Springfield Weekly Republican

TWAIN, HALSTEAD AND A CLEAN SHIRT.

[Interview in New York World.]

"You sailed on the same ship with Murat Halstead of Cincinnati, did you not, Mr. Twain?"

"The same craft, all honor to her (Mr. Twain lifted his hat reverently) carried us."

"It was said at the time that you inveigled Mr. Halstead into making the voyage by promising him free use of your linen?"

"Well"—Mr. Twain spoke leisurely—"I did tell Murat that I'd lend him a clean shirt. You see, he didn't expect to go. His wife was going and he'd sort of come down to see her safely launched. You remember the ship ran away with a party of excursionists who had got aboard to bid poor Mr. Taylor good-by and was obliged to anchor off the Hook all night. During the evening Murat sort of got his sea-legs on and says he, 'Clemens' (he always calls me Clemons), says he, 'Clemens, if you'll lend me a shirt believe I'll go across.' 'All right,' says I, 'I'll do it.' So Murat he fixed things with the captain and stayed aboard. We got along pretty well with winds a-middling, about nor-norwest by sou, till we come to latitude 36, longitude 49 1/2, and then Murat wanted his clean shirt—that is, he wanted mine. It was about three bells from noon when I took that garment to the door of Murat's state-room. 'Here,' says I, 'clothe yourself like a prince of the realm.' At eight bells Mr. Halstead came out of his apartment with his coat buttoned up to his chin and his face as red as a red, red rose. He wore his coat buttoned up to his chin all the rest of the voyage, and I never so much as got a glimpse of my shirt. There was a kind of rumor on the ship that Murat never wore that shirt or any other shirt. I don't know how true it was, but when I came to study the thing it did look to me as if I'd put a rather tough problem to the editor of the Cincinnati Commercial, for his neck measures 18 inches, while mine never footed up more than 15, even when I had the mumps."