-known California desperado, who would be speedily arrested and
brought to Ponkapog to face his victim. This letter was signed "T.
Bayleigh, Chief of Police," and on the outside of the envelope there was
a statement that it would be useless for that person to send any more
mail-matter, as the post-office had been blown up. The jolly farce
closed there. It was the sort of thing that both men enjoyed.

Aldrich was writing a story at this time which contained some Western
mining incident and environment. He sent the manuscript to Clemens for
"expert" consideration and advice. Clemens wrote him at great length and
in careful detail. He was fond of Aldrich, regarding him as one of the
most brilliant of men. Once, to Robert Louis Stevenson, he said:

"Aldrich has never had his peer for prompt and pithy and witty and
humorous sayings. None has equaled him, certainly none has
surpassed him, in the felicity of phrasing with which he clothed
these children of his fancy. Aldrich is always brilliant; he can't
help it; he is a fire-opal set round with rose diamonds; when he is
not speaking you know that his dainty fancies are twinkling and
glimmering around in him; when he speaks the diamonds flash. Yes,
he is always brilliant, he will always be brilliant; he will be
brilliant in hell-you will see."

Stevenson, smiling a chuckly smile, said, "I hope not."

"Well, you will, and he will dim even those ruddy fires and look like
a transfigured Adonis backed against a pink sunset."--[North American
Review, September, 1906.]

C. RAYMOND, MENTAL TELEGRAPHY, ETC.

The Sellers play was given in Hartford, in January (1875), to as many
people as could crowd into the Opera House. Raymond had reached the
perfection of his art by that time, and the townsmen of Mark Twain saw
the play and the actor at their best. Kate Field played the part of
Laura Hawkins, and there was a Hartford girl in the company; also
a Hartford young man, who would one day be about as well known to
playgoers as any playwright or actor that America has produced. His
name was William Gillette, and it was largely due to Mark Twain that
the author of Secret Service and of the dramatic "Sherlock Holmes" got
a fair public start. Clemens and his wife loaned Gillette the three
thousand dollars which tided him through his period of dramatic
education. Their faith in his ability was justified.

Hartford would naturally be enthusiastic