X

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When I told the king I was going out disguisedⒶalteration in the MS as a petty freeman to scour the country and familiarize myself with the humbler life of the people,Ⓐalteration in the MS he was all afire with the novelty of the thing in a minute, and was bound to take a chance in the adventure himself—nothing should stop him—he would drop everything and go along—it was the prettiest idea he had run across for many a day. He wanted to glide out the back way and start at once; but I showed him that that wouldn’t answer. You see, he was billed for the king’s-evilⒺexplanatory note—to touch for it, I mean—and it wouldn’t be right to disappoint the house; and it wouldn’t make a delay worth considering, anyway, it was only a one-night stand. And I thought he ought to tell the queen he was going away. He clouded up at that, and looked sad.Ⓐemendation I was sorry I had spoken, especially when he said mournfully:

“Thou forgettest that Launcelot is here; and where Launcelot is, she noteth not the going forth of the king, nor what day he returneth.”

Of course I changed the subject. Yes, GueneverⒶemendation was beautiful, it is true, but take her all around she was pretty slack. I never meddled in these matters, [begin page 299] they weren’t my affair, but I did hate to see the way things were going on, and I don’t mind saying that much. Many’s the time she had asked me, “Sir Boss, hast seen Sir Launcelot about?” but if ever she went frettingⒶalteration in the MS around for the king I didn’tⒶalteration in the MS happen to be aroundⒶalteration in the MS at the time.

X

“where launcelot is, she noteth not the going forth of the king.”

There was a very good layout for the king’s-evilⒶemendation business—very tidy and creditable. The king sat under a canopy of state, and aboutⒶrejected substantive him were clustered a large body of the clergy in full canonicals. Conspicuous, both for location and personal outfit, stood MarinelⒶalteration in the MS, a hermit of the quack doctor species,Ⓐalteration in the MS to introduce the sick. All abroad over the spacious floor, and clear down to the doors, in a thick jumble, lay or sat the scrofulous, under a strong light. It was as good as a tableau; in factⒶalteration in the MS it had all the look of being gotten up for that, though it wasn’t. There were 800 sickⒶalteration in the MS people present. The work was slow; it lackedⒶalteration in the MS the interest of novelty for me, because I had seen the ceremonies beforeⒶemendation; the thing soon became tedious, but the proprieties required me to stick it out. The doctor was there for the reason that in all such crowds there were many people who only imagined something was the matter with them, and many who were consciously sound but wanted the immortal honor of fleshly contact with a king, and yet others who pretended to illness in order to get the piece of coin that went with the touch. Up to this time this coin had been a wee littleⒶalteration in the MS gold piece worth about a third of a dollar. When you consider how much that amount of money would buy, in that age and country, and how usualⒶalteration in the MS it was to be scrofulous, when not dead,Ⓐalteration in the MS you will understand that the annualⒶalteration in the MS king’s-evil appropriation was just the River and Harbor billⒺexplanatory note of that government for the grip it took on the treasury and the chance it afforded for skinning the surplus. So I had privately concluded to touch the treasury itself for the king’s-evil. [begin page 300] I coveredⒶalteration in the MS six-seventhsⒶrejected substantive of the appropriation into the treasury a week before starting from Camelot on my adventures, and ordered that the other seventh be inflated into five-cent nickels and delivered into the hands of the head clerk of the King’s-Evil Department; a nickel to take the place of each gold coin, you see, and do its work for it. It might strain the nickel some, but I judged it could stand it. As a rule, I do not approve of watering stock, but I considered it square enough in this case, for it was just a gift, anyway. Of course you can water a gift as much as you want to; and I generally do.Ⓐalteration in the MS The oldⒶalteration in the MS gold and silver coins of the country were of ancient and unknown origin, as a rule, butⒶemendation some of them were Roman; they were ill shapen, and seldom rounder than a moon that is a week past the full;Ⓐalteration in the MS they were hammered, not minted, and they were so worn with use that the devices upon them were as illegible as blisters, and looked like them. I judged that a sharp, bright new nickel, with a first-rate likeness of the king on one side of it and GueneverⒶemendation on the other, and a blooming pious motto,Ⓐalteration in the MS would take the tuck out of scrofula as handyⒶalteration in the MS as a nobler coin and please the scrofulous fancy more; and I was right. This batch was the first it was tried onⒶalteration in the MS, and it worked to a charm. The saving in expense was a notable economy. You will see that, by these figures: We touched a trifle over 700 of the 800 patientsⒶalteration in the MS; at former rates, this would have cost the government about $240Ⓐalteration in the MS; at the new rate we pulledⒶalteration in the MS through for about $35, thus saving upwardsⒶrejected substantive of $200 at one swoop. To appreciate the full magnitude of this stroke, consider these other figures: the annual expenses of a national government amountⒶalteration in the MS to the equivalent of a contribution of threeⒶalteration in the MSdays’ (average)Ⓐalteration in the MS wages of every individual of the population, counting every individual as if he were a man. If you take a nation of 60,000,000, where average wages are $2 perⒶemendation day, three days’ wages taken from each individual will provideⒶemendation $360,000,000 and pay the government’s expenses. In my day, in my own country, this money was collected from imposts, and the citizen imagined that the foreign importerⒶalteration in the MS paid it, and it made him comfortable to think so; whereas, in fact, it was paid by the American people and was so equally andⒶalteration in the MS exactly distributed among them,Ⓐalteration in the MS that the annual cost to the 100-millionaire and the annual cost to the sucking child of the day laborer was preciselyⒶalteration in the MS the same—each paid $6. Nothing could be equaler than that, I reckon. Well, Scotland and Ireland were tributary to Arthur, and the united popu- [begin page 301] lations of the British islands amounted to something less than 1,000,000. A mechanic’sⒶalteration in the MS average wage was 3Ⓐalteration in the MS cents a day, when he paid his own keep. By this rule, the national government’s expenses were $90,000 a year, or about $250 a day. Thus, by theⒶalteration in the MS substitutionⒶalteration in the MS of nickels for gold on a king’s-evil day, I not only injured no one, dissatisfied no oneⒶalteration in the MS, but pleased all concerned andⒶalteration in the MS saved four-fifths of that day’s national expense into the bargainⒶalteration in the MS—a saving which would have been the equivalent of $800,000Ⓐemendation in my day in America. In making this substitution I had drawn upon the wisdom of a very remote source—the wisdom of my boyhood—forⒶalteration in the MS the true statesman does not despise any wisdom, howsoever lowly may be its origin: in my boyhood I had always saved my penniesⒶemendation, and contributed buttons to the foreign missionary cause. The buttons would answer the ignorant savage as well as the coin, the coin would answer me better than the buttons; all hands were happyⒶemendation, and nobody hurt.Ⓐalteration in the MS

