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guest during that time。
LORNE。
The Marquis of Lorne； then Governor…General of Canada； was the husband of
Queen Victoria's daughter； the Princess Louise。 The invitation was
therefore in the nature of a command。 Clemens obeyed it graciously
enough； and with a feeling of exaltation no doubt。 He had been honored
by the noble and the great in many lands； but this was royaltyEnglish
royaltypaying a tribute to an American writer whom neither the Marquis
nor the Princess； his wife； had ever seen。 They had invited him because
they had cared enough for his books to make them wish to see him； to have
him as a guest in Rideau Hall； their home。 Mark Twain was democratic。
A king to him was no more than any other man； rather less if he were not
a good king。 But there was something national in this tribute； and；
besides； Lord Lorne and the Princess Louise were the kind of sovereigns
that honored their rank； instead of being honored by it。
It is a good deal like a fairy tale when you think of it； the barefooted
boy of Hannibal； who had become a printer； a pilot； a rough…handed miner；
being summoned； not so many years later； by royalty as one of America's
foremost men of letters。 The honor was no greater than many others he
had received； certainly not greater than the calls of Canon Kingsley and
Robert Browning and Turgenieff at his London hotel lodgings； but it was
of a less usual kind。
Clemens enjoyed his visit。 Princess Louise and the Marquis of Lorne kept
him with them almost continually； and were loath to let him go。 Once
they took him tobogganingan exciting experience。
It happened that during his stay with them the opening of the Canadian
Parliament took place。 Lord Lorne and the principal dignitaries of state
entered one carriage； and in a carriage behind them followed Princess
Louise with Mark Twain。 As they approached the Parliament House the
customary salute was fired。 Clemens pretended to the Princess
considerable gratification。 The temptation was too strong to resist：
〃Your Highness；〃 he said； 〃I have had other compliments paid to me；
but none equal to this one。 I have never before had a salute fired
in my honor。〃
Returning to Hartford； he sent copies of his books to Lord Lome； and to
the Princess a special copy of that absurd manual； The New Guide of the
Conversation in Portuguese and English； for which he had written an
introduction。 ＇A serious work； in Portugal； though issued by Osgood
（'83） as a joke。 Clemens in the introduction says： 〃Its delicious；
unconscious ridiculousness and its enchanting naivety are as supreme and
unapproachable in their way as Shakespeare's sublimities。〃 An extract；
the closing paragraph from the book's preface； will illustrate his
meaning：
〃We expect then； who the little book （for the care that we wrote him； and
for her typographical correction）； that maybe worth the acceptation of
the studious persons； and especially of the Youth； at which we dedicate
him particularly。〃
CXLIV
A SUMMER LITERARY HARVEST
Arriving at the farm in June； Clemens had a fresh crop of ideas for
stories of many lengths and varieties。 His note…book of that time is
full of motifs and plots； most of them of that improbable and extravagant
kind which tended to defeat any literary purpose； whether humorous or
otherwise。 It seems worth while setting down one or more of these here；
for they are characteristic of the myriad conceptions that came and went；
and beyond these written memoranda left no trace behind。 Here is a fair
example of many：
Two men starving on a raft。 The pauper has a Boston cracker；
resolves to keep it till the multimillionaire is beginning to
starve； then make him pay 50；000 for it。 Millionaire agrees。
Pauper's cupidity rises； resolves to wait and get more； twenty…four
hours later asks him a million for the cracker。 Millionaire agrees。
Pauper has a wild dream of becoming enormously rich off his cracker；
backs down； lies all night building castles in the air； next day
raises his price higher and higher； till millionaire has offered
100；000；000； every cent he has in the world。 Pauper accepts。
Millionaire： 〃Now give it to me。〃
Pauper： 〃No； it isn't a trade until you sign documental history of
the transaction and make an oath to pay。〃
While pauper is finishing the document millionaire sees a ship。
When pauper says； 〃Sign and take the cracker；〃 millionaire smiles a
smile； declines； and points to the ship。
Yet this is hardly more extravagant than another idea that is mentioned
repeatedly among the notesthat of an otherwise penniless man wandering
about London with a single million…pound bank…note in his possession； a
motif which developed into a very good story indeed。
IDEA FOR 〃STORMFIELD'S VISIT TO HEAVEN〃
In modern times the halls of heaven are warmed by registers
connected with hell； and this is greatly applauded by Jonathan
Edwards； Calvin； Baxter and Company； because it adds a new pang to
the sinner's sufferings to know that the very fire which tortures
him is the means of making the righteous comfortable。
Then there was to be another story； in which the various characters were
to have a weird； pestilential nomenclature； such as 〃Lockjaw Harris；〃
〃Influenza Smith；〃 〃Sinapism Davis；〃 and a dozen or two more； a perfect
outbreak of disorders。
Anotherprobably the inspiration of some very hot afternoonwas to
present life in the interior of an iceberg； where a colony would live for
a generation or two； drifting about in a vast circular current year after
year； subsisting on polar bears and other Arctic game。
An idea which he followed out and completed was the 1002d Arabian Night；
in which Scheherazade continues her stories； until she finally talks the
Sultan to death。 That was a humorous idea； certainly； but when Howells
came home and read it in the usual way he declared that； while the
opening was killingly funny； when he got into the story itself it seemed
to him that he was 〃made a fellow…sufferer with the Sultan from
Scheherazade's prolixity。〃
〃On the whole；〃 he said； 〃it is not your best； nor your second best； but
all the way it skirts a certain kind of fun which you can't afford to
indulge in。〃
And that was the truth。 So the tale； neatly typewritten； retired to
seclusion； and there remains to this day。
Clemens had one inspiration that summer which was not directly literary；
but historical； due to his familiarity with English dates。 He wrote
Twichell：
Day before yesterday； feeling not in condition for writing； I left
the study； but I couldn't hold inhad to do something； so I spent
eight hours in the sun with a yardstick； measuring off the reigns of
the English kings on the roads in these grounds； from William the
Conqueror to 1883； calculating to invent an open…air game which
shall fill the children's heads with dates without study。 I give
each king's reign one foot of space to the year and drive one sta