Mark　Twain；　A　Biography；　1866…1875
  By　Albert　Bigelow　Paine
  VOLUME　I；　Part　2：　1866…1875
  LIV
  THE　LECTURER
  It　was　not　easy　to　take　up　the　daily　struggle　again；　but　it　was
  necessary。　　＇Clemens　once　declared　he　had　been　so　blue　at　this　period
  that　one　morning　he　put　a　loaded　pistol　to　his　head；　but　found　he　lacked
  courage　to　pull　the　trigger。＇　　Out　of　the　ruck　of　possibilities　（his
  brain　always　thronged　with　plans）　he　constructed　three　or　four　resolves。
  The　chief　of　these　was　the　trip　around　the　world；　but　that　lay　months
  ahead；　and　in　the　mean　time　ways　and　means　must　be　provided。　　Another
  intention　was　to　finish　the　Hornet　article；　and　forward　it　to　Harper's
  Magazinea　purpose　carried　immediately　into　effect。　　To　his　delight　the
  article　found　acceptance；　and　he　looked　forward　to　the　day　of　its
  publication　as　the　beginning　of　a　real　career。　　He　intended　to　follow　it
  up　with　a　series　on　the　islands；　which　in　due　time　might　result　in　a　book
  and　an　income。　　He　had　gone　so　far　as　to　experiment　with　a　dedication　for
  the　bookan　inscription　to　his　mother；　modified　later　for　use　in　'The
  Innocents　Abroad'。　　A　third　plan　of　action　was　to　take　advantage　of　the
  popularity　of　the　Hawaiian　letters；　and　deliver　a　lecture　on　the　same
  subject。　　But　this　was　a　fearsome　prospecthe　trembled　when　he　thought
  of　it。　　As　Governor　of　the　Third　House　he　had　been　extravagantly　received
  and　applauded；　but　in　that　case　the　position　of　public　entertainer　had
  been　thrust　upon　him。　　To　come　forward　now；　offering　himself　in　the　same
  capacity；　was　a　different　matter。　　He　believed　he　could　entertain；　but　he
  lacked　the　courage　to　declare　himself；　besides；　it　meant　a　risk　of　his
  slender　capital。　　He　confided　his　situation　to　Col。　John　McComb；　of　the
  Alta　California；　and　was　startled　by　McComb's　vigorous　endorsement。
  〃Do　it；　by　all　means！〃　urged　McComb。　　〃It　will　be　a　grand　successI　know
  it！　　Take　the　largest　house　in　town；　and　charge　a　dollar　a　ticket。〃
  Frightened　but　resolute；　he　went　to　the　leading　theater　manager　the　same
  Tom　Maguire　of　his　versesand　was　offered　the　new　opera…house　at　half
  rates。　　The　next　day　this　advertisement　appeared：
  MAGUIRE'S　ACADEMY　OF　MUSIC
  PINE　STREET；　NEAR　MONTGOMERY
  THE　SANDWICH　ISLANDS
  MARK　TWAIN
  （HONOLULU　CORRESPONDENT　OF　THE　SACRAMENTO　UNION）
  WILL　DELIVER　A
  LECTURE　ON　THE　SANDWICH　ISLANDS
  AT　THE　ACADEMY　OF　MUSIC
  ON　TUESDAY　EVENING；　OCT。　2d
  （1866）
  In　which　passing　mention　will　be　made　of　Harris；　Bishop　Staley；　the
  American　missionaries；　etc。；　and　the　absurd　customs　and　characteristics
  of　the　natives　duly　discussed　and　described。　　The　great　volcano　of
  Kilauea　will　also　receive　proper　attention。
  A　SPLENDID　ORCHESTRA
  is　in　town；　but　has　not　been　engaged
  ALSO
  A　DEN　OF　FEROCIOUS　WILD　BEASTS
  will　be　on　exhibition　in　the　next　block
  MAGNIFICENT　FIREWORKS
  were　in　contemplation　for　this　occasion；　but　the　idea　has　been　abandoned
  A　GRAND　TORCHLIGHT　PROCESSION
  may　be　expected；　in　fact；　the　public　are　privileged　to　expect　whatever
  they　please。
  Dress　Circle；　1。00　　　Family　Circle；　50c
  Doors　open　at　7　o'clock　　　The　Trouble　to　begin　at　8　o'clock
  The　story　of　that　first　lecture；　as　told　in　Roughing　It；　is　a　faithful
  one；　and　need　only　be　summarized　here。
  Expecting　to　find　the　house　empty；　he　found　it　packed　from　the　footlights
  to　the　walls。　　Sidling　out　from　the　wingswobbly…kneed　and　dry　of
  tonguehe　was　greeted　by　a　murmur；　a　roar；　a　very　crash　of　applause　that
  frightened　away　his　remaining　vestiges　of　courage。　　Then；　came　reaction
  these　were　his　friends；　and　he　began　to　talk　to　them。　　Fear　melted　away；
  and　as　tide　after　tide　of　applause　rose　and　billowed　and　came　breaking　at
  his　feet；　he　knew　something　of　the　exaltation　of　Monte　Cristo　when　he
  declared　〃The　world　is　mine！〃
  It　was　a　vast　satisfaction　to　have　succeeded。　　It　was　particularly
  gratifying　at　this　time；　for　he　dreaded　going　back　into　newspaper
  harness。　　Also；　it　softened　later　the　disappointment　resulting　from
  another　venture；　for　when　the　December　Harper　appeared；　with　his　article；
  the　printer　and　proof…reader　had　somehow　converted　Mark　Twain　into　〃Mark
  Swain；〃　and　his　literary　dream　perished。
  As　to　the　literary　value　of　his　lecture；　it　was　much　higher　than　had；
  been　any　portion　of　his　letters；　if　we　may　judge　from　its　few　remaining
  fragments。　　One　of　thesea　part　of　the　description　of　the　great　volcano
