who had once refused the Frog story by omitting it from Artemus Ward’s book.  It seems curious that Canton should make a second mistake and refuse it again, but publishers were wary in those days, and even the newspaper success of the Frog story did not tempt him to venture it as the title tale of a book.  Webb finally declared he would publish the book himself, and Clemens, after a few weeks of New York, joined his mother and family in St. Louis and gave himself up to a considerable period of visiting, lecturing meantime in both Hannibal and Keokuk.

Fate had great matters in preparation for him.  The Quaker City Mediterranean excursion, the first great ocean picnic, was announced that spring, and Mark Twain realized that it offered a possible opportunity for him to see something of the world.  He wrote at once to the proprietors of the Alta-California and proposed that they send him as their correspondent.  To his delight his proposition was accepted, the Alta agreeing to the twelve hundred dollars passage money, and twenty dollars each for letters.

The Quaker City was not to sail until the 8th of June, but the Alta wished some preliminary letters from New York.  Furthermore, Webb had the Frog book in press, and would issue it May 1st.  Clemens, therefore, returned to New York in April, and now once more being urged by the Californians to lecture, he did not refuse.  Frank Fuller, formerly Governor of Utah, took the matter in hand and engaged Cooper Union for the venture.  He timed it for May 6th, which would be a few days after the appearance of Webb’s book.  Clemens was even more frightened at the prospect of this lecture than he had been in San Francisco, and with more reason, for in New York his friends were not many, and competition for public favor was very great.  There are two letters written May 1st, one to his people, and one to Bret Harte, in San Francisco; that give us the situation.

MARK TWAIN’S LETTERS 1867-1875

ARRANGED WITH COMMENT BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE

VOLUME II.

To Bret Harte, in San Francisco: 

Westminster hotel, May 1, 1867.  Dear Bret,—­I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well and hope these few lines will find you enjoying the same God’s blessing.

The book is out, and is handsome.  It is full of damnable errors of grammar and deadly inconsistencies of spelling in the Frog sketch because I was away and did not read the proofs; but be a friend and say nothing about these things.  When my hurry is over, I will send you an autograph copy to pisen the children with.

I am to lecture in Cooper Institute next Monday night.  Pray for me.

We sail for the Holy Land June 8.  Try to write me (to this hotel,) and it will be forwarded to Paris, where we remain 10 or 15 days.