iative.

Truly Yours,
S. L. CLEMENS.

Because Mark Twain amused himself with certain aspects of Christian
Science, and was critical of Mrs. Eddy, there grew up a wide
impression that he jeered at the theory of mental healing; when, as
a matter of fact, he was one of its earliest converts, and never
lost faith in its power. The letter which follows is an excellent
exposition of his attitude toward the institution of Christian
Science and the founder of the church in America.

*****

To J. Wylie Smith, Glasgow, Scotland:

"STORMFIELD," August 7, 1909

DEAR SIR,--My view of the matter has not changed. To wit, that Christian
Science is valuable; that it has just the same value now that it had
when Mrs. Eddy stole it from Quimby; that its healing principle (its
most valuable asset) possesses the same force now that it possessed a
million years ago before Quimby was born; that Mrs. Eddy... organized
that force, and is entitled to high credit for that. Then, with a
splendid sagacity she hitched it to... a religion, the surest of
all ways to secure friends for it, and support. In a fine and lofty
way--figuratively speaking--it was a tramp stealing a ride on the
lightning express. Ah, how did that ignorant village-born peasant
woman know the human being so well? She has no more intellect than a
tadpole--until it comes to business then she is a marvel! Am I sorry I
wrote the book? Most certainly not. You say you have 500 (converts) in
Glasgow. Fifty years from now, your posterity will not count them by the
hundred, but by the thousand. I feel absolutely sure of this.

Very truly yours,
S. L. CLEMENS.

Clemens wrote very little for publication that year, but he enjoyed
writing for his own amusement, setting down the things that boiled,
or bubbled, within him: mainly chapters on the inconsistencies of
human deportment, human superstition and human creeds. The "Letters
from the Earth" referred to in the following, were supposed to have
been written by an immortal visitant from some far realm to a
friend, describing the absurdities of mankind. It is true, as he
said, that they would not do for publication, though certainly the
manuscript contains some of his most