1870
1870.1.471) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: All things are possible with God.
Scripture: But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. -- Matthew 19:26
Work; Date: About Smells; May 1870
Source: http://www.twainquotes.com/Galaxy/187005d.html
1870.2.472-474) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: To all outward seeming, the Rev. T. De Witt Talmage is of the same material as that used in the construction of his early predecessors in the ministry; and yet one feels that there must be a difference somewhere between him and the Savior’s first disciples. It may be because here, in the nineteenth century, Dr. T. has had advantages which Paul and Peter and the others could not and did not have. There was a lack of polish about them, and a looseness of etiquette, and a want of exclusiveness, which one cannot help noticing. They healed the very beggars, and held intercourse with people of a villainous odor every day. If the subject of these remarks had been chosen among the original Twelve Apostles, he would not have associated with the rest, because he could not have stood the fishy smell of some of his comrades who came from around the Sea of Galilee. He would have resigned his commission with some such remark as he makes in the extract quoted above: “Master, if thou art going to kill the church thus with bad smells, I will have nothing to do with this work of evangelization.” He is a disciple, and makes that remark to the Master; the only difference is, that he makes it in the nineteenth instead of the first century.
Scripture: And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? -- John 9:7,8
Scripture: Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. -- Matthew 10:2-4
Scripture: And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. -- Matthew 4:18-20
Work; Date: About Smells; May 1870
Source: http://www.twainquotes.com/Galaxy/187005d.html
1870.3.475) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: Cain is branded a murder so heartily and unanimously in America, only because he was neither a Democrat nor a Republican. The Feejee Islander’s abuse of Cain ceased very suddenly when the white man mentioned casually that Cain was a Feejee Islander. The next remark of the savage, after an awkward pause, was:
“Well, what did Abel come fooling around there for?”
Scripture: And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the filed, that cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. -- Genesis 4:8
Work; Date: From items printed in The Galaxy; May, 1870
Source: http://www.twainquotes.com/Galaxy/187005g.html
1870.4.476) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: My father and mother, my uncle Ephraim and his wife, and one or two others were present, and the conversation turned on a name for me. ... My father said:
“Abraham is a good name. My grandfather was named Abraham.”
My mother said:
“Abraham is a good name. Very well. Let us have Abraham for one of his names.”
I said:
“Abraham suits the subscriber.”
My father frowned, my mother looked pleased; my aunt said:
“What a little darling it is!”
My father said:
“Isaac is a good name, and Jacob is a good name.”
My mother assented, and said:
“No names are better. Let us add Isaac and Jacob to his names.”
I said:
“All right. Isaac and Jacob are good enough for yours truly. Pass me that rattle, if you please. I can’t chew India-rubber rings all day.”
Scripture: And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. -- Exodus 3:15
Work; Date: Wit-Inspirations of the “Two-Year-Olds”; June, 1870
Source: http://www.online-literature.com/twain/3252/
1870.5.477) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: Presently my father said:
“Samuel is a very excellent name.” ... Then I said aloud, in a firm voice:
“Father, I cannot, cannot wear the name of Samuel.”
“My son!”
“Father, I mean it. I cannot.”
“Why?”
“Father, I have an invincible antipathy to that name.”
“My son, this is unreasonable. Many great and good men have been named Samuel.”
“Sir, I have yet to hear of the first instance.”
“What! There was Samuel the prophet. Was not he great and good?”
“Not so very.”
“My son! With His own voice the Lord called him.”
“Yes, sir, and had to call him a couple times before he could come!”
Scripture: And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. -- 1 Samuel 3:1-11
Work; Date: Wit-Inspirations of the “Two-Year-Olds”; June, 1870
Source: http://www.online-literature.com/twain/3252/
1870.6.478) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: Benjamin Franklin did a great many notable things for his country, and made her young name to be honored in many lands as the mother of such a son. It is not the idea of this memoir to ignore that or cover it up. No; the simple idea of it is to snub those pretentious maxims of his, which he worked up with a great show of originality out of truisms that had become wearisome platitudes as early as the dispersion from Babel; and also to snub his stove, and his military inspirations, his unseemly endeavor to make himself conspicuous when he entered Philadelphia, and his flying his kite and fooling away his time in all sorts of such ways, when he ought have been foraging for soap-fat, or constructing candles.
