MARK TWAIN AT A GUILDHALL DINNER.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3518, 5 April 1880, Page 2

MARK TWAIN AT A GUILDHALL DINNER.

That quaint and original genius, Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain), told a story at his own expense while breakfasting with a journalistic friend which is too good, to be lost, and which, by his consent, is now _ published for tne first time. There had " been some talk at table about General Grant's banquet, when Mr Clemens ■ remarked with a smile and his peculiar drawl, " Speaking of banquets reminds me of rather an amusing incident that occurred to me during my stop in smoky, dirty, grand old London. I received an invitation to attend a banquet there,.and I went. It was one of those tremendous dinners where there are eight hundred to nine hundred invited guests. I hadn't been used to that sort of, thing, and I didn't feel quite at home. ' When wo took our seats at the tables I noticed that at each place there was a little plan of the hall with the position of each guest numbered, so that a person could see at a glance where a friend was seated by learning the number. Just before we fell to, some one—the Lord Mayor, or whoever was bossing the occasion—rose and began"to read a list of those present. No. 1, Lord So-and-so; No. 2, the Duke of Something, or-other; and so on. When this individual read the name of some prominent character or literary celebrity it would be greeted with more or less applause. The individual who was reading the names did so iv so monotonous a manner that I became tired, and began looking about for something to engage my attention. I found the gentleman next to me on the right a wellformed personage, and I entered into conversation with him. I had never: seen him before, but he was a good talker .: and enjoyed it. Suddenly just as he was Riving his views upon the future religious aspect of Great Britain, our ears were assailed by a deafening storm of applause* Such a clapping of hands I never heard before. It sent the blood into my head with a rush, and I got terribly excited. I straigntened up and, began clapping my hands with all my might. I mov^s£boufr in my chair and clapped harder and harder. " Who/is it ?f I. asked the gen- , tleman on my right ' whose name did he read?' 'Samuel L. Clemens,' he answered. I stopped applauding. I didn't clap any more. It kind of took the life out of me, and I sat there like a mummy, and didn't even get up and bow. It was one of the most distressing fixes I ever got into, and it will be many' a day before I forget it."—Chicago Times.