Show MARK TWAIN AND CHARLES WARREN STODDARD IN LONDON marks plaint wa was to the th effect that he could clearly see ahead abeid to a time when lie he could write no more could not lecture and then what would he and his family do for a living there was aas nothing for it tears charley but the ile he could see that clearly enough he would have to die in the poorhouse pool house to comfort him was impossible and said mr mi stoddard 1 I used to go to sleep night after night with that wail of woe in my ears that mark alark would die in the poorhouse at last his engagement concluded conclude i in london and we e went here and am there in the provinces and finally dinall reached liverpool we ve had a great grea night there ile he was to sail the th next day dolby his manager had hac been with us all the time but had to tc leave that night for london where he had a score of urgent matters de manding his attention so I 1 was left alone to see mark off that night we made ourselves as comfortable as we could in the hotel but instead of having a gay parting his doleful forebodings seemed worse than ever I 1 got into bed as usual and marl mark came arid and sat by my side and I 1 was just about to drop off to sleep when I 1 with a vigor and vim he seldom used he sprang up and exclaimed no by george ill not die in a poorhouse ill tell you what ill do charley ill teach elocution this awoke me and I 1 made some comment when chhen he broke in upon me and asked ever hear bear me read charley I 1 answered xo no he then rang the bell and when the night vi watchman atchman appeared he asked in a most solemn oice boice yet using words scarcely applicable to the sacred character of the book for a copy of the holy scriptures in a few minutes the boy returned saying that he could not find a copy mark turned upon him biru with ith a mock ferocity that wasas was as funny as anything lie he ever said it public or wrote and in an apparent temper wanted to know what he meant by daring to come and tell him that in that blank hotel he could not find a copy of the blank holy scriptures in amazement the boy returned to the search and soon came back with a copy of the desired book and then for over an hour I 1 lay as one entranced you know I 1 haie hae heard all the dignitaries of the roman and english churches I 1 have listened to the great orators of europe and america aro x ro but never in my life did I 1 hear anyone read so perfectly so beautifully so thrillingly as mark read that night he gave me the whole of the book of ruth and half the time never looked at the page and then some of the most exquisite passages of the book of isaiah few people knew it but he was more familiar with the bible and loved it better than many of the professional re Ilg who would have deemed hire him far from a follower of its holy precepts george wharton james in august pacific monthly |