File:Mark Twain - a biography - the personal and literary life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1912) (14760819201).jpg

Identifier: marktwainbiograp2pain (find matches)
Title: Mark Twain : a biography : the personal and literary life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Paine, Albert Bigelow, 1861-1937 Roy J. Friedman Mark Twain Collection (Library of Congress) DLC
Subjects: Twain, Mark, 1835-1910 Humorists, American Authors, American Journalists
Publisher: New York : Harper & Bros.
Contributing Library: Brigham Young University-Idaho, David O. McKay Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University-Idaho

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its adoption. Even in a letter to Mrs. Howellshe could not forget his new possession: And speaking of Howells, he ought to use the stylographicpen, the best fountain-pen yet invented; he ought to, but ofcourse he wont—a blamed old sodden-headed conservative—but you see yourself what a nice, clean, uniform MS. it makes. And at the same time to Twichell: I am writing with a stylographic pen. It takes a royal amountof cussing to make the thing go the first few days or a week,but by that time the dullest ass gets the hang of the thing, andafter that no enrichments of expression are required, and saidass finds the stylographic a geniune Gods blessing. I carryone in each breeches pocket, and both loaded. Id give youone of them if I had you where I could teach you how to use it—not otherwise. For the average ass flings the thing out of thewindow in disgust the second day, believing it hath no virtue,no merit of any sort; whereas the lack lieth in himself, God ofhis mercy damn him. 688
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SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS ABOUT l88o COPYRIGHT AND OTHER FANCIES It was not easy to withstand Mark Twains enthusiasm.Howells, Twichell, and Dr. Brown were all presentlystruggling and swearing (figuratively) over their stylo-graphic pens, trying to believe that salvation lay in theirconquest. But in the midst of one letter, at last, Howellsbroke down, seized his old steel weapon, and wrotesavagely: No white man ought to use a stylographicpen, anyhow! Then, with the more ancient implement,continued in a calmer spirit. It was only a little later that Clemens himself wrote: You see I am trying a new pen. I stood the stylograph aslong as I could, and then retired to the pencil. The thing I amtrying now is that fountain-pen which is advertised to employand accommodate itself to any kind of pen. So I selected anordinary gold pen—a limber one—and sent it to New Yorkand had it cut and fitted to this thing. It goes very well indeed—thus far; but doubtless the devil will be in it by to-mor-

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