MARK TWAIN
(lid's costume is plain, simple, graceful, shapely and
topped with brimless fur cap, often a black fur cape, hand-
somer than sealskin; then there arc often fur borders to
the clothing. The drevsses are short.
This nipping air is delicious and gives everybody
splendid rudely checks. The complexions are very fair
among the girls and also darkish—half and half—English
and French.
The French went to church in troops and droves, from
8 till 9 this Sunday morning, and the English from
10 to n.
Drove halfway to Falls of Montmorency, then came
back and bought a photograph. The wind down on the
low ground was mighty cold. The photograph is very
satisfactory.
I am so indolent, and all forms of study are so hateful
to me, that although I was several years living constantly
on steamboats 1 never learned all the parts of a steam-
boat. The names of parts were in my ear daily whose
office and locality I was ignorant of, and I never inquired
the meaning of those names. For instance, I think I never
saw the day when I could describe the marks on a lead
line. I never knew what "in the run" meant—I couldn't
find the run in a steamboat today and be sure I was right.
After my first voyage at sea I never took any interest
in knowing the parts of the ship. I cannot name two-
thirds of the sails in a full-rigged ship; I do not know
the names or functions of half a dozen ropes. The line
"A wet sheet and a flowing sea" (wind?) has always been
meaningless to me. I do not know whether a sail is meant,
or the rope called a "sheet"—and I have never had energy
enough to inquire.
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