MARK TWAIN'S SKETCHES. 



Upon one occasion the brothers fell out about something, and Chang knocked 

 Eng down, and then tripped and fell on him, whereupon both clinched and. 

 began to beat and gouge each other without mercy. The bystanders interferred, 

 and tried to separate them, but they could not do it, and so allowed them to 

 fight it out. In the end both were disabled, and were carried to the hospital on 

 one and the same shutter. 



Their ancient habit of going always together had its drawbacks when they 

 reached man's estate, and entered upon the luxury of courting. Both fell in 

 love with the same girl. Each tried to steal clandestine interviews with her, 

 but at the critical moment the other would always turn up. By and by Eng 

 saw, with distraction, that Chang had won the girl's affections ; and, from that 

 day forth, he had to bear with the agony of being a witness to all their dainty 

 billing and cooing. But with a magnanimity that did him infinite credit, he 

 succumbed to his fate, and gave countenance and encouragement to a state of. 

 things that bade fair to sunder his generous heart-strings. He sat from seven 

 every evening until two .in the morning, listening to the fond foolishness of the 

 two lovers, and to the concussion of hundreds of squandered kisses — for the 

 privilege of sharing only one of which he would have given his right hand. 

 But he sat patiently, and waited, and gaped, and yawned, and stretched, and 

 longed for two o'clock to come. And he took long walks with the lovers on 

 moonlight evenings — sometimes traversing ten miles, notwithstanding he was 

 usually suffering from rheumatism. He is an inveterate smoker; but he could 

 not smoke on these occasions, because the young lady was painfully sensitiveto the 

 smell of tobacco. Eng cordially wanted them married, and done with it; but 

 although Chang often asked the momentous question, the young lady could not 

 gather sufficient courage to answer it while Eng was by. However, on one 

 occasion, after having walked some sixteen miles, and sat up till nearly daylight, 

 Eng dropped asleep, from sheer exhaustion, and then the question was asked 

 and answered. The lovers were married. All acquainted with the circumstance 

 applauded the noble brother-in-law. His unwavering faithfulness was the theme 

 of every tongue. He had stayed by them all through their long and arduous 

 courtship; and when at last they were married, he lifted his hands above 



