Page:Abroad with Mark Twain and Eugene Field.djvu/67

 "Yes," I interrupted, "and I saw you on that very platform shake hands with Grant."

But Mark Twain could not be tempted to go into his personal history when General Grant was being discussed.

"Did you ever see a city so magnificently and so patriotically bedecked?" he cried. "There was not a monument, palace, rookery, saloon or telegraph pole that was not gay with streamers and bunting, pictures, garlands, colored lanterns and placards of all sorts."

"Yes there was," said one of our friends.

Mark stretched out his hand and grabbed the speaker's arm.

"No nonsense now."

"I am as serious as you, and I say that the German Consul, with offices opposite the Court House, did not have a flag out on the day of Grant's entry and reception."

"Are you sure?" demanded Clemens.

"As sure as you are standing there. And I am proud to-day that I wrote up the story in the Chicago 'Times' and that Guy Magee, the city editor, headed it: "The German Son of a B."

"Well done. I could not have written a more accurate head myself." 63