A LETTER FROM MARK TWAIN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2007, 13 February 1890, Page 3

A LETTER FROM MARK TWAIN.

Some time ago Mr W. D. Meares, of Christchurch, wrote to a friend in America asking him to write to Mark Twain (Mr S. L, Clemens), and su gg es f to him that he should come out to Australia on a lecturing tour. The celebrated humorist replied in an amusing letter, which was forwarded to Mr Meares It is as follows :

Hartford, December 3rd, ISB9. Dear Will, —Yes, sir ! I should like to go again, for I had noble time in Australia once—by proxy. I have hunted all about for the letter which told me all about it, but it is uufindable. Years ago, when I was younger and not afraid to travel, I used to get ready about once per annum to go out and lecture in Australia, and, of course, I always told a lot of friends and strangers about my project, which was a natural thing to do. How as to that letter. It came to my wife eight or tea years ago from an English friend ours. It broke to Mrs Clemens, as gently as possible, the news of my death in Melbourne, or somewhere out there, and then went on to further soften the blow by saying I had made a quite triumphant lecture tour, had been received with outspoken favor everywhere, and was the guest of a Governor or a Governor-General when I was stricken with the illness which carried me off. The writer of the letter had arrived just in time to march with the funeral, and so was able to say to my widow, the present and only Mrs Clemens, that an old - friend saw me interred, and that of the tears that were shed for me not all were the tears ©f strangers. There, think of that. I seem to see that dead fraud enjoying those tears yet, and trying to smile his Satisfaction in this final and unlooked-for capstone to his gaudy Australian career of social success and financial crime. Yery likely he was a pretty poor humorist when alive, but certainly he played his hand first-rate as a corpse. You may thank Mr Meares for me, and say that nothing keeps me from going out there but the fact that we can’t interrupt the children’s schooling, and my wife and I could not be reconciled to go without them.—Tours, as always, S, L. Clemens. —Press.