| | 1 | Author: | Twain
Mark
1835-1910 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | A book for an hour  | | | | Published: | 2003 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 | UVA-LIB-EarlyAmFict1789-1875 | | | | Description: | CONTAINING A MORAL. “ `Gentlemen,—What the mischief do you
suppose you want with a post-office
at Baldwin's Ranch? It would not do you any good. If any letters came there,
you
could'nt read them, you know; and, besides, such letters as ought to pass
through
with money in them, for other localities, would not be likely to get through, you must
perceive at once; and that would make trouble for us all. No, don't bother about
a
post-office in your camp. I have your best interests at heart, and feel that it
would
only be an ornamental folly. What you want is a nice jail, you know—a nice
substantial
jail and a free school. These will be a lasting benefit to you.
These will make
you really contented and happy. I will move in the matter at once. Gentlemen,—You will have to go to the State
Legislature about that speculation of
yours—Congress don't know anything about religion. But don't you hurry to
go there,
either; because this thing you propose to do out in that new country isn't
expedient—in
fact, it is ridiculous. Your religious people there are too feeble, in
intellect, in morality,
in piety—in everything, pretty much. You had better drop this—you
can't make it work.
You can't issue stock on an incorporation like that—or if you could, it
would only keep
you in trouble all the time. The other denominations would abuse it, and
“bear” it,
and “sell it short,” and break it down. They would do with it just
as they would with
one of your silvermines out there—they would try to make all the world
believe it was
“wildcat.” You ought not to do anything that is calculated to bring
a sacred thing into
disrepute. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves—that is what
I think about it.
You close your petition with the words: `And we will ever pray.' I think you
had
better—you need to do it. “ `Gentlemen,—George Washington, the
revered Father of his Country, is dead.
His long and brilliant career is closed, alas! for ever. He was greatly
respected in this
section of the country, and his untimely decease cast a gloom over the whole
community.
He died on the 14th day of December, 1799. He passed peacefully away from the
scene
of his honors and his great achievements, the most lamented hero and the best
beloved
that ever earth hath yielded unto Death. At such a time as this you speak of
water-lots!
—what a lot was his! “ `Gentlemen,—It is a delicate question
about this Indian trail, but, handled with
proper deftness and dubiousness, I doubt not we shall succeed in some measure or
otherwise,
because the place where the route leaves the Lassen Meadows, over
beyond where
those two Shawnee chiefs, Dilapidated-Vengeance and Biter-of-the-Clouds, were
scalped
last winter, this being the favorite direction to some, but others preferring
something else
in consequence of things, the Mormon trail leaving Mosby's at three in the
morning, and
passing through Jawbone Flat to Blucher, and then down by Jug-Handle, the road
passing
to the right of it, and naturally leaving it on the right too, and
Dawson's on the
left of the trail where it passes to the left of said Dawson's, and onward
thence to
Tomahawk, thus making the route cheaper, easier of access to all who can get at
it and
compassing all the desirable objects so considered by others, and, therefore,
conferring
the most good upon the greatest number, and, consequently, I am encouraged to
hope
we shall. However, I shall be ready, and happy, to afford you still futher information
upon the subject, from to time, as you may desire it and the Post
Office Department
be enabled to furnish it to me. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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