THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
:": \r •:< i n-}
S( »M i-I:r. mthsago
I commented
upon a chapter
of Susy's biography
v herein she very
elaborately discu: —
el an article about
the training and dis
ciplining of children;
which : had ;»u!>
l^hedin'-Ther'hn-
tian Union"' Ithi*
:«• :-w:v- ■: •■ years :*£•'•}: '« :1 article which was
fa 3of worshipful praises of Mr-. Clemens as »
r: .-.her. an i • ; .: h little Clara and Susy and. J| had
tea hiding from this i »vely and admirable mother
because \\- knew she would disapprove of public
aad printed :r,:~-- of herself. At the ... that I
Tji~ dictating these .... several nv>nth- ago.
I icis trying $ • ill back to my memory some o:
lif details of that article: but 1 was not able to do iti
ai I tcishe I I h id a copy of the article so that I
fcid see tihai there was about it which gave it
•- r. large interest * ( *t Stisv.
Yesterday afternoon 1 elected to -.valk home from
felrachean at the St. K?zi-. --'hich i-> on 55th-st.
aadFifth-ave.; for it was a nne ->i>r!r!g day and I
bi&fi had a Walk for a year or tv.o. nd felt the
:-i .: «■■: > As Isi a'ked along dowTi Fifth-aye.
lie desire -. that '"Christian Union*.' article
caaeinto my head .. K M:n. I had just reached the
i 'rr.er of asd-st. then, and there •'^ the usual ja:r.
f - xagons. carriaßes. and automobiles there. I
sloped to let it thin out before trying to cross the
stwt; but a stranger, aho didn't require as much
*•<:- a- 1 do. came racing by and darted int>« a
taci among the vehicles and made the crossing.
£"<m hi- • .;•■ past me he thrust a c«»t:]»le of ancient
crrspjtper iiiijiings into my hand, and said:
'Therv' \ '•: don't know me: but I have sayed
Csa in mv scrai»lKx»k for twenty years; and it o< -
CK»d to m- •:.: m -rning that perhaps yr.u would
&i(jseeth'-n.. wiluxls cirrving them dowii town
It :r_ii'. them; I not expecting to run across you in
Cas accidental way. of course: but I will give
Shcainto your own hand- no-?.-. G •■• 1 by!", and he
Co;i:Tj>eared aniong the wagons.
Th^>t- scraps which he had into my; hand
Pent anciem nevvspajier cojjies of that "Christian
i"j«i" article ' It :~ i handsome ... of mental
Wegr^phy; w '•:. it ....... handsome case
rfc mcidence.
Bust by Karl Gherharit
FRi >'• THE BIOGRAPHY
Mar h :4th. '««.
Kr. Larreno : ; —•<■*•■■ • • ; JJ- a---": Mrs Hutt >n w-r r
fes* a little rfaile ..• i md w«- ha i > very interesting visit
'*■>- their, papa , ;i ,,i M r Barette never had acted >.
»"t. .^r- *}..-."•:.• :.,,•: him. a~ he did the firs' night
e*is staying nth ■:- And Mr *aid she never h• 1
*«aaaactoron •'•■•■ ■•v<- wb ••« Ac -r c- wanted to speak
. ..{'-?i ha-. :„-.-. vrv ~u h interested of late. in the
, K-dCurt-"' th«-.rv And in fact sohaveweall A young
JjSyiatown ha* Worked ... by using the "Mind,
J-we, ixp m people; ,h« is constantly busy now curing
:-•:>.■■ ,;....,_.. '.. ,;.,, vi ,y — iTii curing her own even.
seesn . the most remarkable of al!
.« -*Ct while past, papa was delighted with the knowl
'*!? of what bethought the best way •<! curing a cold-
P*awas by starving st. Tht> .... did work beautt
•—v. und in-,- ,• • ••- from < great many severe-colds. Now
: " top :t ras, ; -i .. a rv ,.,?, .-. ,• helpe 1 his « .Ids but thi
Bta — > the mind cure connected with ths
*■ «<?»lan"t wonder if we finally :«• firm believers in
-— i Core The next time papa has a cold. [ haven't a
V^-.bew.U send far Uiss H th- y.ung lady who fa
•-^S* 81 * » the '• Mmd ... to cure him of it.
