New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-06-05
Anglo-Anerican Memories
EDWARD THE SEVENTH AS PRINCE OF WALEs-PERsoNi
DENTS.
Copyright 1910. by George W. snalley,

also. I believe several years, or as long
a Depew went to Homburg. The Prince
said:
''Depew's stories were not all good but
he told the bad ones so well that theE
were better than the good"
Ny letter to Lady Cork had fate
did not foresee, though I ought to have
foreseen. When she told the Prince that
had written her about Depew she had
my manuscript in her hand. is that
Smalley's letter? May I see it?" asked
the Prince; took II and read the whole
It happened that I was staying at the
time with one of her married daughters,
and there was a good deal of family sos-
sip IN the letter. When the Prince
handed ii back there was in his eyes
CLEAN of that humor SO often seen there
and he said:
Now 1 know some of the things l
have been wanting to know
And Lady Cork answered:
Sir, we have nothing to conceal from
Your Royal Highness.'
There was OF course, an intimacy
which put the Prince on his honor.
Mark Twain was staying at Nauheim,
some twelve miles away. He had driven
into Homburg and was wandering about
the place when he was pointed out to
the Prince, and was presented. Mark
Twain had at that time no very great
care about his personal appearance, and
was very stability dressed. He was the
Tramp Abroad" At first ] don't think
he much interested the Prince. His
slowness Of speech and his unusual in
donations were not altogether prepos-
sessing. However, when he had taken
his leave the Prince seemed to think he
wished to see him again, and said:
Il should like to ask him to dinner.
Do you think he has a dining Jacket"
The risk, whatever it might be, was
taken, the invitation was sent and Mark
came to dinner, dining Jacket and all
But he did not care to adapt himself TO
the circumstances, considering, perhaps,
that the circumstances ought to adapt
themselves to him. The meeting was
not a great success, and, so far as /
know, was never repeated. Socially
speaking, the Mississippi Pilot was an
/ intransigeant at times and this was one
/ of the times. He could not, l suppose,
overcome his drawing manner of speech
/ nor reduce his interminable stories to
dinner table limits. He had the air of
usurping more than his share of the con-
versation and of the time, which he GER
! tainly did not mean to. Intentions. IN
| luckily, count for little Men are judged
! by what they do, and the general i'm
preston was not as favorable to Mark
| on this occasion as II would have been
! If he had been better known. Among
all Princes and Potentates there was
| never one more willing TO make allow
ances and less exacting in respect to
trivial matters than Marks host. But,
after all, he was Prince of Wales and
the future King of England, and If you
were not prepared to recognize that, It
was open to you to stay away.
Mark Twain, at any rate. was not one
| Of the Americans who followed the
/ Prince to Homburg. He met the Prince
| almost by accident, and returned from
/ Nauheim by the Princes invitation for
| this not very successful dinner. His Re-
publicanism was perhaps OF a rebellious
kind, and possibly. though without de-
| string to, he gave the Prince to under
| stand as much. Some Of Marks COM
| patriots went far in the opposite direc-
| ton; especially one or two American
women. There was handsome Ameri-
can girl who had found means to be pre-
sented to the Prince-no difficult matter
for pretty woman at any time Then
she sent him a photograph of himself
| and begged him to sign il. AS I was
passing the Prince one afternoon IN tho
street he stopped me and pulled parcel
! out Of his pocket, saying:
This is a photograph Miss X sent
me to sign, and I have signed 1t. and 1
was just going to leave 1t for her at the
hotel. But l am afraid TO. 1 don't
know what she may not ask me next.
Would you mind leaving it for me?"
The Prince did not see, but as I went
in 1 saw on the porch the girl herself.
She must have looked on ar what hap
pened, and 1 am not at all sure she did
not hear what the Prince said. None
the less she accepted the signed photo
graph joyfully, and it always had a
place Of honor in New York Wash I
it kind of His Royal Highness to give it
to me?" queried this beautiful being, not
rejecting that the true story had been
told me. When L made my report to
the Prince remarked casually that Miss
y. had been sitting on the veranda. and
might have seen what took place. Il
hope she heard also" exclaimed the
Prince But he did not quite mean that.
AT any rate. he relented afterward and
was to be seen talking to the girl. whose
eyes he could not but admire
G. w S.