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odd manners。
It requires only a few days on shipboard for acquaintances to form； and
presently a little afternoon group was gathering to hear Mark Twain read
his letters。 Mrs。 Fairbanks was there； of course； also Mr。 and Mrs。 S。
L。 Severance； likewise of Cleveland； and Moses S。 Beach； of the Sun； with
his daughter Emma； a girl of seventeen。 Dan Slote was likely to be
there； too； and Jack； and the Doctor； and Charles J。 Langdon； of Elmira；
New York； a boy of eighteen； who had conceived a deep admiration for the
brilliant writer。 They were fortunate ones who first gathered to hear
those daring； wonderful letters。
But the benefit was a mutual one。 He furnished a priceless entertainment；
and he derived something equally priceless in returnthe test of
immediate audience and the boon of criticism。 Mrs。 Fairbanks especially
was frankly sincere。 Mr。 Severance wrote afterward：
One afternoon I saw him tearing up a bunch of the soft； white paper…
copy paper； I guess the newspapers call it…on which he had written
something； and throwing the fragments into the Mediterranean。 I
inquired of him why he cast away the fruits of his labors in that
manner。
〃Well；〃 he drawled； 〃Mrs。 Fairbanks thinks it oughtn't to be printed；
and； like as not； she is right。〃
And Emma Beach （Mrs。 Abbott Thayer） remembers hearing him say：
〃Well； Mrs。 Fairbanks has just destroyed another four hours' work for
me。〃
Sometimes he played chess with Emma Beach； who thought him a great hero
because； once when a crowd of men were tormenting a young lad； a
passenger； Mark Twain took the boy's part and made them desist。
〃I am sure I was right； too；〃 she declares； 〃heroism came natural to
him。〃
Mr。 Severance recalls another incident which； as he says； was trivial
enough； but not easy to forget：
We were having a little celebration over the birthday anniversary of Mrs。
Duncan； wife of our captain。 Mark Twain got up and made a little speech；
in which he said Mrs。 Duncan was really older than Methuselah because she
knew a lot of things that Methuselah never heard of。 Then he mentioned a
number of more or less modern inventions； and wound up by saying； 〃What
did Methuselah know about a barbed…wire fence？〃
Except Following the Equator； The Innocents Abroad comes nearer to being
history than any other of Mark Twain's travel…books。 The notes for it
were made on the spot； and there was plenty of fact； plenty of fresh； new
experience； plenty of incident to set down。 His idea of descriptive
travel in those days was to tell the story as it happened； also； perhaps；
he had not then acquired the courage of his inventions。 We may believe
that the adventures with Jack； Dan； and the Doctor are elaborated here
and there； but even those happened substantially as recorded。 There is
little to add； then； to the story of that halcyon trip； and not much to
elucidate。
The old note…books give a light here and there that is interesting。 It
is curious to be looking through them now； trying to realize that these
penciled memoranda were the fresh； first impressions that would presently
grow into the world's most delightful book of travel； that they were set
down in the very midst of that care…free little company that frolicked
through Italy； climbed wearily the arid Syrian hills。 They are all dead
now； but to us they are as alive and young to…day as when they followed
the footprints of the Son of Man through Palestine； and stood at last
before the Sphinx； impressed and awed by its 〃five thousand slow…
revolving years。〃
Some of the items consist of no more than a few terse； suggestive words
serious； humorous； sometimes profane。 Others are statistical；
descriptive； elaborated。 Also there are drawings〃not copied；〃 he marks
them； with a pride not always justified by the result。 The earlier notes
are mainly comments on the 〃pilgrims；〃 the freak pilgrims： 〃the Frenchy…
looking woman who owns a dog and keeps up an interminable biography of
him to the passengers〃； the 〃long…legged； simple； wide…mouthed； horse…
laughing young fellow who once made a sea voyage to Fortress Monroe； and
quotes eternally from his experiences〃； also； there is reference to
another young man； 〃good； accommodating； pleasant but fearfully green。〃
This young person would become the 〃Interrogation Point；〃 in due time；
and have his picture on page 71 （old edition）； while opposite him； on
page 70； would appear the 〃oracle；〃 identified as one Doctor Andrews； who
