The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-12-15
MARK INAIN's GREAT
LOVE FOR CHILDREN
Hitherto Unpublished Page III
the Lie Of the ureaI NM
{ souri, Humorist.

6our1 Aumor1St.
SThe accompanying story was writ
ten by Albert Bigelow Paine and ap-
pears Ia h Ladies' World for Decem-
her. Mr.. Paine was Intimately ASSOC
ciated with Mark Twain for many
years.9
Like many another great man, Mark
twain was fond Of children. He
outgrew childhood n he always chos
young playmates where they were to
be found. In tile old Hartford days,
when his pretty family brood-Susy,
Cara y Jean--were alive and togeth-
er, ne directed their aI~nusernents and
Joined In them. Acting charades and
little plays were his delight, and being
himself an actor OF rare ability he.
trained the three little girls and their
friends to their parts. The Clemens
charade evenings and dramatic events
We're properly distinguished among
Hartford home entertainments.
Perhaps because his own little flock
had been girls he continued to choose
his playfellows from the quieter sex
when the years had robbed his home OF
its treasures. wherever he went some
bright faced little girl was sure to at
tract him, and presently you would see
his silver hair and his gentle, gracious.
smile-the most winning smile In all
b world bending In that direction
Then 1t would be only a little while UNI
TIL the owner of that hair and smile and
the owner of the bright face would be
hand in hand, after which nothing In
the world troubled either or them n
more, for they had found that sweet
est OF all earthly treasures-comrade-
ship--true ~comradeship where all re
straints mi false conventions melt
away.
He formed curious societies OF these
girl friends. Back In the '90s. when he
was Twins In he created a |
which was to consist OF one (only one)
duty of said member being to write oc-
~caSionally to the chief officer, Who
faithfully replied to these random and
far-faring messages. or course these
little GIRLS We're swept INTO womanhood
presently, but even to the last years of
his life the member who signed herself
France" remained faithful to the law.
Another club Of girls, little girls, be-.
came n of the chief interests during
his final years. 1t had it's beginning In
Bermuda during n of his frequent
visits to those happy islands. 1t was
geous swimmer Of those waters. n he
gave to each member an Angel fish pin
as q society badge. 1t was a successful
club, and on his return to America he
elected other members enough to mako
IL in all. His home at Redding,
Conn, "~Stormfield," had been originally
named Innocence at Home" and as
Angel Fish headquarters Innocence at
Home" it always remained. Members
with their parents visited him there.
fishes" were likely 10 spend most
of their time knocking the balls
about, under the chief members in
Struction, was called the Aquarium"
n gay prints Of many Bermuda fishes
were hung along the walls to carry
| Ny1tH fI1H f1%1L RI Igrl1 " ~ hra r- bod fIN
privilege Of selecting of these as
her patron fish and OF Identifying 1t
with her name.
1t was in Bermuda, one day when he
was walking along the beach with n
of his Angel Fish members, that he
shell, d%elicately hinged together. He
separated it and handed his companion
half.
You will be going away from me
pretty soon, Margaret" he said, and
growing up, and l won't know you any
more. L shall see a great many Mar
garets, and nov and then n of them
VIII say she is my Margaret; but j will
say, NO; o resemble my Margaret,
but you are bigger than my Margaret,
and / can't be sure Then / will take
out this shell and 1 will say, If you are
really my Margaret you will have the
other half of this shell and it will fit
exactly Then IL she has the shell and
1T fits, 1 shall know that it is really
my Margaret, no matter how many
years have gone by or how much older
she has growh."
All this he said very gravely and
earnestly and the little girl took the
shell thoughtfully and promised to keep
it always. Next morning when she
came running up to meet him on the
hotel veranda, he looked at her ques-
EtiOningly.
YOU look like Margaret" he said,
but l can't be sure. lf you are really
my Margaret o will have a shell I
gave her once-the mate to this one
He got NJ farther; the taliSman was
promptly produced and 1t fitted exactly.
He returned to America, and somewhat
later Margaret received a letter-one of
the pretty letters he was always writ
ing to children; in it he said:
am already making mistakes.
When l was In New York six weeks
g i was on a corner OF Fifth avenue
n saw q small girl-not q big one
start across from the opposite corner,
and l exclaimed to myself joyfully,
That is certainly my Margaret" SO 7
nearer l began to doubt, and said to
myself, It's a Margaret-that is plain
enough-but I'm afraid 1t is somebody
e~lse's." So when / passed her I held
my shell so she couldn't help but see
it. Dear, she only glanced at it and
INHSS1 ~ \ NoiidCISS bic CoulQ
have overlooked it. 1t seemed best to
find out: so I turned Inc followed and
caught VI with her and said deferen-
TALLY, Dear Miss. I already know your
first name by the look of you, but
would you mind telling me your other
one?" She was vexed, and said, pretty
sharply, TITS Douglas, If you're so
anxious to know. ] know your name
by your looks, and I'd advise you to
shut yourself up with pen and ink and
,r,t xt
prised that they allow you to run at
large. You are likely to get run over
by a baby carriage any time. Run
along now, and don't let the COWS bite
you"
What an idea! There aren't any,cows
On Fifth avenue. But I didn't smile.
| didn't let on to perceive how uncul-
tured she was. She was from the
country, of course, and didn't know
what a comical blunder she was maxi