Mower County transcript., 1871-12-28
MARK TWAIN.
His 6 lecture - In ChicnSo-Eiis Intru
ductiOn to the Aulicncc-IIow IL
Looks aud Acts.

His g lecture In Chicaso-Eiis Intro
duction to the Autlicncc-IIow He
Looks and Acts.
From the Chicago Post, 10th. 2
The entertainment of the season, thus
far, was the curious, disjointed, delight
fully incc herent talk of Mark Twain
elements is his married name), last
evening, in the Michigan Avenue Bap-
tist Church, below Twenty-seconds street.
Twain calls this "lecture" with the
euphemistic vanity of his guild, but it
would be Just as near to call tia sermon,
show, a song, or concert by brass
band. And yet it's very novelty made
1t piquant; and its supreme ridiculous
ness drew the crowd and held them.
Every seat in the house, four nun
dred chairs in the aisles, and standing
room for two or three hundred, were
crowded full, when the lank, lantern
jawed, and impudent Californian be-
strobe the stage as if it were the deck
OF steamboat, and getting to the mid
die Of the front, rubbed his bony hands
and gazed around A thin man of five
feet ten, thirty five or so, eyes that pen
etrte ke a new gimlet, nasal prov pro-
jecting and pendulous, carroty curly
hair and mustache, arms that are al
ways IN the way, expression dreadiully
melancholy, he stares here and
there, and cranes his long neck around
the house like bereaved Vermonter
who has just came from the death bed
Of his mother-i in law, aud is looking for
a sexton. For something like a min
nte he says not a word, but rubs his
hands awkwardly, and continues the
search. Finally, just as the spectators
arc about to break into giggles, he
opens his capaclous mouth, aud begins
in Il slow drawl-ahout three words
minute by the watch:
''La-aies and gentlemen: By
the request of the-Chair- man Of the
-Com>nit-tee-I-beg leave to-intro-
Duct you-the lecturer of the even-
ing-a gentleman whose great learning
whose historical ac-curacy--whose
devotion-to science -and-whose ven.
Grafton for the truth-are only equaled
by his high moral character -and-his
majestic presence. [Roars of laugh
ter. | allude-in these vague general
crms--to-my-self. lam a little
opposed to the custom of cere-
,noniousiy introducing lecturer
to the audience because it-seems
the man has
been properly advertised! But as-it
is-the custom-1 prefer to make it
myself--in my own case-and then
can rely on getting in-all the facts
Laughter. never had but one intro.
duction-that seemed to me just the
thing-and the gentleman was not &C.
quaintcd with me, and there was no
nonsense. He said: Ladies' and
gentlemen, I shall waste no time in this
introduction. know of only two facts
about him; 1st, he has never been in
State Prison, and I'd, I can't imagine
why.'"
Mr.. Twain then "hedged toward his
subject" as he called it, and took his
auditors on a flying trip to California
and the mountain mining regions--giv-
ing alternate glimpses of sense and
nonsense, of humor, burlesque, senti-
ment and satire that kept the audience
in the most sympathetic mood. He
never dipped into pathos, and never
rose into eloquence> but he kept sled
ding right along in fascinating nasal
snarl, looking and speaking
like an embarrassed deacon
telling his experience, and punctuat-
ing his tardy fun with the most COM
plicated awkwardness of gesture. Now
he snapped his fingers; now he rubbed
his hands softly, like the catcher of the
champion nine: now he caressed his
palm with his dexter fingers, like the
end minstrel man propounding u con-
undrum; now he puts his arms akimbo
like disgusted auctioneer; and now
he churned the air in the vicinity of his
imperiled head with his outspread
hands, as if he was fighting mosquitoes
at Rye Reach. Once he got his arms
tangled so badly that three surgeons
we're seen to edge their way toward the
stage, expecting to be summoned; but
he unwound himself during the next
anecdote.
1t is plain to see that Twain's sue
cess as platformer results, first, from
his being genuine humorist, with au
dacity and Imagination; secondly,
from his slow and solemn speech ana his
sanctimonious bearing and manner.
Then the style of his delivery gives all
the effect of spontaneity. The Jokes
are uttered as if he had just thought of
them Il minute before, and didn't per-
ceive the point of them quite as soon
as the audience.