X

“hast seen sir launcelot about?”

Marinel took the patients as they came. He examined the candidate; if he couldn’t qualify, he was warned off; if he could, he was passed alongⒶemendation, to the king. A priest pronounced the words, “They shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Then the king stroked the ulcers, while the reading continued; finally, the patient graduated andⒶalteration in the MS got his nickel—the king hangingⒶemendation it around his neck himself—and was dismissed. Would you think that that would cure? It certainly did. Any mummery will cure, if the patient’s faith is strong in it. Up by Astolat there was a chapel where the Virgin had once appeared to a girl who used to herd geese around there—the girl said so herself—and they built the chapel upon that spot and hung a picture inⒶtextual note it representing the occurrence—a picture which you would think it dangerous for a sick person to approach; whereas on the contrary, thousands of the lame and the sick came and prayed before it every year and went away whole and sound;Ⓔexplanatory note and even the well could look upon it and live. Of course when I was told these things, I did not believe them; but when I went there and saw them I had to succumb. I saw the cures effected myself; and they were real cures and not questionable. I saw cripples whom I had seen around Camelot for years on crutches, arrive and pray before that picture, and put down their crutches and walk off without a limp. There were piles of crutches there which had been left by such people as a testimony.

In other places people operated on a patient’s mind, without saying a word to him, and cured him. In others, experts assembled patients in a room and prayed over them, and appealed to their faith, and those patients went away cured. Wherever you find a king who can’t cure the king’s-evil, you can be sure that the most valuable superstition that supports his throneⒶalteration in the MS—the subjectⒶalteration in the MS’s belief in the divine appointment of his sovereignⒶalteration in the MS—has passed awayⒶalteration in the MS. In my youth the monarchs of England had ceased to touch for the evil, but thereⒶalteration in the MS was no occasion for this diffidence: they could have cured it forty-nine times in fifty.

Well, when the priest had been droning for three hours, and the good king polishing the evidences, and the sick were still pressing forward as plenty as ever, I got to feeling intolerably bored. I was sitting by an open window not far from the canopy of state. For the five hundredth time a patient stood forward to have his repulsive- [begin page 303] nesses stroked; again those words were beingⒶalteration in the MS droned out, “They shall lay their hands on the sick—” when outside there rang clear as a clarion a note that enchantedⒶalteration in the MS my soul and tumbled thirteen worthless centuries about my ears: “Camelot Weekly Hosannah and Literary Ⓐalteration in the MS Volcano! Ⓐemendation—latest irruption—only two cents—all about the big miracle in the Valley of Holiness!” One greater than kings had arrived—the newsboy. But I was the only person in all that throng who knew the meaning of this mightyⒶemendation birth, and what this imperial magician was come into the world to do.

I dropped a nickel out of the window and got my paper; the Adam newsboyⒶemendation of the world went around the corner to get my change; is around the corner yet. It was delicious to see a newspaper again, yet I was conscious of a secret shockⒶalteration in the MS when my eye fell upon the first batch of display head-lines. I had lived in a clammy atmosphere of reverence, respect, deference, so long, that they sent a quivery little cold wave through me:

[See the newspaper clipping reproduced from the first edition.]

HIGH TIMES IN THE VALLEY
OF HOLINESS!

THE WATER-WORKS CORKED!

brer merlin Ⓐemendation works his arts, ¶but gets
Left!

But the Boss scores on his first Innings!

The Miraculous Well Uncorked Ⓐemendation amid
awful outbursts of
INFERNAL FIRE AND SMOKE
AND THUNDER!

the buzzard-roost astonished Ⓐemendation!

UNPARALLELEDⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation REJOIBINGSⒶemendation!Ⓐtextual note

—and so-on, and so-onⒶemendation. Yes, it was too loud. Once I could have en- [begin page 304] joyed it and seen nothing out of the way about it, but now its note was discordant. It was good Arkansas journalism, but this was not Arkansas. Moreover, the next to the last line was calculated to give offenceⒶemendation to the hermits, and perhaps lose us their advertising. Indeed, thereⒶalteration in the MS was too lightsome a tone of flippancy all through the paper. It was plain I had undergone a considerable change without noticing it. I found myself unpleasantly affected by pert littleⒶalteration in the MS irreverenciesⒶrejected substantive whichⒶalteration in the MS would have seemed but proper and airy graces of speech at an earlier period inⒶrejected substantive my life. There was an abundance of the following breedⒶalteration in the MS of itemsⒶemendation, and they discomfortedⒶalteration in the MS me:

[See the newspaper clipping reproduced from the first edition.]

Local Smoke Ⓐalteration in the MS and Cinders Ⓐemendation.

Sir Launcelot met up with old King
Agrivance of Ireland unexpectedly last
weok over on the moor south of Sir
BalmoralleⒶalteration in the MS Merveilleuse’s hog pasture.Ⓐalteration in the MS
The widow has been notified.
Expedition No. 3 will start aboutⒶalteration in the MS the
first of next mgnth on a search f8r Sir
Sagramour le Desirous. It is in com-
and of the renownedⒶalteration in the MS Knight of the Red
Lawns, assisstedⒶalteration in the MS by Sir Persant of Inde,
who is compete9t, intelligent, courte-
ous, and in every way a brick, and fur-
ther assisted by Sir Palamides the Sara-
cen, who is no huckleberryⒶemendation himself.
This is no picnic, these boys mean
busine&s.
The readers of the Hosannah will re-
gret to learn that the hadndsome and
popular Sir Charolais of Gaul, who dur-
ing his four weeks stay at the Bull and
Halibut, this city has won every heart
by his polished manners and elegant
c¶nversation, will pull out to-day for
home. Give us another call, Charley!
The bdsiness end of theⒶalteration in the MS funeral of
the late Sir Dalliance the duke’s son of
Cornwall, killed in an encounter with
the Giant of the Knotted Bludgeon last
[begin page 305]
Tuesday on the borders of the Plain of
Enchantment was in the hands the
ever affable and efficient Mumble,
prince of Un3ertakers, than whom there
exists none by whom it were a more
satisfying pleasure to haveⒶalteration in the MS the last sad
offices performed. Give him a trial.
The cordialⒶalteration in the MS thanks of theⒶalteration in the MS Hosannah
office are due, from editor down to
devil, to the ever courteous and thought-
ful Lord HighⒶalteration in the MS Steward of the Palace’s
Third Assistant ValetⒶalteration in the MS for several sau-
ce†s of ice cream a quality calculated
to make the of the recipients hu-
mid with and it done it.
When this administration wants to
chalk up a desirable name for early
promotion, the Hosannah would like a
chance to sudgest.
The DemoiselleⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS Irene Dewlap, of
South Astolat,Ⓐalteration in the MS is visiting her uncle, the
popular host of the Cattlemen’s Board-
ing Ho&se, Liver Lane, this city.
Young Barker the bellows-mender is
hoMe again, and looks much improved
by his vacation round-up among the
out-lyingⒶemendation smithies. See his ad.Ⓐtextual note

Of course it was good enough journalism for a beginning; I knew that quite well, and yet it was somehow disappointing. The “Court Circular” pleased me better; indeed its simple and dignified respectfulness was a distinct refreshment to me after all thoseⒶalteration in the MS disgracefulⒶemendation familiarities. But even it could have been improved. Do what one may, there is no getting an air of variety into a court circular, I acknowledge that. There is a profound monotonousness about its facts that baffles and defeats one’s sincerest efforts to make them sparkle and enthuse. The best way to manageⒶalteration in the MS—in fact the only sensibleⒶalteration in the MS way—is to disguise repetitiousness of fact under varietyⒶalteration in the MS of form: skinⒶalteration in the MS your fact, each time, and lay on a new cuticle of words. It deceivesⒶemendation the eye; you think it is a new fact; it gives you the idea that the [begin page 306] court is carrying on like everything; this excites you, and you drain the whole column, with a good appetite, and perhaps never notice that it’s a barrel of soup made out of a singleⒶalteration in the MS bean. Clarence’s way was good, it was simple, it was dignified, it was direct and business-likeⒶalteration in the MS; all I say is, it was not the best way:

X

Ⓐtextual note

However, take the paper by and large, I was vastly pleased with it. Little crudities of a mechanical sort wereⒶalteration in the MS observable here and there, but there were not enough of them to amount to anything, and it was good enough Arkansas proof-reading, anyhow, and better than was needed in Arthur’s day and realm. As a ruleⒶalteration in the MS, the grammar was leaky and the construction more or less lame;Ⓐalteration in the MS but I did not much mind these things. They are common defects of my own, and one mustn’t criticise other people on grounds where he can’t stand perpendicular himself.

X

“it was delicious to see a newspaper again.”

I was hungry enough for literature to want to take down the whole paper at this one meal, but I got only a few bites, and then had to postponeⒶalteration in the MS, because the monks around me besieged me so with eager questions: What is this curious thing? What is it for? Is it a handkerchief?—saddle blanket?—part of a shirt? What is it made of? How thin it isⒶalteration in the MS; and how dainty and frail; and how it rattles. Will it wear, do you think, and won’t the [begin page 307] rain injure it? Is it writing that appears on it, or is it only ornamentation? They suspected it was writing, because those among them who knewⒶalteration in the MS how to read Latin and had a smattering of Greek, recognized some of the lettersⒶemendation, but they could make nothing out of the result as a wholeⒶemendation. I put my information in the simplest form I could:

X

solid comfort.

“It is a public journal; I will explain what that is, another time. It is not cloth, it is made of paper; some time I will explain what paper is. The lines on it are reading-matter; and not written by handⒶalteration in the MS, but printed; by and by, I will explain what printing is. A thousand of these sheets have been made, andⒶrejected substantive allⒶalteration in the MS exactly like this, in every minute detail—they can’t be told apart.” Then they all broke out with exclamations of surprise and admiration:Ⓐemendation

“A thousand! Verily a mighty work—a year’s work for many men.”

“No—merely a day’s work for a man and a boy.”

They crossed themselves, and whiffed out a protective prayer or two.

“Ah-h---Ⓐalteration in the MSa miracle, a wonder! Dark work of enchantmentⒶalteration in the MS.”

I let it go at that. Then I read in a low voice, to as many as could crowd their shaven heads within hearing distance, part of the account of the miracle of the restoration of the well, and was accompanied by astonished and reverent ejaculations all through: “Ah-h-h!” “How true!” “Amazing, amazing!” “These be the very haps as they happened, in marvelous exactness!” And might they take this strange thing in their handsⒶemendation, and feel of it and examine it?—they would be very careful. Yes. So they took it, handling it as cautiously and devoutlyⒶalteration in the MS as if it had been some holy thing come from some supernatural region; and gently felt of its texture, caressed its pleasant smooth surfaceⒶalteration in the MS with lingering touch, and scanned the mysterious characters with fascinated eyes. These grouped bent heads, these charmed faces, these speaking eyes—how beautiful to me! For was not this my darling, and was not all thisⒶalteration in the MS muteⒶalteration in the MS wonder and interest and homage a most eloquent tribute and unforced compliment to itⒶalteration in the MS? I knew, then, how a mother feels when women, whetherⒶalteration in the MS strangers or friends, take her new baby, and closeⒶalteration in the MS themselves about it with one eagerⒶalteration in the MS impulse, and bend their heads over it in a tranced adoration that makes all the rest of the universe vanish outⒶalteration in the MS of their consciousness and be as if it were not, for that time. I knew how she feels, and that there is no other satisfied ambition, whether of king, conqueror or poet, that ever reaches half way to that serene far summit or yields half so divine a contentment.

During all the rest of the séanceⒶemendation my paper traveled from group to group all up and down and about that huge hall, and my happy eye was upon it always, and I sat motionless, steeped in satisfaction, drunk with enjoyment. Yes, this was heaven; I was tasting it once, if I might never taste it more.