Scripture: Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. -- Genesis 11:9
Work; Date: The Late Benjamin Franklin; July, 1870
Source: https://www.crummy.com/writing/hosted/The%20Late%20Benjamin%20Franklin.html
1870.7.479) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: ...to long hopelessly for one single day’s privacy; to note with a shudder, by and by, that to contemplate his funeral in fancy has ceased to soothe, to imagine him undergoing in strict and fearful detail the tortures of the ancient Inquisition has lost its power to satisfy the heart, and that even to wish him millions and millions and millions of miles in Tophet is able to bring only a fitful gleam of joy;
Scripture: And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. -- Jeremiah 7:31
Work; Date: THE EDITORIAL OFFICE BORE; July, 1870
Source: http://www.twainquotes.com/Galaxy/187007f.html
1870.8.480) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: And indeed, this modern Samson, solitary and alone, with his formidable jaw would have been a more troublesome enemy than five times the Fenians that did invade Canada, because they could be made to retire, but G.F. would never leave the field while there was an audience before him, either armed or helpless.
Scripture: And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. -- Judges 15:16
Work; Date: A DARING ATTEMPT AT A SOLUTION OF IT; July, 1870
Source: http://www.twainquotes.com/Galaxy/187007h.html
1870.9.481) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: I said apocryphal was no slouch of a word, emanating from the source it did, but, philology aside, I liked the spiral-twist and would take that brand. Then he said he could make two hundred and fifty feet answer; but to do it right, and make the best job in town of it, and attract the admiration of the just and the unjust alike, and compel all parties to say they never saw a more symmetrical and hypothetical display of lightning-rods since they were born,
Scripture: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. -- Matthew 5:45
Work; Date: Political Economy; September, 1870
Source: https://inthesetimes.com/rural-america/entry/18642/mark-twain-political-economy
1870.10.482) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: Well, nothing was ever seen like it since the world began. For one whole day and night not a member of my family stuck his head out of the window but he got the hair snatched off it as smooth as a billiard-ball; and; if the reader will believe me, not one of us ever dreamt of stirring abroad.
Scripture: Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, -- Romans 16:25
Work; Date: Political Economy; September, 1870
Source: https://inthesetimes.com/rural-america/entry/18642/mark-twain-political-economy
1870.11.483) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: For sale, for the benefit of the Fund for the Relief of the Widows and Orphans of Deceased Firemen, a Curious Ancient Bedouin pipe procured at the city of Endor in Palestine, and believed to have once belonged to the justly-renowned Witch of Endor.
Scripture: Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? -- 1 Samuel 28:7-9
Work; Date: CURIOUS RELIC FOR SALE; October, 1870
Source: http://www.twainquotes.com/Galaxy/187010c.html
1870.12.484) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: But at the end of two weeks we turned our faces toward the sea and journeyed over the Judean hills, and through rocky defiles, and among the scenes that Samson knew in his youth
Scripture: And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. -- Judges 13:24
Work; Date: CURIOUS RELIC FOR SALE; October, 1870
Source: http://www.twainquotes.com/Galaxy/187010c.html
1870.13.485) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: “Ah, to think of it, only to think of it!--the poor old faithful creature. For she was so faithful. Would you believe it, she had been a servant in that selfsame house and that selfsame family for twenty seven years come Christmas, and never a cross word and never a lick! And, oh, to think she should meet such a death at last!--a-sitting over the red hot stove at three o’clock in the morning and went to sleep and fell on it and was actually roasted! Not just frizzled up a bit, but literally roasted to a crisp! Poor faithful creature, how she was cooked! I am but a poor woman, but even if I have to scrimp to do it, I will put up a tombstone over that lone sufferer’s grave--and Mr. Riley if you would have the goodness to think up a little epitaph to put on it which would sort of describe the awful way in which she met her--”
“Put it, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant,’” said Riley, and never smiled.
Scripture: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. -- Matthew 25:21
Work; Date: Riley – Newspaper Correspondent; November, 1870
Source: https://americanliterature.com/author/mark-twain/short-story/riley-newspaper-correspondent
1870.14.486) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: The Rev. Dr. B. was minister in our stylish little city some years since. He was a pompous, important, flowery sort of preacher -- very popular with the masses. He exchanged pulpits with old Solomon N., the plain, meek old minister of the little C. Church, one Sabbath; and the expectant little congregation were surprised when the grand Dr. arose and gave out as his text:
“For behold a greater than Solomon is here!”
Scripture: The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. -- Matthew 12:42
Work; Date: FAVORS FROM CORRESPONDENTS; November, 1870
Source: http://www.twainquotes.com/Galaxy/187011f.html
1870.15.487) Quote, Reference, or Allusion: ...and we have heard of the Pennsylvania clergyman who sadly returned his “Innocents Abroad” to the book-agent with the remark that ‘the man who could shed tears over the tomb of Adam must be an idiot.’
Scripture: And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. -- Genesis 5:5
Work; Date: AN ENTERTAINING ARTICLE; December, 1870
Source: http://www.twainquotes.com/Galaxy/187012a.html