74 MARK TWAIN'S SKETCHES. 



accompanying poem have just come to hand from the rich gold-mining region of 

 Sonora : — 



To Mr. Mark Twain: The within parson, which I have set to poetry under the name and style 

 <rf " He Done His Level Best," was one among the whitest men I ever see, and it an't every man 

 that knowed him that can find it in his heart to say he's glad the poor cuss is busted and gone 

 home to the States. He was here in an early day, and he was the handyest man about takin' holt 

 of anything that come along you most ever see, I judge. He was a cheerful, stirrin' cretur, 

 always doin' somethin', and no man can say he ever see him do anything by halvers. Preachin' 

 was his nateral gait, but he warn't a man to lay back and twidle his thumbs because there didn't 

 happen to be nothin' doin' in his own especial line — no, sir, he was a man who would meander 

 forth and stir up something for hisself. His last acts was to go his pile on " kings-3«(/" (calklatin' 

 to fill, but which he didn't fill), when there was a " flush " out agin him, and naterally, you see, he 

 went under. And so he was cleaned out, as you may say, and he struck the home-trail, cheerful 

 but flat broke. I knowed this talonted man in Arkansaw, and if you would print this humbly 

 tribute to his gorgis abilities, you would greatly obleege his onhappy friend. 



HE DONE HIS LEVEL BEST. 



Was he a mining on the flat — 



He done it with a zest ; 

 Was he a leading of the choir — 



He done his level best. 



If he'd a reg'lar task to do, 



He never took no rest ; 

 Or if 'twas off'-and-on — the same — 



He done his level best. 



If he was preachin' on his beat. 



He'd tramp from east to west. 

 And north to south — in cold and heat 



He done his level best. 



He'd yank a sinner outen (Hades), * 



And land him with the blest ; 

 Then snatch a prayer'n waltz in again, 



And do his level best. 



* Here I have taken a slight liberty with the original MS. " Hades " does not make such good 

 metre as the other word of one syllable, but it sounds better. 



