The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-24

at Mark Twain's home, and at this /
meeting a business arrangement was /
entered into by which Mr.. Payne /
took charge of all Mr.. Clemens liter
AIRY affairs, acting chiefly in the ca ]
pacity of biographer. From that time /
until Mr.. Clemens death Mr.. Payne /
was his close and constant compan-
| ion, assistant and business adviser.
| Mark Twain was dying for some |
| time before it was generally realiz- |
ed Mr.. Payne said. in speaking OF !
1 the latter days OF the humorist THE |
| approaching end was first made ap
parent in a dull pain in his chest. Lit
J tie was thought of this at first
Twain thought it was Indigestion.
i The pain grew worse and more fire.
quent, and l finally investigated GER
tain similar cases and found that MI
Clemens was surely doomed. Nothing
was said to him, however, then am
not sure whether he was afterwards
! informed of the hopelessness of his
] case by his physician. who was fully
aware of the situation. Mr.. Clemens
4
da islands in the hope of recovery.
was not with him during his last visit
there, being engaged at home in the
biographical labors. received letters
from him frequently, however. cheer
full until the last, when they became
gloomy.
Zone day received letter, in
which he stated the pains had be-
come very frequent and exhausting,
and that he had decided it best to
leave for home some days sooner
than he had planned 81 don't want to
, die here, he wrote. and with touch
of his old humor added: They put
you in a dark cellar here and leave
) you there until the vessel is ready
!, | to start | don't think l should enjoy
t that at all. l believe l would prefer
+ to die in New York Later on he
3 wrote again, stating he had decided
that it would be best not to stop in
d New York. am getting particular
:. where die wrote he. I prefer TO go
e on home for that purpose
r 81 went down to Bermuda to bring
r Mr. Clemens home. 1t was a trying
l. journey. / thought should lose him
e on the way. He was very ill, and at
= times In great distress He was dying
!. all the while His Homecoming was
). pitiful; yet there was much sweet
l. ness in the manner in which the peo-
d pie expressed their sympathy for the
" man whom they had come to love as
y neighbor. OF his death you know
e He went to sleep like tired boy
e breathing a sigh, which to US who
e knew, sounded like the sinking of q
y sorrow-racked soul into the peace fol
N which it had long yearned.
s. sit is a strange thing continued
a Mr. Payne, that one who has spread
. such light and laughter across the
al pathway of his fellow men, should
lie himself have been the victim of 6
le life completely filled with tragedy
IF From the earliest time Mr. Clemens
r. was met and followed by distress and
lie misfortune. First it was the death o.
II, his brother in a steamer explosion OF
to the Mississippi river. He had place.
IS. the lad on the boat, and always after
re wards felt that he was to blame TO
m his death. Later came the sad an,
n unexpected death in his fami1y-littl,
Sc Susie, whom he most dearly loved
er taken suddenly while he and Mrs
al, Clemens were abroad. Then the deaf
n of the wife on whose tomb the str1cl
as en- husband subsequently had en-
ID. graved the following epitaph:
as Warm summer sun,
he Shine kindly here
ad Warm southern wind,
he Blow softly here.
lie. Green sod above,
~, Lie light, lie light,
to Good night, sweetheart,
lis Good night, good night.
ra- "A short time before his dealt
it Jean, an invalid daughter, was foun
lie dead Since this last tragedy. NJ
mt Clemens was changed man. Hi
zee business and financial tragedies an
he his brave fight to recover and hi
Ir. success are well known. AS the en-
lily of his life drew on, during the las
1r years Of it, his disposition becam
nd sweeter and more childlike. He VIZ
To- gentle and considerable of everyone
Sfr Day fnII rf h. l.,