good　and　true　and　right…minded　a　man　as　ever　liveda　man　whose
  blameless　conduct　and　example　will　always　be　an　eloquent　sermon　to
  all　who　shall　come　within　their　influence。　　But　send　on　the
  professional　preachersthere　are　none　I　like　better　to　converse
  with；　if　they're　not　narrowminded　and　bigoted　they　make　good
  companions。
  The　〃splendid　immoral　room…mate〃　was　Dan　Slote〃Dan；〃　of　The　Innocents；
  a　lovable　characterall　as　set　down。　　Samuel　Clemens　wrote　one　more
  letter　to　his　mother　and　sistera　conscience…stricken；　pessimistic
  letter　of　good…by　written　the　night　before　sailing。　　Referring　to　the
  Alta　letters　he　says：
  I　think　they　are　the　stupidest　letters　ever　written　from　New　York。
  Corresponding　has　been　a　perfect　drag　ever　since　I　got　to　the
  States。　　If　it　continues　abroad；　I　don't　know　what　the　Tribune　and
  Alta　folk　will　think。
  He　remembers　Orion；　who　had　been　officially　eliminated　when　Nevada　had
  received　statehood。
  I　often　wonder　if　his　law　business　is　going　satisfactorily。　　I　wish
  I　had　gone　to　Washington　in　the　winter　instead　of　going　West。　　I
  could　have　gouged　an　office　out　of　Bill　Stewart　for　him；　and　that
  would　have　atoned　for　the　loss　of　my　home　visit。　　But　I　am　so
  worthless　that　it　seems　to　me　I　never　do　anything　or　accomplish
  anything　that　lingers　in　my　mind　as　a　pleasant　memory。　　My　mind　is
  stored　full　of　unworthy　conduct　toward　Orion　and　toward　you　all；　and
  an　accusing　conscience　gives　me　peace　only　in　excitement　and
  restless　moving　from　place　to　place。　　If　I　could　only　say　I　had　done
  one　thing　for　any　of　you　that　entitled　me　to　your　good　opinions　（I
  say　nothing　of　your　love；　for　I　am　sure　of　that；　no　matter　how
  unworthy　of　it　I　may　make　myselffrom　Orion　down；　you　have　always
  given　me　that；　all　the　days　of　my　life；　when　God　Almighty　knows　I
  have　seldom　deserved　it）；　I　believe　I　could　go　home　and　stay　there
  and　I　know　I　would　care　little　for　the　world's　praise　or　blame。
  There　is　no　satisfaction　in　the　world's　praise　anyhow；　and　it　has　no
  worth　to　me　save　in　the　way　of　business。　　I　tried　to　gather　up　its
  compliments　to　send　you；　but　the　work　was　distasteful　and　I　dropped
  it。
  You　observe　that　under　a　cheerful　exterior　I　have　got　a　spirit　that
  is　angry　with　me　and　gives　me　freely　its　contempt。　　I　can　get　away
  from　that　at　sea；　and　be　tranquil　and　satisfied；　and　so；　with　my
  parting　love　and　benediction　for　Orion　and　all　of　you；　I　say　good…by
  and　God　bless　you　all…and　welcome　the　wind　that　wafts　a　weary　soul
  to　the　sunny　lands　of　the　Mediterranean！
  Yrs。　　forever；
  SAM
  LX
  THE　INNOCENTS　AT　SEA
  HOLY　LAND　PLEASURE　EXCURSION
  Steamer：　Quaker　City。
  Captain　C。　C。　Duncan。
  Left　New　York　at　2　P。m。；　June　8；　1867。
  Rough　weatheranchored　within　the　harbor　to　lay　all　night。
  That　first　note　recorded　an　event　momentous　in　Mark　Twain's　careeran
  event　of　supreme　importance；　if　we　concede　that　any　link　in　a　chain
  regardless　of　size　is　of　more　importance　than　any　other　link。
  Undoubtedly　it　remains　the　most　conspicuous　event；　as　the　world　views　it
  now；　in　retrospect。
  The　note　further　heads　a　new　chapter　of　history　in　sea…voyaging。　　No　such
  thing　as　the　sailing　of　an　ocean　steamship　with　a　pleasure…party　on　a
  long　transatlantic　cruise　had　ever　occurred　before。　　A　similar　project
  had　been　undertaken　the　previous　year；　but　owing　to　a　cholera　scare　in
  the　East　it　had　been　abandoned。　　Now　the　dream　had　become　a　facta
  stupendous　fact　when　we　consider　it。　　Such　an　important　beginning　as　that
  now　would　in　all　likelihood　furnish　the　chief　news　story　of　the　day。
  But　they　had　different　ideas　of　news　in　those　days。　　There　were　no
  headlines　announcing　the　departure　of　the　Quaker　Cityonly　the　barest
  mention　of　the　ship's　sailing；　though　a　prominent　position　was　given　to
  an　account　of　a　senatorial　excursion…party　which　set　out　that　same
  morning　over　the　Union　Pacific　Railway；　then　under　construction。　　Every
  name　in　that　political　party　was　set　dawn；　and　not　one　of　them　except
  General　Hancock　will　ever　be　heard　of　again。　　The　New　York　Times；
  however；　had　some　one　on　its　editorial　staff　who　thought　it　worth　while
  to　comment　a　little　on　the　history…making　Quaker　City　excursion。　　The
  writer　was　pleasantly　complimentary　to　officers　and　passengers。　　He
  referred　to　Moses　S。　Beach；　of　the　Sun；　who　was　taking　with　him　type　and
  press；　whereby　he　would　〃skilfully　utilize　the　brains　of　the　company　for
