superstitious； as he readily confessed； though at times professing little
faith in these prognostics。 Once when a clairvoyant； of whom he had
never even heard； and whom he had reason to believe was ignorant of his
family history； told him more about it than he knew himself； besides
reading a list of names from a piece of paper which Clemens had concealed
in his vest pocket he came home deeply impressed。 The clairvoyant added
that he would probably live to a great age and die in a； foreign landa
prophecy which did not comfort him。
CCLXI
MINOR EVENTS AND DIVERSIONS
Mark Twain was deeply interested during the autumn of 1907 in the
Children's Theater of the Jewish Educational Alliance； on the lower East
Sidea most worthy institution which ought to have survived。 A Miss
Alice M。 Herts； who developed and directed it； gave her strength and
health to build up an institution through which the interest of the
children could be diverted from less fortunate amusements。 She had
interested a great body of Jewish children in the plays of Shakespeare；
and of more modern dramatists； and these they had performed from time to
time with great success。 The admission fee to the performance was ten
cents； and the theater was always crowded with other childrencertainly
a better diversion for them than the amusements of the street； though of
course； as a business enterprise； the theater could not pay。 It required
patrons。 Miss Herts obtained permission to play 〃The Prince and the
Pauper；〃 and Mark Twain agreed to become a sort of chief patron in using
his influence to bring together an audience who might be willing to
assist financially in this worthy work。
〃The Prince and the Pauper〃 evening turned out a distinguished affair。
On the night of November 19； 1907； the hall of the Educational Alliance
was crowded with such an audience as perhaps never before assembled on
the East Side； the finance and the fashion of New York were there。 It
was a gala night for the little East Side performers。 Behind the curtain
they whispered to each other that they were to play before queens。 The
performance they gave was an astonishing one。 So fully did they enter
into the spirit of Tom Canty's rise to royalty that they seemed
absolutely to forget that they were lowly…born children of the Ghetto。
They had become little princesses and lords and maids…in…waiting； and
they moved through their pretty tinsel parts as if all their ornaments
were gems and their raiment cloth of gold。 There was no hesitation； no
awkwardness of speech or gesture； and they rose really to sublime heights
in the barn scene where the little Prince is in the hands of the mob。
Never in the history of the stage has there been assembled a mob more
wonderful than that。 These children knew mobs！ A mob to them was a
daily sight； and their reproduction of it was a thing to startle you with
its realism。 Never was it absurd； never was there a single note of
artificiality in it。 It was Hogarthian in its bigness。
Both Mark Twain and Miss Herts made brief addresses； and the audience
shouted approval of their words。 It seems a pity that such a project as
that must fail； and I do not know why it happened。 Wealthy men and women
manifested an interest； but there was some hitch somewhere； and the
Children's Theater exists to…day only as history。＇In a letter to a Mrs。
Amelia Dunne Hookway； who had conducted some children's plays at the
Howland School； Chicago； Mark Twain once wrote： 〃 If I were going to
begin life over again I would have a children's theater and watch it； and
work for it； and see it grow and blossom and bear its rich moral and
intellectual fruitage； and I should get more pleasure and a saner and
healthier profit out of my vocation than I should ever be able to get out
of any other； constituted as I am。 Yes； you are easily the most
fortunate of women； I think。〃＇
It was at a dinner at The Playersa small； private dinner given by Mr。
George C。 Riggs…that I saw Edward L。 Burlingame and Mark Twain for the
only time together。 They had often met during the forty…two years that
had passed since their long…ago Sandwich Island friendship； but only
incidentally； for Mr。 Burlingame cared not much for great public
occasions； and as editor of Scribner's Magazine he had been somewhat out
of the line of Mark Twain's literary doings。
Howells was there； and Gen。 Stewart L。 Woodford； and David Bispham； John
Finley； Evan Shipman； Nicholas Biddle； and David Munro。 Clemens told
