Year: 1873

with the curriculum Of American drinks teach
him something that be did not know before.
Nor would we deny that, if impressible at all,
Miss Anthony or Mrs. Livermore would stand
an excellent chance of rousing him from his
apathy and causing him to see the sex in
different-and shall we say pleasanter
than that in which he had ever viewed it be-
fore2 The etiquette of the average colored
waiter in the average restaurant would likewise
be q refreshing subject for study, were there
any practical means of bringing it before the
observation of so exalted parsonage as the
Shah. But, on the whole, we prefer the news
paper correspondent, and in the present case
OF newspaper correspondents we have pre-
ferred Mark Twain. His Shahship is an origi-
nal genius so is Mark Twain. The two men
will probably take to each other. There is
sort of natural knship between strongly
traited characters which renders them the
correlatives of each other We shall have
much mistaken, and will be willing to ac-
knowledge that our discrimination has been
greatly at fault, if our correspondent has not
succeeded in impressing the Shah of Persia at
least as much as the Shah of Persia has sue
ceeded in impressing him.


The reader will not fail to observe that the
letter to which we have referred abounds with
expressions and turns of thought character
istic of the writer. Showing the self-deniL
and the noble self-confdence which have dis
tinguished so many Of the correspondents of
the HERALD, MIR. Clemmens set out on his
difficult mission the very hour in which he
was entrusted with it. Realizing the impor-
tance of bringing the Shah over safe and sound,
he did not daily with destiny nor firt with the
high fortune that had come TO him. True, the
ardor and enthusiasm of his nature once or
twice threatened to betray him into an mad
vertence, as, for instance, when he imagined
that he was to be placed in sole command of
the vessel which was to have the honor of
carrying His Persian Majesty to the British
shores. Flushed with the fire of Iso arduous
and burdensome an enterprise, he may also be
forgiven for misconstruing some of the .prepa-
nations for the Shahs arrival into the celebra-
and probably will, complain that Mr.. Glenn
mems tells us great deal about his own feel
ings and very little about the Shah's But
such readers must remember that the Shah,
after all, holds but secondary place in this
graphic and picturesque and thrilling letter.
ent that is to be Impressed, but the Shah
himself. And, apply as severe test as we
choose, our correspondent has certainly told
us much more about the royal visitor than
other correspondents who attempt more. He
has wisely omitted great deal which the
Let us be duly thankful that he has not
houndered into cheap rhapsodies about His
Majesty's brilliant diamonds and bad man.
ners; that he has not shocked us with revela-
tions Of court etiquette trampled on and the
conventionalisms of good society put to
hero to his ualet de chambre, and we see no
reason why Shah should not retain his re-
galty for newspaper correspondent And
since Mark Twain has so ably discharged his
perilous and delicate functions in conducting
the Shah safely to E4gland, is there any reason
why the same strong and skilful hand should
not be employed in inducing His Majesty to
visit America? The letter itself bears evil
dence to the subtle diplomacy and gallant and
chivalrous bearing which was necessary dur
ing the journey from Ostend, and which was
furnished in such perfection by our CORE
spondent The one fact that we have been
taught by it is that we have succeeded in i'm
pressing the Shah and that we have done SO,
not by an armament, not by q fleet, not by
salvos of artillery, not by dinner, ball,
opera or fete, but by a professional CORE
spondent, acquainted with his business and
accustomed to the atmosphere of courts cor
rected by the air of republic.