Mark Twain's Speeches

PREFACE FROM THE PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION OF "NIARK TWAIN'S SKETCHES" IF I were to sell the reader a barrel of molasses, and he, instead of sveetening his substantial dinner with the same at judicious intervals, should eat the entire barrel at one sitting, and then abuse me for making him sick, I would say that he deserved to be made sick for not knoving any better hov to utilize the blessings this ,vorld affords. And if I sell to the reader this volume of nonsense, and he, instead of seasoning his graver reading with a chapter of it now and then, when his mind demands such relaxation, unvisely overdoses himself with several chapters of it at a single sitting, he will deserve to be nauseated, and he ,vill have nobody to blame but himself if he is. There is no more sin in publishing an entire volunle of nonsense than there is in keeping a candy-store with no hardware in it. It lies wholly vith the custon1er 'whether he vill injure himself by mea