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unopened。
It would seem that every one receiving the invitation must have responded
to it； for on the morning of April 1st a stupefying mass of letters was
unloaded on Mark Twain's table。 He did not know what to make of it； and
Mrs。 Clemens stood off to watch the results。 The first one he opened was
from Dean Sage； a friend whom he valued highly。 Sage wrote from
Brooklyn：
DEAR CLEMENS；I have recently been asked by a young lady who
unfortunately has a mania for autograph…collecting； but otherwise is
a charming character； and comely enough to suit your fastidious
taste； to secure for her the sign manual of the few distinguished
persons fortunate enough to have my acquaintance。 In enumerating
them to her； after mentioning the names of Geo。 Shepard Page； Joe
Michell； Capt。 Isaiah Ryndus； Mr。 Willard； Dan Mace； and J。 L。
Sullivan； I came to yours。 〃Oh！〃 said she； 〃I have read all his
worksLittle Breeches； The Heathen Chinee； and the restand think
them delightful。 Do oblige me by asking him for his autograph；
preceded by any little sentiment that may occur to him； provided it
is not too short。〃
Of course I promised； and hope you will oblige me by sending some
little thing addressed to Miss Oakes。
We are all pretty well at home just now； though indisposition has
been among us for the past fortnight。 With regards to Mrs。 Clemens
and the children； in which my wife joins；
Yours truly； DEAN SAGE。
It amused and rather surprised him； and it fooled him completely； but
when he picked up a letter from Brander Matthews； asking； in some absurd
fashion； for his signature； and another from Ellen Terry； and from
Irving； and from Stedman； and from Warner； and Waring； and H。 C。 Bunner；
and Sarony； and Laurence Hutton； and John Hay； and R。 U。 Johnson； and
Modjeska； the size and quality of the joke began to overawe him。 He was
delighted； of course； for really it was a fine compliment； in its way；
and most of the letters were distinctly amusing。 Some of them asked for
autographs by the yard； some by the pound。 Henry Irving said：
I have just got back from a very late rehearsal…five o'clockvery
tiredbut there will be no rest till I get your autograph。
Some requested him to sit down and copy a few chapters from The Innocents
Abroad for them or to send an original manuscript。 Others requested that
his autograph be attached to a check of interesting size。 John Hay
suggested that he copy a hymn； a few hundred lines of Young's 〃Night
Thoughts；〃 and an equal amount of Pollak's 〃Course of Time。〃
I want my boy to form a taste for serious and elevated poetry； and
it will add considerable commercial value to have them in your
handwriting。
Altogether the reading of the letters gave him a delightful day； and his
admiration for Cable grew accordingly。 Cable； too； was pleased with the
success of his joke； though he declared he would never risk such a thing
again。 A newspaper of the time reports him as saying：
I never suffered so much agony as for a few days previous to the 1st
of April。 I was afraid the letters would reach Mark when he was in
affliction； in which case all of us would never have ceased flying
to make it up to him。
When I visited Mark we used to open our budgets of letters together
at breakfast。 We used to sing out whenever we struck an autograph…
hunter。 I think the idea came from that。 The first person I spoke
to about it was Robert Underwood Johnson； of the Century。 My most
enthusiastic ally was the Rev。 Henry Ward Beecher。 We never thought
it would get into the papers。 I never played a practical joke
before。 I never will again； certainly。
Mark Twain in those days did not encourage the regular autograph…
collectors； and seldom paid any attention to their requests for his
signature。 He changed all this in later years； and kept a supply always
on hand to satisfy every request； but in those earlier days he had no
patience with collecting fads； and it required a particularly pleasing
application to obtain his signature。
CXLIX
MARK TWAIN IN BUSINESS
Samuel Clemens by this time was definitely engaged in the publishing
business。 Webster had a complete office with assistants at 658 Broadway；
and had acquired a pretty thorough and practical knowledge of
subscription publishing。 He was a busy； industrious young man；
tirelessly energetic； and with a good deal of confidence； by no means
unnecessary to commercial success。 He placed this mental and physical
capital against Mark Twain's inspiration and financial backing； and the
combination of Charles L。 Webster & Co。 seemed likely to be a strong
one。
Already； in the spring of 1884。； Webster had the new Mark Twain book；
'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'； well in hand； and was on the watch
for promising subscription books by other authors。 Clemens； with his
usual business vision and eye for results； with a generous disregard of
detail； was supervising the larger preliminaries； and fulminating at the
petty distractions and difficulties as they came along。 Certain plays he
was trying to place were enough to keep him pretty thoroughly upset
during this period； and proof…reading never added to his happiness。 To
Howells he wrote：
My days are given up to cursings； both loud and deep； for I am
reading the 'Huck Finn' proofs。 They don't make a very great many
mistakes； but those that do occur are of a nature that make a man
swear his teeth loose。
Whereupon Howells promptly wrote him that he would help him out with the
Huck Finn proofs for the pleasure of reading the story。 Clemens； among
other things； was trying to place a patent grape…scissors； invented by
Howells's father； so that there was； in some degree； an equivalent for
the heavy obligation。 That it was a heavy one we gather from his fervent
acknowledgment：
It took my breath away； and I haven't recovered it yet； entirelyI
mean the generosity of your proposal to read the proofs of Huck
Finn。
Now； if you mean it； old manif you are in earnest…proceed； in
God's name； and be by me forever blessed。 I can't conceive of a
rational man deliberately piling such an atrocious job upon himself。
But if there be such a man； and you be that man； pile it on。 The
proof…reading of 'The Prince and the Pauper' cost me the last rags
of my religion。
Clemens decided to have the Huckleberry Finn book illustrated after his
own ideas。 He looked through the various comic papers to see if he could
find the work of some new man that appealed to his fancy。 In the pages
of Life he discovered some comic pictures illustrating the possibility of
applying electrical burners to messenger boys； waiters； etc。 The style
and the spirit of these things amused him。 He instructed Webster to look
up the artist； who proved to be a young man； E。 W。 Kemble by name； later
one of our foremost cartoonists。 Webster engaged Kemble and put the
manuscript in h