present　of　two　cravats　when　he　set　out　on　his　return　for　Hartford。　　Next
  day　he　wrote：
  You　and　Aldrich　have　made　one　woman　deeply　and　sincerely　grateful
  Mrs。　Clemens。　　For　monthsI　may　even　say　yearsshe　has　shown　an
  unaccountable　animosity　toward　my　necktie；　even　getting　up　in　the
  night　to　take　it　with　the　tongs　and　blackguard　it；　sometimes　also
  getting　so　far　as　to　threaten　it。
  When　I　said　you　and　Aldrich　had　given　me　two　new　neckties；　and　that
  they　were　in　a　paper　in　my　overcoat　pocket；　she　was　in　a　fever　of
  happiness　until　she　found　I　was　going　to　frame　them；　then　all　the
  venom　in　her　nature　gathered　itself　together；　insomuch　that　I；　being
  near　to　a　door；　went　without；　perceiving　danger。
  It　is　recorded　that　eventually　he　wore　the　neckties；　and　returned　no　more
  to　the　earlier　mode。
  Another　memory　of　that　dinner　is　linked　to　a　demand　that　Aldrich　made　of
  Clemens　that　night；　for　his　photograph。　　Clemens；　returning　to　Hartford；
  put　up　fifty…two　different　specimens　in　as　many　envelopes；　with　the　idea
  of　sending　one　a　week　for　a　year。　　Then　he　concluded　that　this　was　too
  slow　a　process；　and　for　a　week　sent　one　every　morning　to　〃His　Grace　of
  Ponkapog。〃
  Aldrich　stood　it　for　a　few　days；　then　protested。　　〃The　police；〃　he　said；
  〃are　in　the　habit　of　swooping　down　upon　a　publication　of　that　sort。〃
  On　New…Year's　no　less　than　twenty　pictures　came　at　oncephotographs　and
  prints　of　Mark　Twain；　his　house；　his　family；　his　various　belongings。
  Aldrich　sent　a　warning　then　that　the　perpetrator　of　this　outrage　was
  known　to　the　police　as　Mark　Twain；　alias　〃The　Jumping　Frog；〃　a　well…known
  California　desperado；　who　would　be　speedily　arrested　and　brought　to
  Ponkapog　to　face　his　victim。　　This　letter　was　signed　〃T。　Bayleigh；　Chief
  of　Police；〃　and　on　the　outside　of　the　envelope　there　was　a　statement　that
  it　would　be　useless　for　that　person　to　send　any　more　mail…matter；　as　the
  post…office　had　been　blown　up。　　The　jolly　farce　closed　there。　　It　was　the
  sort　of　thing　that　both　men　enjoyed。
  Aldrich　was　writing　a　story　at　this　time　which　contained　some　Western
  mining　incident　and　environment。　　He　sent　the　manuscript　to　Clemens　for
  〃expert〃　consideration　and　advice。　　Clemens　wrote　him　at　great　length　and
  in　careful　detail。　　He　was　fond　of　Aldrich；　regarding　him　as　one　of　the
  most　brilliant　of　men。　　Once；　to　Robert　Louis　Stevenson；　he　said：
  〃Aldrich　has　never　had　his　peer　for　prompt　and　pithy　and　witty　and
  humorous　sayings。　　None　has　equaled　him；　certainly　none　has
  surpassed　him；　in　the　felicity　of　phrasing　with　which　he　clothed
  these　children　of　his　fancy。　　Aldrich　is　always　brilliant；　he　can't
  help　it；　he　is　a　fire…opal　set　round　with　rose　diamonds；　when　he　is
  not　speaking　you　know　that　his　dainty　fancies　are　twinkling　and
  glimmering　around　in　him；　when　he　speaks　the　diamonds　flash。　　Yes；
  he　is　always　brilliant；　he　will　always　be　brilliant；　he　will　be
  brilliant　in　hell…you　will　see。〃
  Stevenson；　smiling　a　chuckly　smile；　said；　〃　I　hope　not。〃
