Mark Twain Is a T O Hi S F Mance
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CO PY R IG HT 8 , 1 94, F BY . TEN N YS O N N E EL Y . All Ri ht s Re s er e d g v . C O N T E N T S . 1 . 2 S AM U L LA GHOR . E N NE n N VADA AN D 3. I E E F H 4. ON O T E Hxs F R LI E A Y 5 . I ST T i R 6. -n o o n " IN G A D AN D 7. EN L N 8 Hrs . HE LE RE A R 9 T CTU PL TFO M . I M O. ARK TWAxN AT 1 1 As A Bvs E s s MAN . 1 2 . GEM FROM m S MARK Tw u o o o o o o o o o RE CE P FA . ” From the days of Yankee Doodle ‘ o f Windham t w o m and the Trogs , ge s of early American humor written in the R e evolutionary period , until near the clos of of R i the war the ebell on , the recog ni zed American humorist , the wit who o r could cause a laugh to g ippling, bub bling around the world , was a creation k e Ho w un nown to American literatur . of for ever, out respect and admiration it and their genius , their w humor, we must not fail in giving proper credit to Fr H k s ancis op inson , Samuel Peter , J 01111 f Ti umbun H ki G F. W m , eorge op ns , illia T T o C . hompson , Seba Smith , J seph . N O C K H eal , rpheus . err, George . D o f for erby and a host others , bringing out in the American prints , those native s of k characteristics , the drollne s the yan ee o f and the wit the early days , but not until after -the Rebellion did America produce a humoris t of world - wide reputa W f tion . hen civil stri e was ended , and the American began a new career , almost a i uf new ex stence , there came to the s r ace s o f r The a new chool native humor. of M k T W names ar wain , Artemus ard, B n s be Josh illi g and one or two others , s T came hou ehold words . heir funny sayings caused the Englishman to smile l o f f T i between his bites bee . he r drol humor forced our German cousin to s hake T his s ides with laughter. heir witty bon mots occasioned prolonged mirth from f i n N ot u our riends France . ntil then did we become known as a nation of f f humorists , and rom that day the ame of o ur w its has extended throughout r the To of mi h entire w orld . day a ripp le rt His a nd Work . 9 k of Mud starting on the ban s Flat Creek, will end in a hurricane of laughter on thc Thames or the Seine . There was something so purely Amere m of M k T ican in the hu or ar wain , that his work soon made for him a place in na of tive literature . As a representative American life and character his name extended even beyond the confines of the of continent Europe , into all lands and among all peoples . In Paris one cannot purchase a Bible at the book stall but “ ” one may find Roughing It at every cor “ ” R The mer. In ome , Innocents Abroad i s f k one o the staples in the boo marts. n H k M k T I ong ong you will find ar wain . e Everywhere th y read him . The career o f Mark Twain is a t o Hi s f mance. li e is a curious medley of pathos and poverty , with an occasional laugh to help along over the rough places . He k s a was a wild , rec le s boy , poor o r printer, not even a go d jou nalist , an He a s adventurer , a wanderer . was ort k He e e o f human aleidoscope . then b cam it S eaker a man a w , a scholar, a public p , (i 1 0 Mark Tw ain fa l ire b ut mi y and a milliona . All this is of o f A f typical America , merican li e and American character . Mark Twain is more than a mere Punch W and Judy show . ith his droll humor He there comes information . gives the f . reader a ull dinner , not merely dessert He tells you more about the Mississippi He river than an old steamboatman . gi ves you a world o f information about r i He Ge many and Sw tzerland . is better k for H than a guide boo the oly Land . What that greater genius Charles Dickens has for M rk T for done fiction , a wain does H . e He humor is an ideal reporter . minutely tells us all about a thing , tells us what he sees and hears , describes a man , a mule or a monarchy in excellent f k orm , and ma es one laugh at the same time . Some years ago I was prompted to Mr C for write the genial . lemens an introduction or preface to a little volume f o mine , long since buried by the sands s as of time . Hi reply w this s t ? a nd Work I : Hi L] . H tfo rd C n N ov. x8. ar , on . M EM . WILL . CL ENS My Dear Friend : Your ur hea t t e ved o d less o . I let er r c ei . G b y r wo uld like ever s o muc h to c o mp ly Wl th your r uest but I a mthrashin w a m new eq , g a y at y o o k and amafraid that I sho uld not find ti b , me to w rite m o w n e it h i n c as e I w as sudde l y p ap , n y l d f r c al e o . “ W sh ouand ourbo ok w el ev i ing y y ell, b i e me, “ o urs t rul Y y, S AMU L CLEME . E L. NS N ot long ago the gifted humorist sent me o f k a printed slip his career , ta en “ ” f Men o f T U rom the ime . pon the o f f : margin this , he wrote the ollowing MY DEAR CLEM ENS “ ’ I haven t any humor ’ i ra h — the fac ts d o n t admit f it ous b og p y o . I “ ” had this s ket c h fro m Men o f the Time p rinted o n slip s to enable me to study my history a t my ure leis . S . L. CL M E ENS . B f y nature , a serious , thought ul man , S el he is deeply in earnest at times , yet dom has he ventured to deal with the . l n pathetic his writings . Occasionally f he pens a care ul , serious communication , k f for h li e the ollowing , instance , w hich e addressed to a young friend of mine: [2 Ma rk Tw ain f rd H r o . a t , Jan “ MY DEAR Bov How c an I advi se another man wisel o ut o f s c h c ital as life filled y, u a ap a w ith mista kes? Ad vise himho w to avo id the like? N o — for o p o rtuni ties t o ma ke the same ke o p e t n w o mn Y o u mista s d o n t ap p n o a y t e . r o wn e x eri e c es ma o ssibl te ac h o u but p n y p y y , ’ ’ ther a c t I d o not kno w a n thin ano m n s an . y g fo r rs o t o d o but ust e lo n d o in the a p e n j p g a g , g thi s that o ffer a nd re retti themthe e ng , g ng n xt ’ a is m w a a nd e r bod s d y. It y y ve y y . Trul o ur y y s , ” L. C M S . L E ENS . In thi s modest volume I do not attempt z o f M k T to analy e the humor ar wain . “ As Howells says : Analyses o f humor are apt to leave one rather serious , and to result in a n entire volatilization of the ” r T . and adven humo here is romance , u ture , and thrilling interest s rrounding f o f o f I the li e the prince humorists , and have endeavored to gather together some Hi s r e of these i nteresting facts . s ati and it S k for w pea themselves . ’ ‘ THE AUJ mr L e a nd Work 1 , s if . 3 RN N SAMUEL LANGHO E CLEME S. There is more or less obscurity sur rounding the ances try and birth o f Mark Hi s ofD Twain .