A TRAMP ABROAD By Mark Twain

that the boy had been so bad that they had been obliged

to use severe punishments, and that he finally fell over

a bench and broke his neck. However, they were arrested

two weeks after the inquest and put in the prison at Deggendorf.”

Yes, they were arrested “two weeks after the inquest.”

What a home sound that has. That kind of police briskness

rather more reminds me of my native land than German

journalism does.

I think a German daily journal doesn’t do any good to

speak of, but at the same time it doesn’t do any harm.

That is a very large merit, and should not be lightly

weighted nor lightly thought of.

The German humorous papers are beautifully printed upon

fine paper, and the illustrations are finely drawn,

finely engraved, and are not vapidly funny, but deliciously so.

So also, generally speaking, are the two or three terse

sentences which accompany the pictures. I remember one

of these pictures: A most dilapidated tramp is ruefully

contemplating some coins which lie in his open palm.

He says: “Well, begging is getting played out. Only about

five marks ($1.25) for the whole day; many an official

makes more!” And I call to mind a picture of a commercial

traveler who is about to unroll his samples:

MERCHANT (pettishly).–NO, don’t. I don’t want to buy anything!

DRUMMER.–If you please, I was only going to show you–

MERCHANT.–But I don’t wish to see them!

DRUMMER (after a pause, pleadingly).–But do you you mind

letting ME look at them! I haven’t seen them for three weeks!