MARK TWAIN

upon me for what was simply and solely an accident. I
had the misfortune to catch him in a situation which will
not bear describing. He probably thinks I have told that
thing all around. It is an error. I have never told it except
to one man, and he came so near absolutely dying with
laughter that I judged it best to take no more chances
with that narrative.

"Thrice have I been in the valley of the shadow of
death, and thrice have I come out again." Rev. Dr. New-
man says Gen, Grant pressed his hand and said that yes-
terday, April 15. Tea cents to a thousand dollars he
never used that form of words. This piece of misreporting
comports with what that Chinese Secretary of Legation
said of Newman. Tribune version: "Thrice have I been
clown in the valley of death, and now I have come up."
No better—gush—rot—impossible.

May i, 1885. 60,000 sets of Gen. Grant's book (or
120,000 single volumes) which I am to publish next De-
cember arc already ordered by a region comprising one
fourth of the territory lying between Canada and Mason
and Pixon's Line, and the Mississippi River and the At-
lantic Ocean. At this rate the rest of that territory will
take 180,000 sets more—240,000 sets in all, or 480,000
single volumes. The vast West and the body of Southern
States ought to take together 120,000 sets, perhaps—say
600,000 single volumes. If these chickens shall really
hatch, according to my account, Gen. Grant's royalties
will amount to $420,000 and will make the largest single
check ever paid an author in the world's history. Up to
the present time the largest one ever paid was to Ma-
caulay on his History of England, 20,000 pounds. If I
pay the General in silver coin (at $12 per pound) it will
weigh 17 tons,

(Note added April 15, 1889. Have just read the preced-

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