Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21
The Autobiography of Mark Twain
Continued from: page 8

me back over about sixty years and landed me
in that little bed room that tempestuous
night. and brought to my mind how credlta bile
to my conduct through the whole
night, and how barren it was of moral spot or
f1eck during that entire period. He said Mr.
y. was sexton or something. of the Episcopal
church in his town. and had been for many
years the competent superintendent OF all the
church's worldly affairs, and was regarded by
the whole congregation as a stay, blessing, a
priceless treasure. But he had a couple OF
defects,-not large defects, but they seemed
large when flung against the background OF
his profoundly religious characterize drank a
good deal and he could outSwear brakeman.
a movement arose to persuade HIM to lay aside
these vices, and after consulting with his pal,
who occupied the same position as himself IN
the other Episcopal church, and whose defects
were duplicates of his own and had inspired
regret in the congregation he was serving. they
concluded to try for reform-not wholesale.
but half at time. They took the liquor pledge
and waited for results. During nine days the
results We're entirely satisfactory, and they
We're recipients of many compliments and
much congratulat1On.
Then on New Years eve they had business
a mile and half out of town. Just beyond the
State line. Everything went well with them
that evening in the bar room of the lnn but
at last the celebration of the occasion by those
villagers came to be of burdensome nature.
1t was bitter cold night and the multitude
nous not tOuuieS tlldt were circulating peSdli
by and by to exert powerful influence upon
the new prohlbltlonlsts. At last y. 5 Trend
remarked:
% X, does it occur to YOU that we are outside
the dlocese.
That ended reform No. l. Then they took
chance in reform 3 For awhile that one pros
pered, and they got much applause. lnow reach
the incident which sent me back matter OF
sixty years, as | have remarked awhile ago
One morning Mr. Blank Blank met X on
the street and said, lou have made gallant
struggle against those defects of yours. | am
aware that You failed on No. I; but am also
aware that YOU are having better luck with
No. g."
Yes" X said: No. is all right and
sound up to date, and we are full OF hope.
Blank Blank said. X. of course you have
Your troubles like other people; but they never
show on the outside. | have never seen You
when you were not cheerful. Are You always
Internationally always cheerful?
We'll, no" he said,-"no can't say that
l am always cheerful; but-well, You know
that kind of a night that comes: Say. you
wake up way in the night, and the whole world
IS sunk in gloom. and there are storms and
earthquakes and all sorts OF disasters In the air
threatening, and you get cold and clammy.
And when that happens to me recognize how
and wrings it. and l have such terrors and ter
rors oh, they are Undesirable. those terrors
that assail me- and l slip out of bed and get on
my knees and pray and promise that Will be
good, if l can only have another chance! And
then, YOU know, in the morning the sun shines
out SO lovely. and the birds sing and the whole
world Is SO beautiful, and-b God! rally!'
NOW | shall quote brief paragraph from
= this letter which | have a minute ago
spoken of. The writer says:
You no doubt are at a loss to know who |