that night； for the first time； the story of General Miles and the three…
dollar dog； inventing it； I believe； as he went along； though for the
moment it certainly did sound like history。 He told it often after that；
and it has been included in his book of speeches。
Later； in the cab； he said：
〃That was a mighty good dinner。 Riggs knows how to do that sort of
thing。 I enjoyed it ever so much。 Now we'll go home and play
billiards。〃
We began about eleven o'clock； and played until after midnight。 I
happened to be too strong for him； and he swore amazingly。 He vowed that
it was not a gentleman's game at all； that Riggs's wine had demoralized
the play。 But at the end； when we were putting up the cues； he said：
〃Well； those were good games。 There is nothing like billiards after
all。〃
We did not play billiards on his birthday that year。 He went to the
theater in the afternoon； and it happened that； with Jesse Lynch
Williams； I attended the same performancethe 〃Toy…Maker of Nuremberg〃
written by Austin Strong。 It proved to be a charming play； and I could
see that Clemens was enjoying it。 He sat in a box next to the stage； and
the actors clearly were doing their very prettiest for his benefit。
When later I mentioned having seen him at the play； he spoke freely of
his pleasure in it。
〃It is a fine； delicate piece of work；〃 he said。 〃I wish I could do such
things as that。〃
〃I believe you are too literary for play…writing。〃
〃Yes； no doubt。 There was never any question with the managers about my
plays。 They always said they wouldn't act。 Howells has come pretty near
to something once or twice。 I judge the trouble is that the literary man
is thinking of the style and quality of the thing； while the playwright
thinks only of how it will play。 One is thinking of how it will sound；
the other of how it will look。〃
〃I suppose；〃 I said； 〃the literary man should have a collaborator with a
genius for stage mechanism。 John Luther Long's exquisite plays would
hardly have been successful without David Belasco to stage them。 Belasco
cannot write a play himself； but in the matter of acting construction his
genius is supreme。〃
〃Yes； so it is； it was Belasco who made it possible to play 〃The Prince
and the Pauper〃a collection of literary garbage before he got hold of
it。〃
Clemens attended few public functions now。 He was beset with
invitations； but he declined most of them。 He told the dog story one
night to the Pleiades Club； assembled at the Brevoort； but that was only
a step away； and we went in after the dining was ended and came away
before the exercises were concluded。
He also spoke at a banquet given to Andrew CarnegieSaint Andrew； as he
called himby the Engineers Club； and had his usual fun at the chief
guest's expense。
I have been chief guest at a good many banquets myself； and I know
what brother Andrew is feeling like now。 He has been receiving
compliments and nothing but compliments； but he knows that there is
another side to him that needs censure。
I am going to vary the complimentary monotony。 While we have all
been listening to the complimentary talk Mr。 Carnegie's face has
scintillated with fictitious innocence。 You'd think he never
committed a crime in his life。 But he has。
Look at his pestiferous simplified spelling。 Imagine the calamity
on two sides of the ocean when he foisted his simplified spelling on
the whole human race。 We've got it all now so that nobody could
spell 。 。 。 。
If Mr。 Carnegie had left spelling alone we wouldn't have had any
spots on the sun； or any San Francisco quake； or any business
depression。
There； I trust he feels better now and that he has enjoyed my abuse
more than he did his compliments。 And now that I think I have him
smoothed down and feeling comfortable I just want to say one thing
morethat his simplified spelling is all right enough； but； like
chastity； you can carry it too far。
As he was about to go； Carnegie called his attention to the beautiful
souvenir bronze and gold…plated goblets that stood at each guest's plate。
Carnegie said：
〃The club had those especially made at Tiffany's for this occasion。 They
cost ten dollars apiece。〃
Clemens sand： 〃Is that so？ Well； I only meant to take my own； but if
that's the case I'll load my cab with them。〃
We made an attempt to reform on the matter of billiards。 The continued
strain of late hours was doing neither of us any particular good。 More
than once I journeyed into the country on one errand and another； mainly
for rest； but a card sa