The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-10-24

nected failed. Scott was an older man.
and grief and confinement over his
task of continuous writing by hand
killed him. Had Scott failed in these
days he would have gone on tho
Chautauqua platform or done a win.
tiers lecture course stunt or two, and
gotten out of his troubles much
easier. Scott went into the publishing
business because he thought writing
paid too little. Twain started as a
writer, and thought the publisher got
the big end Of the profits.
Twain Immediately went on the lee
ture platform and had lots OF fun out
of it as well as much sightseeing, for
his tours took him out to Australia
and around the world.
George Cable, the then New Or
leans novelist, was in his prime at
that time, and Twain started out with
him. Gable soon after withdrew claim
ing that Twain was getting the best
of the bargain. The fact was that
Cable would have read to empty
houses had 1t not been for his famous
coworker Rogers may have been
back of it all, but 1t was evident that
Twain was no spring chicken at e.
nance.
John T. Raymond, who in the 70's
played Mark Twain's "Gilded ARe,'
quarreled with the author over the
proceeds, which is another evidence
that Twain was not letting any per
centum slip by his busy fingers.
However, his care for his mother
and his assuming the entire indebted
ness of his publishing firm, stamp
him in the main as man of honor,
no matter what his misunderstand-
ings with Raymond and Cable may
have been.
made it point to include the town
of Keokuk. The new opera house was
crowded A snow storm was on and
the train was rather late, SO that he
had no other opportunity to greet his
mother before the Show" Mark was
at his best. His Tragedy of German
Fish Wife," evidencing his growing
knowledge of languages, and that his
must have been far from an idle life
When the show was out the snow lay
on the ground knee deep Some of us
young newspaper chaps wanted to
get in a word with Mark, but when it
was over he ran from the stage door
like boy to where his mother stood.
"Why, Sam, scarcely knew you at
first" was her greeting as she stood
with Orion.
That's because I've grown SO good
looking, mother" was Sans response.
And the crowd withdrew out of re-
spect to the holy relationship Of mo-
ther and son.
Next day there was grand recep-
ton at the Clemens home to the now
famous man who years ago in the
same town had humorously referred
to himself as an antiquarian
About that time it became apparent
that the name antiquarian really fit
ted the author. He delyed into an
cient books and wrote, "A Yankee in
King Arthur's Court" Then he gave
to the world one OF the best stores OF
Joan of Arc ever penned. The latter
was first published in magazine
witout the authors name, yet literary
men said at once that it was Twain's
from the peculiar individuality and
type styles. Being printer he had his
own fad at introductions and the at
tendant flourishes and settings. that
Destroyed his personality to the keen
nosed literary men of the day.
One winter the corresponding secre.
tary of the Keokuk printers gave
ball and Billy Douglas decided to
send an invitation to Marx Twain. Bill
ly received personal letter from
Clemens in which he said he hoped to
make one more trip at least to the
old home before the old friends
should depart from his vision forever
There was not line of humor in
the answer. | remember the thrill of
sadness it gave us. 1t seemed as though
Twain had gone through some trou.
BILE that weighed heavily upon him. 1t
once more affirmed what had OBJ.
served in literary men, that their line
of writing is often advertised more
heavily by their readers. That once
started funny man is always fun
ny man to them. no matter how seri-
GUS he sometimes becomes.
AS editor Of the paper for the ball,
tried to say something funny about
Twain, but the published letter damp
ened all that part of the programme,
and we simply had to depend upon To-
cal shots of the day for the humor,
running in joke on Billy when he
wasn't looking, and we boys taking it
out on the foreman. since we had one
good chance
Twain's last days were anything
but humorous. But he had thrown
mere humor aside years before he
wrote the Story of Joan of Arc. There
s something beautiful in his allusion
% the fairies and spirits that surround
I'd the high-atmosphere soul of Joan. |
There is a subtle something in the
writings of Twain that saves him
rom the uncanny pessimism that
low and then creeps into his works. |
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