MARK TWAIN'S LIFE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8306, 10 June 1907, Page 3

MARK TWAIN'S LIFE.

AN UNFORTUNATE SURPRISE VISIT. In the North American Review, which is publishing his autobiography, Mark Iv. ain tells the follovi'ng story of his brother, a wonderfully interesting character: — Once, when he was 23 or 24 years old, and was become a journeyman, he conceived the romantic idea of coming to Hannibal without giving us notice, in order that he might fur- ! nish to the family a pleasant sur--1 prise. If he had given notice, -;e would have been informed that we had changed our residence, and that that gruff, old, bass-voiced sailorman, Dr. G:, our family physician, was living in the house which we had fcrmerly occupied, and that Orion s former room in that house was nxv occupied by Dr. G.'3 two middieaged maiden sisters. Orion arrived at Hannibal per steamboat in the j middle of the night, and started with his customary eagerness on his excursion, his mind all on fire with his romantic project, and building and enjoying his surprise in advance. When he arrived at the house he went round to the back door and slipped off his boots and crept upstairs and arrived at the room of those elderly ladies without having swakened any sleepers. He undressed in the dark and got into bed, and snuggled up against somebody. He was a little surprised, and not much —for he thought it was only brother Ben. The maid that was being crowded inmed and fretted and struggled, and presently came to a half-waking condition, and protested against the crowding. That voice paralysed Orion. He couldn't move a limb; he couldn't get his bieath; and the crowded one discovered his new whiskers and began to scream. This removed the paralysis, and Orion was out of bed and clewing round in the dark for his clothes in the fraction of a second. Both maids began to scream then, so Orion did not wait to get his whole wardrobe. He started with such parts of it as he could grabHe flew to the head of the stairs and started do»vn, and was paralysed again at that point, because he saw the faint yellow flame of a candle soaring up the stairs from belo.v, and he judged that Dr. G was behind it, and he was. He had no clothes on to speak of, but no matter, he was well enough fixed for an occasion like this, because he had a butcher's knife m his hand. Orini shouted to him, and this saved his \ cice.