（the note…book says） had the habit of 〃smelling in guide…books for
knowledge and then trying to play it for old information that has been
festering in his brain。〃 Sometimes there are abstract notes such as：
How lucky Adam was。 He knew when he said a good thing that no one had
ever said it before。
Of the 〃character〃 notes； the most important and elaborated is that which
presents the 〃Poet Lariat。〃 This is the entry； somewhat epitomized：
BLOODGOOD H。 CUTTER
He is fifty years old； and small of his age。 He dresses in
homespun； and is a simple…minded； honest； old…fashioned farmer； with
a strange proclivity for writing rhymes。 He writes them on all
possible subjects； and gets them printed on slips of paper； with his
portrait at the head。 These he will give to any man who comes
along； whether he has anything against him or not 。 。 。 。
Dan said：
〃It must be a great happiness to you to sit down at the close of day
and put its events all down in rhymes and poetry； like Byron and
Shakespeare and those fellows。〃
〃Oh yes； it isit isWhy； many's the time I've had to get up in
the night when it comes on me：
Whether we're on the sea or the land
We've all got to go at the word of command
Hey！ how's that？〃
A curious character was Cuttera Long Island farmer with the obsession
of rhyme。 In his old age； in an interview； he said：
〃Mark was generally writing and he was glum。 He would write what we were
doing； and I would write poetry； and Mark would say：
〃'For Heaven's sake； Cutter； keep your poems to yourself。'
〃Yes； Mark was pretty glum； and he was generally writing。〃
Poor old Poet Lariatdead now with so many others of that happy crew。
We may believe that Mark learned to be 〃glum〃 when he saw the Lariat
approaching with his sheaf of rhymes。 We may believe； too； that he was
〃generally writing。〃 He contributed fifty…three letters to the Alta
during that five months and six to the Tribune。 They would average about
two columns nonpareil each； which is to say four thousand words； or
something like two hundred and fifty thousand words in all。 To turn out
an average of fifteen hundred words a day； with continuous sight…seeing
besides； one must be generally writing during any odd intervals； those
who are wont to regard Mark Twain as lazy may consider these statistics。
That he detested manual labor is true enough； but at the work for which
he was fitted and intended it may be set down here upon authority （and
despite his own frequent assertions to the contrary） that to his last
year he was the most industrious of men。
LXI
THE INNOCENTS ABROAD
It was Dan； Jack； and the Doctor who with Mark Twain wandered down
through Italy and left moral footprints that remain to this day。 The
Italian guides are wary about showing pieces of the True Cross； fragments
of the Crown of Thorns； and the bones of saints since then。 They show
them； it is true； but with a smile； the name of Mark Twain is a touch…
stone to test their statements。 Not a guide in Italy but has heard the
tale of that iconoclastic crew； and of the book which turned their
marvels into myths； their relics into bywords。
It was Doctor Jackson； Colonel Denny； Doctor Birch； and Samuel Clemens
who evaded the quarantine and made the perilous night trip to Athens and
looked upon the Parthenon and the sleeping city by moonlight。 It is all
set down in the notes； and the account varies little from that given in
the book； only he does not tell us that Captain Duncan and the
quartermaster； Pratt； connived at the escapade； or how the latter watched
the shore in anxious suspense until he heard the whistle which was their
signal to be taken aboard。 It would have meant six months' imprisonment
if they had been captured； for there was no discretion in the Greek law。
It was T。 D。 Crocker； A。 N。 Sanford； Col。 Peter Kinney； and William
Gibson who were delegated to draft the address to the Emperor of Russia
at Yalta； with Samuel L。 Clemens as chairman of that committee。 The
chairman wrote the address； the opening sentence of which he grew so
weary of hearing：
We are a handful of private citizens of America； traveling simply
for recreation； and unostentatiously； as becomes our unofficial
state。
The address is all set down in the notes； and there also exists the first
rough draft； with the emendations in his own hand。 He deplores the time
it required：
That job is over。 Writing addresses to emperors is not my strong
suit。 However； if it is not as good as it might be it doesn't
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