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which； he believed； would prove his real entrance to the literary world。
The vessel lay almost perfectly still； day after day； and became a
regular playground at sea。 Sundays they had services and Mark Twain led
the choir。
〃I hope they will have a better opinion of our music in heaven than I
have down here；〃 he says in his notes。 〃If they don't； a thunderbolt
will knock this vessel endways。〃 It is perhaps worthy of mention that on
the night of the 27th of July he records having seen another 〃splendidly
colored； lunar rainbow。〃 That he regarded this as an indication of
future good…fortune is not surprising； considering the events of the
previous year。
It was August 13th when he reached San Francisco； and the note…book entry
of that day says：
Home again。 Nonot home againin prison again； end all the wild
sense of freedom gone。 The city seems so cramped and so dreary with
toil and care and business anxiety。 God help me； I wish I were at
sea again！
There were compensations； however。 He went over to Sacramento； and was
abundantly welcomed。 It was agreed that； in addition to the twenty
dollars allowed for each letter； a special bill should be made for the
Hornet report。
〃How much do you think it ought to be； Mark？〃 James Anthony asked。
〃Oh； I'm a modest man； I don't want the whole Union office。 Call it 100
a column。〃
There was a general laugh。 The bill was made out at that figure； and he
took it to the business office for payment。
〃The cashier didn't faint；〃 he wrote； many years later； 〃but he came
rather near it。 He sent for the proprietors； and they only laughed in
their jolly fashion； and said it was a robbery； but 'no matter； pay it。
It's all right。' The best men that ever owned a newspaper。〃 ＇〃My Debut
as a Literary Person。〃Collected works。＇
Though inferior to the descriptive writing which a year later would give
him a world…wide fame； the Sandwich Island letters added greatly to his
prestige on the Pacific coast。 They were convincing； informing； tersely
even eloquentlydescriptive； with a vein of humor adapted to their
audience。 Yet to read them now； in the fine nonpareil type in which they
were set； is such a wearying task that one can only marvel at their
popularity。 They were not brilliant literature； by our standards to…day。
Their humor is usually of a muscular kind； varied with grotesque
exaggerations； the literary quality is pretty attenuated。 Here and there
are attempts at verse。 He had a fashion in those days of combining two
or more poems with distracting； sometimes amusing； effect。 Examples of
these dislocations occur in the Union letters； a single stanza will
present the general idea：
The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold；
The turf with their bayonets turning；
And his cohorts were gleaming with purple and gold；
And our lanterns dimly burning。
Only a trifling portion of the letters found their way into his Sandwich
Island chapters of 'Roughing It'； five years later。 They do； however；
reveal a sort of transition stage between the riotous florescence of the
Comstock and the mellowness of his later style。 He was learning to see
things with better eyes； from a better point of view。 It is not
difficult to believe that this literary change of heart was in no small
measure due to the influence of Anson Burlingame。
End