“Hoping that you are better,

J. H. T.”

Twichell’s “only a translation” has acquired a certain humor with time.

CXVI

OFF FOR GERMANY

The German language became one of the interests of the Clemens home during the early months of 1878.  The Clemenses had long looked forward to a sojourn in Europe, and the demand for another Mark Twain book of travel furnished an added reason for their going.  They planned for the spring sailing, and to spend a year or more on the Continent, making their headquarters in Germany.  So they entered into the study of the language with an enthusiasm and perseverance that insured progress.  There was a German nurse for the children, and the whole atmosphere of the household presently became lingually Teutonic.  It amused Mark Twain, as everything amused him, but he was a good student; he acquired a working knowledge of the language in an extraordinarily brief time, just as in an earlier day he had picked up piloting.  He would never become a German scholar, but his vocabulary and use of picturesque phrases, particularly those that combined English and German words, were often really startling, not only for their humor, but for their expressiveness.

Necessarily the new study would infect his literature.  He conceived a plan for making Captain Wakeman (Stormfield) come across a copy of Ollendorf in Heaven, and proceed to learn the language of a near-lying district.

They arranged to sail early in April, and, as on their former trip, persuaded Miss Clara Spaulding, of Elmira, to accompany them.  They wrote to the Howellses, breaking the news of the journey, urging them to come to Hartford for a good-by visit.  Howells and his wife came.  The Twichells, Warners, and other Hartford friends paid repeated farewell calls.  The furniture was packed, the rooms desolated, the beautiful home made ready for closing.

They were to have pleasant company on the ship.  Bayard Taylor, then recently appointed Minister to Germany, wrote that he had planned to sail on the same vessel; Murat Halstead’s wife and daughter were listed among the passengers.  Clemens made a brief speech at Taylor’s “farewell dinner.”

The “Mark Twain” party, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Clemens, Miss Spaulding, little Susy and Clara ("Bay"), and a nurse-maid, Rosa, sailed on the Holsatia, April 11, 1878.  Bayard Taylor and the Halstead ladies also sailed, as per program; likewise Murat Halstead himself, for whom no program had been made.  There was a storm outside, and the Holsatia anchored down the bay to wait until the worst was over.  As the weather began to moderate Halstead and others came down in a tug for a final word of good-by.  When the tug left, Halstead somehow managed to get overlooked, and was presently on his way across the ocean with only such wardrobe as he had on, and what Bayard Taylor, a large man like himself, was willing to lend him.  Halstead was accused of having intentionally allowed himself to be left behind, and his case did have a suspicious look; but in any event they were glad to have him along.