  〃Well；　you　will；　and　he　will　dim　even　those　ruddy　fires　and　look　like　a
  transfigured　Adonis　backed　against　a　pink　sunset。〃　　＇North　American
  Review；　September；　1906。＇
  C
  RAYMOND；　MENTAL　TELEGRAPHY；　ETC。
  The　Sellers　play　was　given　in　Hartford；　in　January　（1875）；　to　as　many
  people　as　could　crowd　into　the　Opera　House。　　Raymond　had　reached　the
  perfection　of　his　art　by　that　time；　and　the　townsmen　of　Mark　Twain　saw
  the　play　and　the　actor　at　their　best。　　Kate　Field　played　the　part　of
  Laura　Hawkins；　and　there　was　a　Hartford　girl　in　the　company；　also　a
  Hartford　young　man；　who　would　one　day　be　about　as　well　known　to　playgoers
  as　any　playwright　or　actor　that　America　has　produced。　　His　name　was
  William　Gillette；　and　it　was　largely　due　to　Mark　Twain　that　the　author　of
  Secret　Service　and　of　the　dramatic　〃Sherlock　Holmes〃　got　a　fair　public
  start。　　Clemens　and　his　wife　loaned　Gillette　the　three　thousand　dollars
  which　tided　him　through　his　period　of　dramatic　education。　　Their　faith　in
  his　ability　was　justified。
  Hartford　would　naturally　be　enthusiastic　on　a　first　〃Sellers…Raymond〃
  night。　　At　the　end　of　the　fourth　act　there　was　an　urgent　demand　for　the
  author　of　the　play；　who　was　supposed　to　be　present。　　He　was　not　there　in
  person；　but　had　sent　a　letter；　which　Raymond　read：
  MY　DEAR　RAYMOND；　I　am　aware　that　you　are　going　to　be　welcomed　to　our
  town　by　great　audiences　on　both　nights　of　your　stay　there；　and　I　beg　to
  add　my　hearty　welcome　also；　through　this　note。　　I　cannot　come　to　the
  theater　on　either　evening；　Raymond；　because　there　is　something　so
  touching　about　your　acting　that　I　can't　stand　it。
  （I　do　not　mention　a　couple　of　colds　in　my　head；　because　I　hardly　mind
  them　as　much　as　I　would　the　erysipelas；　but　between　you　and　me　I　would
  prefer　it　if　they　were　rights　and　lefts。）
  And　then　there　is　another　thing。　　I　have　always　taken　a　pride　in　earning
  my　living　in　outside　places　and　spending　it　in　Hartford；　I　have　said　that
  no　good　citizen　would　live　on　his　own　people；　but　go　forth　and　make　it
  sultry　for　other　communities　and　fetch　home　the　result；　and　now　at　this
  late　day　I　find　myself　in　the　crushed　and　bleeding　position　of　fattening
  myself　upon　the　spoils　of　my　brethren！　　Can　I　support　such　grief　as　this？
  （This　is　literary　emotion；　you　understand。　　Take　the　money　at　the　door
  just　the　same。）
  Once　more　I　welcome　you　to　Hartford；　Raymond；　　but　as　for　me　let　me　stay
  at　home　and　blush。
  Yours　truly；　　　　MARK。
  The　play　was　equally　successful　wherever　it　went。　　It　made　what　in　that
  day　was　regarded　as　a　fortune。　　One　hundred　thousand　dollars　is　hardly
  too　large　an　estimate　of　the　amount　divided　between　author　and　actor。
  Raymond　was　a　great　actor　in　that　part；　as　he　interpreted　it；　though　he
  did　not　interpret　it　fully；　or　always　in　its　best　way。　　The　finer　side；
  the　subtle；　tender　side　of　Colonel　Sellers；　he　was　likely　to　overlook。
  Yet；　with　a　natural　human　self…estimate；　Raymond　believed　he　had　created
