The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1911-01-04

he sat on the bank ana mOPPed MS
forehead. We could hear him mum.
bling rs he tried to figure it out.
"'Ifzat's my SHIP be said. 'shen l
must be awful drunk. If / amt
drunk, shumbody has sthole my SHIP.
Guess I'm sober, coeh know where I
am at. Don't she DO way round zat.
His brow cleared as ifthe logic had
sustained his reputation for sobriety.
Then he zigzagged back to town and
We boys. with quiet conscience, seized
that Tanning craft and had q good
time down on the island"
On the occasion of his last visit to
Hannibal Mark Twain was bending
somewhat beneath his years. The old
chums rallied around him as they al
ways did. 1t was Sunday, and in spite
of his boyhood's reluctance to attend
Sunday school, he consented to 60 to
one which was being conducted in .
new church on the site of the building
which had figured so extensively in
tom Sawyer" The humorist was
invited by the superintendent to ad-
dress the scholars.
He never looked more solemn in
all his life," said George A. MahaD, an
attorney of Hannibal, who is a great
ajmirer of Mark Twain. "When the
youthful audience saw that somber
face they began to look grave. No
humor could possibly emsnate from
that funeral countenance, they thou
ght.
1T seems to me but yesterday
when attended this same school, said
Mr.. Clemens impressively; yet the re.
cord of my whitening locks convinces
me that it must have been long ago.
1t is sad reflection A long pause.
And yet things haven't changed so
very much. You young folks look
just the same as did the young folks
with whom l went to school. On look.
ing at you little closer, however, l
fancy that there has been some altera.
tion-the girls seem to be heap sight
prettier than the girls of my time, and
the boys-looking about as if scrutin-
izing each individual face-the boys
are--a-heap-si ght-homelier" "
Many Of his old plsymates still live
in Hannibal. Some Of them are older
than Mark Twain. Among them are
A. Il. lowering, president Of the
Farmers and Merchants Bank; Col.
John l.. Robarls, who was Missouri's
youngest '49er: Joe Tisdale, little old
gentleman, who prides himself on the
fact that he was "cigar maker to Mark
Twain" Maj. Frank NJ. Daulton, a
comrade Of the "case;;" "Doc Buck"
Brown. schoolmate in the old log
academy" on the central street, and
Mrs. Laura Frazer, who was the origi.
nal of Becky Thatcher" the sweet
heart of TON Sawyer"
These people, all Of whom are yet
active in some industry, are at the
head Of q movement to erect an impos.
ing statue of Mark Twain on the sum.
NIT of Lovers Leap. Electric lights
will bring the statue out in spectacular
relief at night, thus serving the pur-
pose Of a lighthouse, friendly hand to
assist the pilots Of the river safely into
port. The idea is q good one. No
other writer did 80 much to make the
Mississippi River known abroad as
did Mark Twain. As a pilot he studi.
ell and learned its every mood, and
loved it rs a patriotic soldier loves his
country and his king. The German
emperor once told Mr.. Clemens that
of all his works he was interested most
in Life on the Mississippi
The playground about Lovers Leap
has recently been made into a magnifi.
cent park; broad winding driveway,
bordered with electric lights, leads up |
to the crest. Thousands of dollars
have been spent in this improvement
in memory of the dead author. 1t was
over these hills and bluffs that inspira.
ton came to him. Rough. rugged and
wra:hful, they contributed the charm |
of danger to stimulate his imagination. |
-(The foregoing story was written by |
Edgar White of Macon. Mo-. for the |
Westminster Gazette, l.ondon.)
Bearded Women.