to　Bliss。　　〃On　the　average　ten　people　a　day　come　and　hunt　me　up　to　tell
  me　I　am　a　benefactor！　　I　guess　that　is　a　part　of　the　program　we　didn't
  expect；　in　the　first　place。〃
  Apparently　the　book　appealed　to　readers　of　every　grade。　　One　hundred　and
  fifteen　copies　were　in　constant　circulation　at　the　Mercantile　Library；　in
  New　York；　while　in　the　most　remote　cabins　of　America　it　was　read　and
  quoted。　　Jack　Van　Nostrand；　making　a　long　horseback　tour　of　Colorado；
  wrote：
  I　stopped　a　week　ago　in　a　ranch　but　a　hundred　miles　from　nowhere。　　The
  occupant　had　just　two　books：　the　Bible　and　The　Innocents　Abroadthe
  former　in　good　repair。
  Across　the　ocean　the　book　had　found　no　less　favor；　and　was　being
  translated　into　many　and　strange　tongues。　　By　what　seems　now　some
  veritable　magic　its　author's　fame　had　become　literally　universal。　　The
  consul　at　Hongkong；　discussing　English　literature　with　a　Chinese
  acquaintance；　a　mandarin；　mentioned　The　Pilgrim's　Progress。
  〃Yes；　indeed；　I　have　read　it！〃　the　mandarin　said；　eagerly。　　〃We　are
  enjoying　it　in　China；　and　shall　have　it　soon　in　our　own　language。　　It　is
  by　Mark　Twain。〃
  In　England　the　book　had　an　amazing　vogue　from　the　beginning；　and　English
  readers　were　endeavoring　to　outdo　the　Americans　in　appreciation。　　Indeed；
  as　a　rule；　English　readers　of　culture；　critical　readers；　rose　to　an
  understanding　of　Mark　Twain's　literary　value　with　greater　promptness　than
  did　the　same　class　of　readers　at　home。　　There　were　exceptions；　of　course。
  There　were　English　critics　who　did　not　take　Mark　Twain　seriously；　there
  were　American　critics　who　did。　　Among　the　latter　was　a　certain　William
  Ward；　an　editor　of　a　paper　down　in　Macon；　GeorgiaThe　Beacon。　　Ward　did
  not　hold　a　place　with　the　great　magazine　arbiters　of　literary　rank。　　He
  was　only　an　obscure　country　editor；　but　he　wrote　like　a　prophet。　　His
  articletoo　long　to　quote　in　fullconcerned　American　humorists　in
  general；　from　Washington　Irving；　through　John　Phoenix；　Philander
  Doesticks；　Sut　Lovingwood；　Artemus　Ward；　Josh　Billings　and　Petroleum　V。
  Nasby；　down　to　Mark　Twain。　　With　the　exception　of　the　first　and　last
  named　he　says　of　them：
  They　have　all　had；　or　will　have；　their　day。　　Some　of　them　are
  resting　beneath　the　sod；　and　others　still　live　whose　work　will
  scarcely　survive　them。　　Since　Irving　no　humorist　in　prose　has　held
  the　foundation　of　a　permanent　fame　except　it　be　Mark　Twain；　and
  this；　as　in　the　case　of　Irving；　is　because　he　is　a　pure　writer。
  Aside　from　any　subtle　mirth　that　lurks　through　his　composition；　the
  grace　and　finish　of　his　more　didactic　and　descriptive　sentences
  indicate　more　than　mediocrity。
  The　writer　then　refers　to　Mark　Twain's　description　of　the　Sphinx；
  comparing　it　with　Bulwer's；　which　he　thinks　may　have　influenced　it。　　He
  was　mistaken　in　this；　for　Clemens　had　not　read　Bulwernever　could　read
  him　at　any　length。
  Of　the　English　opinions；　that　of　The　Saturday　Review　was　perhaps　most
  doubtful。　　It　came　along　late　in　1870；　and　would　hardly　be　worth
  recalling　if　it　were　not　for　a　resulting；　or　collateral；　interest。
  Clemens　saw　notice　of　this　review　before　he　saw　the　review　itself。　　A
  paragraph　in　the　Boston　Advertiser　spoke　of　The　Saturday　Review　as
  treating　the　absurdities　of　the　Innocents　from　a　serious　standpoint。　　The
  paragraph　closed：
  We　can　imagine　the　delight　of　the　humorist　in　reading　this　tribute
  to　his　power；　and　indeed　it　is　so　amusing　in　itself　that　he　can
  hardly　do　better　than　reproduce　the　article　in　full　in　his　next
  monthly　〃Memoranda。〃
  The　old　temptation　to　hoax　his　readers　prompted　Mark　Twain　to　〃reproduce〃
  in　the　Galaxy；　not　the　Review　article；　which　he　had　not　yet　seen；　but　an
  imaginary　Review　article；　an　article　in　which　the　imaginary　reviewer
  would　be　utterly　devoid　of　any　sense　of　humor　and　treat　the　most　absurd
  incidents　of　The　New　Pilgrim's　Progress　as　if　set　down　by　the　author　in
  solemn　and　serious　earnest。　　The　pretended　review　began：
  Lord　Macaulay　died　too　soon。　　We　never　felt　this　so　deeply　as　when
  we　finished　the　last　chapter　of　the　above…named　extravagant　work。
  Macaulay　died　too　soon；　for　none　but　he　could　mete　out　complete　and
  comprehensive　justice　to　the　insolence；　the　impudence；　the
  presumption；　the　mendacity；　and；　above　all；　the　majestic　ignorance
  of　this　author。
  The　review　goes　on　to　cite　cases　of　the　author's　gross　deception。　　It
  says：
  Let　the　cultivated　English　student　of　human　nature　picture　to
  himself　this　Mark　Twain　as　a　person　capable　of　doing　the　following
  described　things；　and　not　only　doing　them；　but；　with　incredible
  innocence；　printing　them　tranquilly　and　calmly　in　a　book。　　For
  instance：
  He　states　that　he　entered　a　hair…dresser's　in　Paris　to　get　a　shave；
  and　the　first　〃rake〃　the　barber　gave　him　with　his　razor　it　loosened
  his　〃hide；〃　and　lifted　him　out　of　the　chair。
  This　is　unquestionably　extravagant。　　In　Florence　he　was　so　annoyed
  by　beggars　that　he　pretends　to　have　seized　and　eaten　one　in　a
  frantic　spirit　of　revenge。　　There　is；　of　course；　no　truth　in　this。
  He　gives　at　full　length　the　theatrical　program；　seventeen　or
  eighteen　hundred　years　old；　which　he　professes　to　have　found　in　the
  ruins　of　the　Colosseum；　among　the　dirt…and　mold　and　rubbish。　　It　is
  a　sufficient　comment　upon　this　subject　to　remark　that　even　a　cast…
  iron　program　would　not　have　lasted　so　long　under　the　circumstances。
  There　were　two　and　one…half　pages　of　this　really　delightful　burlesque
  which　the　author　had　written　with　huge…enjoyment；　partly　as　a　joke　on　the
  Review；　partly　to　trick　American　editors；　who　he　believed　would　accept　it
  as　a　fresh　and　startling　proof　of　the　traditional　English　lack　of　humor。
  But；　as　in　the　early　sage…brush　hoaxes；　he　rather　overdid　the　thing。
  Readers　and　editors　readily　enough　accepted　it　as　genuine；　so　far　as
  having　come　from　The　Saturday　Review；　but　most　of　them；　regarded　it　as　a
  delicious　bit　of　humor　which　Mark　Twain　himself　had　taken　seriously；　and
  was　therefore　the　one　sold。　　This　was　certainly　startling；　and　by　no
  means　gratifying。　　In　the　next　issue　he　undertook　that　saddest　of　all
  performances　with　tongue　or　pen：　he　explained　his　joke；　and　insisted　on
  the　truth　of　the　explanation。　　Then　he　said：
  If　any　man　doubts　my　word　now　I　will　kill　him。　　No；　I　will　not　kill
  him；　I　will　win　his　money。　　I　will　bet　him　twenty　to　one；　and　let
  any　New　York　publisher　hold　the　stakes；　that　the　statements　I　have
  above　made　as　to　the　authorship　of　the　article　in　question　are
  entirely　true。
  But　the　Cincinnati　Enquirer　persisted　in　continuing　the　jokein　〃rubbing
  it　in；〃　as　we　say　now。　　The　Enquirer　declared　that　Mark　Twain　had　been
  intensely　mortified　at　having　been　so　badly　taken　in；　that　his
  explanation　in　the　Galaxy　was　〃ingenious；　but　unfortunately　not　true。〃
  The　Enquirer　maintained　that　The　Saturday　Review　of　October　8；　1870；　did
  contain　the　article　exactly　as　printed　in　the　〃Memoranda；〃　and　advised
  Mark　Twain　to　admit　that　he　was　sold；　and　say　no　more　about　it。
  This　was　enraging。　　Mark　Twain　had　his　own　ideas　as　to　how　far　a　joke
  might　be　carried　without　violence；　and　this　was　a　good　way　beyond　the
  limits。　　He　denounced　the　Enquirer's　statement　as　a　〃pitiful；　deliberate
  falsehood；　〃　in　his　anger　falling　into　the　old…time　phrasing　of　newspaper
  editorial　abuse。　　He　offered　to　bet　them　a　thousand　dollars　in　cash　that
  they　could　not　prove　their　assertions；　and　asked　pointedly；　in
  conclusion：　〃Will　they　swallow　that　falsehood　ignominiously；　or　will　they
  send　an　agent　to　the　Galaxy　office？　　I　think　the　Cincinnati　Enquirer　must
  be　edited　by　children。〃　　He　promised　that　if　they　did　not　accept　his
  financial　proposition　he　would　expose　them　in　the　next　issue。
  The　incident　closed　there。　　He　was　prevented；　by　illness　in　his
  household；　from　contributing　to　the　next　issue；　and　the　second　issue
  following　was　his　final　〃Memoranda〃　installment。　　So　the　matter　perished
  and　was　forgotten。　　It　was　his　last　editorial　hoax。　　Perhaps　he　concluded
  that　hoaxes　in　any　form　were　dangerous　playthings；　they　were　too　likely
  to　go　off　at　the　wrong　end。
  It　was　with　the　April　number　（1871）　that　he　concluded　his　relations　with
  the　Galaxy。　　In　a　brief　valedictory　he　gave　his　reasons：
  I　have　now　written　for　the　Galaxy　a　year。　　For　the　last　eight
  months；　with　hardly　an　interval；　I　have　had　for　my　fellows　and
  comrades；　night　and　day；　doctors　and　watchers　of　the　sick！　　During
  these　eight　months　death　has　taken　two　members　of　my　home　circle　and
  malignantly　threatened　two　others。　　All　this　I　have　experienced；　yet
  all　the　time　have　been　under　contract　to　furnish　〃humorous〃　matter；
  once　a　month；　for　this　magazine。　　I　am　speaking　the　exact　truth　in
  the　above　details。　　Please　to　put　yourself　in　my　place　and
  contemplate　the　grisly　grotesqueness　of　the　situation。　　I　think　that
  some　of　the　〃humor〃　I　have　written　during　this　period　could　have
  been　injected　into　a　funeral　sermon　without　disturbing　the　solemnity
  of　the　occasion。
  The　〃Memoranda〃　will　cea