ful thought and
investigation. Write to the American Publishing Company at Hartford and
see what they will do for you."

But Grant demurred. He said that, while no arrangements had been made
with the Century Company, he thought it only fair and right that they
should have the book on reasonable terms; certainly on terms no greater
than he could obtain elsewhere. He said that, all things being equal,
the book ought to go to the man who had first suggested it to him.

Clemens spoke up: "General, if that is so, it belongs to me."

Grant did not understand until Clemens recalled to him how he had urged
him, in that former time, to write his memoirs; had pleaded with him,
agreeing to superintend the book's publication. Then he said:

"General, I am publishing my own book, and by the time yours is ready
it is quite possible that I shall have the best equipped subscription
establishment in the country. If you will place your book with
my firm--and I feel that I have at least an equal right in the
consideration--I will pay you twenty per cent. of the list price, or, if
you prefer, I will give you seventy per cent. of the net returns and I
will pay all office expenses out of my thirty per cent."

General Grant was really grieved at this proposal. It seemed to him
that here was a man who was offering to bankrupt himself out of pure
philanthropy--a thing not to be permitted. He intimated that he had
asked the Century Company president, Roswell Smith, a careful-headed
business man, if he thought his book would pay as well as Sherman's,
which the Scribners had published at a profit to Sherman of twenty-five
thousand dollars, and that Smith had been unwilling to guarantee that
amount to the author.--[Mark Twain's note-book, under date of March,
1885, contains this memorandum: "Roswell Smith said to me: 'I'm glad you
got the book, Mr. Clemens; glad there was somebody with courage enough
to take it, under the circumstances. What do you think the General
wanted to require of me?'

"'He wanted me to insure a sale of twenty-five thousand sets of his
book. I wouldn't risk such a guarantee on any book that was ever
published.'"

Yet Roswell Smith, not so many years later, had so far enlarged his
views of subscription publishing that he fearlessly and successfully
invested a million dollars or more in a dictionary, regardless of the
fact that the market was already thought to be supplied.]

Clemens said:

"General, I have my check