**:»&* ?. a , over a . \j r , George Warners to lunch the
S^rday, md Miss H was there T ... Mamma asked
; j: --thn. P as natural as near .... ibe cured
*~tl"«!_. t * >es ' Ust a> wc '' ** " t - I ** r deseases. ,
, * aw taamrr.^ came home, -he took me into her room.
; ; MM Tn<- that perhaps my near^ightedaess could 1«
j^wthc "Mind Core" mv'\ that ihe was going to have
:. ;"• 'at tre atm«:t any wuy. there i.wl.i lie n> harm in it,
JX , B 4B* a !^ B*«at gaod. If her plan eucceeds there
••itaf*^ J " '"' J E^at deal in Mmd Cure" to my
r-V?T 1 ' m ram ' am '' r " r ?' Wir sighted and so is mamma. ..ti i
t,^s* **pected there could be any more cure for :t than
j * ;J; J ? ia< lJi^s, but now I d m't know Irut what theres a care
I "
1^ "as a disappointment : her near sightedness re
t-, m*<lm * <1 Wllh ht ' r v > the *' 1111 - She " >vus ! " >ni Wlth :t
tfgj^f*' J* l . strangely enough, she must have
t--.- 11 ° < ur - >ears °W. possiWy fivei before we
C'J' ™ "4* existence. It L» not easy to understand
Zvir 1 «wM have happene«L I 'discovered th*
1 '-a, halfiiray up the haU
"*'*•««. ti^h, Hi,,,,, i Br.^: .. A". Rljiiti RetcrveL
MARK TWAIN
Susy Boldly Expresses Some Opinions
s-tair, one flay at home, and was leading her by the
hand, n-hen i glanced Lack through the open ilrjor
o£ the ... ... room and saY what I thoußht she
v..»ul'l recopnize a^ a" pretty picture. It was "Stray
Kit." the .... graceful, the sociable, the
iteautiful. the .... the cat of cats, the
tortoise shell, curled up as round as :i wheel and
sound asleep on the red cover of the dining table,
with .'< brilliant stream <•:" sunlight falling across
-I [aimed about it but Susy >:ii>l she could
...... neither cat tablecloth. The
distance was so slight^hot more than twenty feet,
perhaps^-that if it h:«'l been any other child I
should not have credited the statement.
FROM THE BIOGRAPHY
March 14th, 'R6.
C.ur:. jpralned her ankle. :. little while ago' by running
into a tree, when coasting, ar.d while she was unahi'' to
walk with it ihe played solotaire with cards :• great deal.
While (l:»r.i was sict and papa saw her s>lay solotaire -•
mu< hhe got very much ... in the gamei and finally
began to jilav it himself a little, then }cm took it up. an.l
at last .... everi played it occasionally; Jeans and
papa's love for it rapidly increased, and now Jean brings
thr'c irds every night to the table and papa and mamma
help her play.iand liefore dinner is at an end. papa ha>
gotten , separate pack of card-., and I* playing alone.' with
great interest Mamma and Clara next are made subject
to the contagious solatair. and there are four solotaireans
at .j,.. ta We ; while you hear nothing but Fill up the
place" etc It 1- dreadful! alter supper Clara goes into
the library, and gets a little red mahogany table, and
placing it under the gas fixture seats herseli and "egms
to play again, then papa follows with , another^ ta >.
>,( the same description, and they ptay solatair til! t»ea
\\e have just h.fi cur F'rince and PaujKjr -. ture . t ifcei ;
two groupi and some little single c.nes. In- groups
Che Interview and Lady Jane Orey scene) were pr-tty
goodJ the lady lan- scene was p-rfect. just .- pretty a
it could lie. the Interview was not -• x>>i. an<i two
of the little single pictures were v-ry &*") maee«i. «n
<,ne wa> very bad. Vet on ■■.■•■• they were
a iuccess. . . ... . , ■ . . ■
I'apa has .lone a great deal in -n- life I thinkvt hatiw
good, and very, remarkable; but I think ii he had had the
f,, ..^ „;-.!, n-hich he could have <!-ve!-.;>-i the gitts
Jean V.J- Krrt tti...
S.^ning Death V.'arrant,.
