The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-06-21
WINNING A BRIDE.
liark Twain's Wooing of Lovely
Olivia langdon.
NOT HELPED BY HIS FRIENDS.
They Seemed to Agree That He Would
Mako About tho Worst Husband on
Record, but Miss Lsnsdon's Father
Took q Different Wow.

|
Took q Different Wow.
In Harper's Magazine Albert Bige-
low Paine, the authorized biographer
Of Mark Twain, tells how the great
humorist first met Olivia Langdon,
who 'afterward became his wife. They
met In New York. Young Charles
Langdon, who had been on the voyage
Of the "Innocents," brought them to-
gether.
"At the old st. Nicholas hotel, which
stood on the west side Of Broadway
between Spring and Broome streets,
there were stopping at this time Jervis
Langdon, a wealthy coal dealer and
mine owner of Elmira; his son Charles
and his daughter, olivia, whose pic
tured face Samuel Clemens had first
seen In the bay OF Smyrna one Sep
tember day. Young Langdon had been
especially anxious to bring his dis
tingulshed Quaker City friend and his
own people together, and two days be
fore Christmas Samuel Clemens was
invited to dine at the hotel. He went
very willingly. The lovely girl OF the
miniature which he had first seen in
her brothers. staterOom had been often
q part OF his waking dreams. For the
first time, now, he looked upon its
reality. Long afterward he said:
at Is forty years ago. From that
day TO this she has never been out OF
my mind
His was not an unruffled courtship.
When at last he reached the point OF
proposing for the daughter Of the
house neither the daughter nor the
household offered any noticeable en-
couragement to his suit.
There was only n provisional en-
gagement at first. Jeryis Langdon sug-
gested, and Samuel Clemens agreed
with him, that 1t was proper to know
something of his past ms well as OF his
present before the official parental
sanction should be given. When Mr..
persons OF standing to whom he might
write for credentials, Clemens pretty
confidently gave him the name Of the
Rev. Mr. Stebbings and others OF San
Francisco, adding that he might write
also to Joe Goodman IL he wanted to,
but that he had lied for Goodman a
hundred times and that Goodman
would lie for him II necessary, so his
testimony would be Of no value. The
letters to the clergy were written, and
Mr.. Langdon also wrote one on his
own account.
Clemens was In Jacksonville, ILL.,,
at the end Of March, 1860, and In let
ter to his publisher states that he will
be in Elmira two days later and asks
that proofs Of the book be sent there.
He arrived according to schedule, anX-
ious to hear the reports that would
make him, as the novels might say,
the happiest or the most miserable Of
men, Jervis LangdOn had rather
solemn look when they were alone to-
gether. Clemens asked:
"'You've heard from those gentle
men out thereT
eyes, and from another gentleman
/ wrote concerning you
"'They don't appear to have been
very enthusiastic from your manner
"'Well, yes; some OF them were
81 suppose | may ask what particu-
lar form their emotion tookr
"'Oh, yes; yes, they agree unani-
mously that you are a brilliant, able
man, a man with a future, and that
you would make about the worst hus-
band on record
1.-THE applicant for favor had a for
lorn look.
"'Theres nothing very evasive about
that he said.
"There was a period OF reflective 81
lence 1t was probably no more than
n few seconds, but II seemed longer
"'Haven't you any other friend that
you suggestY Langdon said.
Apparently none whose testimony
would be valuable
"Jervis Langdon held out Ms hand
you have at least one he said. i be
lieve In you. | know you better than
they do
"And so came the crown of happi
ness. The engagement Of Samuel
Langhorne Clemens and Olivia Lewis
Langdon was ratified next day, Feb
2, 1862"