Samuel l..
Clemens, In the North America Re
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