  Haleakala；　on　the　island　of　Mauiis　a　fair　example　of　his　eloquence。
  It　is　somewhat　more　florid　than　his　later　description　of　the　same　scene
  in　Roughing　It；　which　it　otherwise　resembles；　and　we　may　imagine　that　its
  poetry；　with　the　added　charm　of　its　delivery；　held　breathless　his
  hearers；　many　of　whom　believed　that　no　purer　eloquence　had　ever　been
  uttered　or　written。
  It　is　worth　remembering；　too；　that　in　this　lecture；　delivered　so　long
  ago；　he　advocated　the　idea　of　American　ownership　of　these　islands；
  dwelling　at　considerable　length　on　his　reasons　for　this　ideal。
  ＇For　fragmentary　extracts　from　this　first　lecture　of　Mark　Twain　and
  news　comment；　see　Appendix　D；　end　of　last　volume。＇
  There　was　a　gross　return　from　his　venture　of　more　than　1；200；　but　with
  his　usual　business　insight；　which　was　never　foresight；　he　had　made　an
  arrangement　by　which；　after　paying　bills　and　dividing　with　his　manager；
  he　had　only　about　one…third　of；　this　sum　left。　　Still；　even　this　was
  prosperity　and　triumph。　　He　had　acquired　a　new　and　lucrative　profession
  at　a　bound。　　The　papers　lauded　him　as　the　〃most　piquant　and　humorous
  writer　and　lecturer　on　the　Coast　since　the　days　of　the　lamented　John
  Phoenix。〃　　He　felt　that　he　was　on　the　highroad　at　last。
  Denis　McCarthy；　late　of　the　Enterprise；　was　in　San　Francisco；　and　was
  willing　to　become　his　manager。　　Denis　was　capable　and　honest；　and　Clemens
  was　fond　of　him。　　They　planned　a　tour　of　the　near…by　towns；　beginning
  with　Sacramento；　extending　it　later　even　to　the　mining　camps；　such　as　Red
  Dog　and　Grass　Valley；　also　across　into　Nevada；　with　engagements　at　Carson
  City；　Virginia；　and　Gold　Hill。　　It　was　an　exultant　and　hilarious
  excursionthat　first　lecture　tour　made　by　Denis　McCarthy　and　Mark　Twain。
  Success　traveled　with　them　everywhere；　whether　the　lecturer　looked　across
  the　footlights　of　some　pretentious　〃opera　…　house〃　or　between　the　two
  tallow　candles　of　some　camp　〃academy。〃　　Whatever　the　building；　it　was
  packed；　and　the　returns　were　maximum。
  Those　who　remember　him　as　a　lecturer　in　that　long…ago　time　say　that　his
  delivery　was　more　quaint；　his　drawl　more　exaggerated；　even　than　in　later
  life；　that　his　appearance　and　movements　on　the　stage　were　natural；　rather
  than　graceful；　that　his　manuscript；　which　he　carried　under　his　arm；
  looked　like　a　ruffled　hen。　　It　was；　in　fact；　originally　written　on　sheets
  of　manila　paper；　in　large　characters；　so　that　it　could　be　read　easily　by
  dim　light；　and　it　was　doubtless　often　disordered。
  There　was　plenty　of　amusing　experience　on　this　tour。　　At　one　place；　when
  the　lecture　was　over；　an　old　man　came　to　him　and　said：
  〃Be　them　your　natural　tones　of　eloquence？〃
  At　Grass　Valley　there　was　a　rival　show；　consisting　of　a　lady　tight…rope
  walker　and　her　husband。　　It　was　a　small　place；　and　the　tight…rope
  attraction　seemed　likely　to　fail。　　The　lady's　husband　had　formerly　been　a
  compositor　on　the　Enterprise；　so　that　he　felt　there　was　a　bond　of
  brotherhood　between　him　and　Mark　Twain。
  〃Look　here；〃　he　said。　　〃Let's　combine　our　shows。　　I'll　let　my　wife　do　the
  tight…rope　act　outside　and　draw　a　crowd；　and　you　go　inside　and　lecture。〃
  The　arrangement　was　not　made。
  Following　custom；　the　lecturer　at　first　thought　it　necessary　to　be
  introduced；　and　at　each　place　McCarthy　had　to　skirmish　around　and　find
  the　proper　person。　　At　Red　Dog；　on　the　Stanislaus；　the　man　selected
  failed　to　appear；　and　Denis　had　to　provide　another　on　short　notice。
  He　went　down　into　the　audience　and　captured　an　old　fellow；　who　ducked　and
  dodged　but　could　not　escape。　　Denis　led　him　to　the　stage；　a　good　deal
  frightened。
  〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　the　celebrated　Mark　Twain　from
  the　celebrated　city　of　San　Francisco；　with　his　celebrated　lecture　about
  the　celebrated　Sandwich　Islands。〃
  That　was　as　far　as　he　could　go；　but　it　was　far　enough。　　Mark　Twain　never
  had　a　better　introduction。　　The　audience　was　in　a　shouting　humor　from　the
  start。
  Clemens　himself　used　to　tell　of　an　introduction　at　another　camp；　where
  his　sponsor　said：
  〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　know　only　two　things　about　this　man：　the　first
  is　that　he's　never　been　in　jail；　and　the　second　is　I　don't　know　why。〃
  But　this　is　probably　apocryphal；　there　is　too　much　〃Mark　Twain〃　in　it。
  When　he　reached　Virginia；　Goodman　said　to　him：
  〃Sam；　you　do　not　need　anybo