  a　much　greater　part　than　Mark　Twain　had　written。　　Doubtless　from　the
  point　of　view　of　a　number　of　people　this　was　so；　though　the　idea；　was
  naturally　obnoxious　to　Clemens。　　In　course　of　time　their　personal
  relations　ceased。
  Clemens　that　winter　gave　another　benefit　for　Father　Hawley。　　In　reply　to
  an　invitation　to　appear　in　behalf　of　the　poor；　he　wrote　that　he　had　quit
  the　lecture　field；　and　would　not　return　to　the　platform　unless　driven
  there　by　lack　of　bread。　　But　he　added：
  By　the　spirit　of　that　remark　I　am　debarred　from　delivering　this　proposed
  lecture；　and　so　I　fall　back　upon　the　letter　of　it；　and　emerge　upon　the
  platform　for　this　last　and　final　time　because　I　am　confronted　by　a　lack
  of　bread…among　Father　Hawley's　flock。
  He　made　an　introductory　speech　at　an　old…fashioned　spelling…bee；　given　at
  the　Asylum　Hill　Church；　a　breezy；　charming　talk　of　which　the　following　is
  a　sample：
  I　don't　see　any　use　in　spelling　a　word　rightand　never　did。　　I　mean
  I　don't　see　any　use　in　having　a　uniform　and　arbitrary　way　of
  spelling　words。　　We　might　as　well　make　all　clothes　alike　and　cook
  all　dishes　alike。　　Sameness　is　tiresome；　variety　is　pleasing。　　I
  have　a　correspondent　whose　letters　are　always　a　refreshment　to　me；
  there　is　such　a　breezy；　unfettered　originality　about　his
  orthography。　　He　always　spells　〃kow〃　with　a　large　〃K。〃　　Now　that　is
  just　as　good　as　to　spell　it　with　a　small　one。　　It　is　better。　　It
  gives　the　imagination　a　broader　field；　a　wider　scope。　　It　suggests
  to　the　mind　a　grand；　vague；　impressive　new　kind　of　a　cow。
  He　took　part　in　the　contest；　and　in　spite　of　his　early　reputation；
  was　spelled　down　on　the　word　〃chaldron；〃　which　he　spelled
  〃cauldron；〃　as　he　had　been　taught；　while　the　dictionary　used　as
  authority　gave　that　form　as　second　choice。
  Another　time　that　winter；　Clemens　read　before　the　Monday　Evening　Club　a
  paper　on　〃Universal　Suffrage；〃　which　is　still　remembered　by　the　surviving
  members　of　that　time。　　A　paragraph　or　two　will　convey　its　purport：
  Our　marvelous　latter…day　statesmanship　has　invented　universal
  suffrage。　　That　is　the　finest　feather　in　our　cap。　　All　that　we
  require　of　a　voter　is　that　he　shall　be　forked；　wear　pantaloons
  instead　of　petticoats；　and　bear　a　more　or　less　humorous　resemblance
  to　the　reported　image　of　God。　　He　need　not　know　anything　whatever；
  he　may　be　wholly　useless　and　a　cumberer　of　the　earth；　he　may　even　be
  known　to　be　a　consummate　scoundrel。　　No　matter。　　While　he　can　steer
  clear　of　the　penitentiary　his　vote　is　as　weighty　as　the　vote　of　a
  president；　a　bishop；　a　college　professor；　a　merchant　prince。　　We
  brag　of　our　universal；　unrestricted　suffrage；　but　we　are　shams　after
  all；　for　we　restrict　when　we　come　to　the　women。
  The　Monday　Evening　Club　was　an　organization　which　included　the　best　minds
  of　Hartford。　　Dr。　Horace　Bushnell；　Prof。　Calvin　E。　Stowe；　and　J。　Hammond
  Trumbull　founded　it　back　in　the　sixties；　and　it　included　such　men　as　Rev。
  Dr。　Parker；　Rev。　Dr。　Burton；　Charles　H。　Clark；　of　the　Courant；　Warner；
  and