  their　mutual　edification。〃　　Mr。　Beecher　and　General　Sherman　would　find
  talent　enough　aboard　to　make　the　hours　go　pleasantly　（evidently　the
  writer　had　not　interested　himself　sufficiently　to　know　that　these
  gentlemen　were　not　along）；　and　the　paragraph　closed　by　prophesying　other
  such　excursions；　and　wishing　the　travelers　〃good　speed；　a　happy　voyage；
  and　a　safe　return。〃
  That　was　handsome；　especially　for　those　days；　only　now；　some　fine　day；
  when　an　airship　shall　start　with　a　band　of　happy　argonauts　to　land　beyond
  the　sunrise　for　the　first　time　in　history；　we　shall　feature　it　and
  emblazon　it　with　pictures　in　the　Sunday　papers；　and　weeklies；　and　in　the
  magazines。　　＇The　Quaker　City　idea　was　so　unheard…of　that　in　some　of　the
  foreign　ports　visited；　the　officials　could　not　believe　that　the　vessel
  was　simply　a　pleasure…craft；　and　were　suspicious　of　some　dark；　ulterior
  purpose。＇
  That　Henry　Ward　Beecher　and　General　Sherman　had　concluded　not　to　go　was　a
  heavy　disappointment　at　first；　but　it　proved　only　a　temporary　disaster。
  The　inevitable　amalgamation　of　all　ship　companies　took　place。　　The　sixty…
  seven　travelers　fell　into　congenial　groups；　or　they　mingled　and　devised
  amusements；　and　gossiped　and　became　a　big　family；　as　happy　and　as　free
  from　contention　as　families　of　that　size　are　likely　to　be。
  The　Quaker　City　was　a　good　enough　ship　and　sizable　for　her　time。　　She　was
  registered　eighteen　hundred　tonsabout　one…tenth　the　size　of
  Mediterranean　excursion…steamers　todayand　when　conditions　were
  favorable　she　could　make　ten　knots　an　hour　under　steamor；　at　least；　she
  could　do　it　with　the　help　of　her　auxiliary　sails。　　Altogether　she　was　a
  cozy；　satisfactory　ship；　and　they　were　a　fortunate　company　who　had　her
  all　to　themselves　and　went　out　on　her　on　that　long…ago　ocean　gipsying。
  She　has　grown　since　then；　even　to　the　proportions　of　the　Mayflower。　　It
  was　necessary　for　her　to　grow　to　hold　all　of　those　who　in　later　times
  claimed　to　have　sailed　in　her　on　that　voyage　with　Mark　Twain。　＇The
  Quaker　City　passenger　list　will　be　found　under　Appendix　F；　at　the　end　of
  last　volume。＇
  They　were　not　all　ministers　and　deacons　aboard　the　Quaker　City。　　Clemens
  found　other　congenial　spirits　be　sides　his　room…mate　Dan　Sloteamong
  them　the　ship's　surgeon；　Dr。　A。　Reeve　Jackson　（the　guide…destroying
  〃Doctor〃　of　The　Innocents）；　Jack　Van　Nostrand；　of　New　Jersey　（〃Jack〃）；
  Julius　Moulton；　of　St。　Louis　（〃Moult〃）；　and　other　care…free　fellows；　the
  smoking…room　crowd　which　is　likely　to　make　comradeship　its　chief
  watchword。　　There　were　companionable　people　in　the　cabin　crowd　also
  fine；　intelligent　men　and　women；　especially　one　of　the　latter；　a　middle…
  aged；　intellectual；　motherly　soulMrs。　A。　W。　Fairbanks；　of　Cleveland；
  Ohio。　　Mrs。　Fairbanksherself　a　newspaper　correspondent　for　her
  husband's　paper；　the　Cleveland　Herald　had　a　large　influence　on　the
  character　and　general　tone　of　those　Quaker　City　letters　which　established
  Mark　Twain's　larger　fame。　　She　was　an　able　writer　herself；　her　judgment
  was　thoughtful；　refined；　unbiasedaltogether　of　a　superior　sort。　　She
  understood　Samuel　Clemens；　counseled　him；　encouraged　him　to　read　his
  letters　aloud　to　her；　became　in　reality　〃Mother　Fairbanks；〃　as　they
  termed　her；　to　him　and　to　others　of　that　ship　who　needed　her　kindly
  offices。
  In　one　of　his　home　letters；　later；　he　said　of　her：
  She　was　the　most　refined；　intelligent；　cultivated　lady　in　the　ship；
  and　altogether　the　kindest　and　best。　　She　sewed　my　buttons　on；　kept
  my　clothing　in　presentable　trim；　fed　me　on　Egyptian　jam　（when　I
  behaved）；　lectured　me　awfully　on　the　quarter…deck　on　moonlit
  promenading　evenings；　and　cured　me　of　several　bad　habits。　　I　am
  under　lasting　obligations　to　her。　　She　looks　young　because　she　is　so
  good；　but　she　has　a　grown　son　and　daughter　at　home。
  In　one　of　the　early　letters　which　Mrs。　Fairbanks　wrote　to　her　paper　she
  is　scarcely　less　complimentary　to　him；　even　if　in　a　different　way。
  We　have　D。D。's　and　M。D。'swe　have　men　of　wisdom　and　men　of　wit。
  There　is　one　table　from　which　is　sure　to　come　a　peal　of　laughter；
  and　all　eyes　are　turned　toward　Mark　Twain；　whose　face　is；　perfectly
  mirth…provoking。　　Sitting　lazily　at　the　table；　scarcely　genteel　in
  his　appearance；　there　is　something；　I　know　not　what；　that　interests
  and　attracts。　　I　saw　to…day　at　dinner　venerable　divines　and　sage…
  looking　men　convulsed　with　laughter　at　his　drolleries　and　quaint；
  odd　manners。
  It　requires　only　a　few