■
" ' more n
■
■ ■ • •
■
■
Kotthat 1 • '
■ ..■•■:.••■
and pa tp-r are,the kind nt thing '• ■ : im.y think." about;
but that that im.ik. and •.!:•-• :> : "■' " represent the tratn
<•• thought and .... !:■■ »■ >u!d '•■• likely ■.-•
ing ■•! tit^lay. to-morrow, or next d.»v. ■■.■•■.•
those given i- in ",Totn Sawyer ■■' Hi :k!e'»-rr\ Finn.*'
[It :- . vet. —M. 'I I
iVipi can make ex eedingly liright j >V.- m i '•■■ enj >/.
funny thing>. and when he i- with pc >ple he j •;.••- v: i
bughia great deal, but -til: ';•■ i*m .r- interested in earnest
UK.ks'anii ■■•.'■■■ •;;>.:;. than ::■ humoroui
one-. [Slie h,i- -.n>i it ... rorret tly. Humor is a -u\t
ject which has never U.i'i much interc^ i.. me Thts I
why 1 have never examined :t. nor written aliout it. n<»r
used il as a t.ipi.: fora ■:»•'• h. A hundre i times :t has l>een
.i, .„.. , ,.„ ... ••i,-,,- :>, ' ff»rty years; but :v. no
ca-- ha- it attrai te i m«- — U T.]
When we are all alone at home, nine time^ >ut of ten. Iw
talks a'cu; some very earnest ;übje •-. (with an -i 1:1 i
juke .... in) and he .1 good deal ::v>r-- often talks upon
such subjects than ::p->n the other kind.
He is as much •<<■ a Ph"i»losf»pher as anything ■ think. I
think he could have done a great deal in tin- direction if h"
had Studied while v -iui^. for he leems to enjoy reasoning
nut things nu matter w::.i*. in 4r--.li many such direc
tions he. has greater ability than in the gifts which have
THUS at fourteen had rrude ••■■ her mind
about ::icaii.l in no timorous' or uncertain ten
had set down her reasons for her -.••■,- Fifteen
years were to pass t»efore any other critic — except
Mr. Ho\vell>j [ think-^-was t- reutter thai daring
opinion and print it Right or wrong, it was a
brave position for th.it little analyzer t<> take. She
never withdrew it afterward; nor modified it. She
h:is 5;...k-n r.f h<-r-.-:f a. lacking physical .-,_;■
and ha, evinced her admiration of ilara's; but she
had moral courage, which i- the rarest of human
qualities and kept it functionaMe by exer.isin?
it I think that in questions ■.•' moraLs and politics
she .va- usually on my side; but when she was not
she 1 he: reasons and maintained her ground.
Two years after she passed out •>:" my life I waste a
philosophy. •>£ th<- three persons who have seen
the manuscript only one ■;.■•. 1 it. and all
three condemned ■• If she could have read it. she
. t i, ovid have condemned it. possibly.—prob
ably, iri fact.— but she
would have ■:•:■..■
it. 11 •.- •■•-•.Id have had
no rfifh*< -titi.-- for her >>•:
that score; also she.
would havt- found a tir •-
k-^.~ pleasure in analyzing
and discussing •••■
lem>.
I
BIOGRAPHY t•! ME
M vrcii r ;,. '■> >.
'T'iiil other day w.i~ my
■*■ iiirtiiia;. . and I had a
little birthday party in the
evening ami papa acte.i
some very tunny charades
with Mr! Oherhardt. Mr.
Jes.>c r.rar.t (wh > hail cnme
up from New Vurk ml was
: pending the evening with
u.i .t:- i Mr. Frank Warner.
i >:i,- .... vus ' >:i his
• ■
were .. go-"..] many other
tunr.v ones, all ut which I
dun. rememlier. Mr. ('.rant
'.v.i. very pleasant^ md V-
ii,:: playing the charades :n
th ■ m >>t delightful way.
OUSY-Ss^llinKhasde
*~* feate<l me, this time.
I cannot make out what
•■ h' >nys-sneeze" stand-;
for. Impromptu char
;cie- were almost a night
ly pastime of xur.s. Iron:
the children's earliest
days.— they played in
them with me when they
were tmlv five or six years oM A. they iiK-rease<i
in years and practice ."their love for the sport alma
amounted t" a passion, and they acted their part -
with a steadily increasing ability. At ::■ ■ they
required much drilling : l»vit later they were generally
ready :•- >'>"n as the pan \vere assigned, and they
acted them according to their own device Their
stage facility arid absence of constraint and self m
sciousness in the " Prir and Pauper- was a result
of their charadirig practice;
At ten and twelve Susy -at. .tc plays, and she and
Daisy Warner and Clara played them in the library
or up stair> in the school room, with: only them
selves and the .... audience, ihey ere of
5