This proved to be a true prophecy.  It was only a little while until the British army had experimented with plasmon and adopted it.  MacAlister reported the success of the scheme to Clemens, and out of it grew the story entitled, “Two Little Tales,” published in November of the following year (1901) in the Century Magazine.  Perhaps the reader will remember that in the “Two Little Tales” the Emperor is very ill and the lowest of all his subjects knows a certain remedy, but he cannot seek the Emperor direct, so he wisely approaches him through a series of progressive stages—­finally reaching and curing his stricken Majesty.

Clemens had the courage of his investments.  He adopted plasmon as his own daily food, and induced various members of the family to take it in its more palatable forms, one of these being a preparation of chocolate.  He kept the reading-table by his bed well stocked with a variety of the products and invited various callers to try a complimentary sample lot.  It was really an excellent and harmless diet, and both the company and its patients would seem to have prospered—­perhaps are prospering still.

There was another business opportunity came along just at this time.  S. S. McClure was in England with a proposition for starting a new magazine whose complexion was to be peculiarly American, with Mark Twain as its editor.  The magazine was to be called ‘The Universal’, and by the proposition Clemens was to receive a tenth interest in it for his first year’s work, and an added twentieth interest for each of the two succeeding years, with a guarantee that his shares should not earn him less than five thousand dollars the first year, with a proportionate increase as his holdings grew.

The scheme appealed to Clemens, it being understood in the beginning that he was to give very little time to the work, with the privilege of doing it at his home, wherever that might happen to be.  He wrote of the matter to Mr. Rogers, explaining in detail, and Rogers replied, approving the plan.  Mr. Rogers said he knew that he [Rogers] would have to do most of the work in editing the magazine, and further added: 

One thing I shall insist upon, however, if I have anything to do with the matter, and it is this:  that when you have made up your mind on the subject you will stick to it.  I have not found in your composition that element of stubbornness which is a constant source of embarrassment to me in all friendly and social ways, but which, when applied to certain lines of business, brings in the dollar and fifty-cent pieces.  If you accept the position, of course that means that you have to come to this country.  If you do, the yachting will be a success.

There was considerable correspondence with McClure over the new periodical.  In one letter Clemens set forth his general views of the matter quite clearly: