MARK TWAIN
stronger light, so that I could see her better. Beautiful
little creature, with the dearest friendly ways and sin-
cerity, and simplicity, and sweetnesses—the ideal princess
of the fairy tales. She is 16 or 17, I judge.
Kaltenleutgeben, May 27, '98.
We have some insane customs, of course. All countries
have insane customs. The stranger notices that they are
insane—the native doesn't; he is used to them, hardened
to them, they are matters of course to him. In Vienna
when you take a flat you pay the rent twice a year in
advance. In the country when you take a villa you pay
the whole year in advance. "It may burn down the first
night," you say, "what then?" The proprietor answers-—
"I have other houses; you can have one of those."
"It would not suit; we examined every house in the
place—there is not another house that would begin to suit"
"I should do the best I could for you."
"The best you could do would be a long way from
satisfactory."
"One can but do one's best."
"You don't suggest refunding the money."
"It is not the custom."
"When a man comes to the cure, he knows his term is
six weeks, and he must be under the doctor's advice
all the time. Does the doctor collect the whole fee in
advance?"
"Oh, no."
"Why not?"
"The man—"
"Go on. You were going to say the man might die the
first day."
"Yes."
"Just as the house might burn down."
The Being who to me is the real God is the One who
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