The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-19
SOME NEW hooks.
Humor Reduced to Algebra.

The commercial spirit which has lately
taken possession OF Mr.. SAMUEL l.. CLEMENS
shows itself 10 a dcporahle extent in his last
work. Punch Brothers Punch ,rhh Care vol
ume of sketches artfuly leading up to mn
advertisement the sclf-gumming scrapbook.
Some OF the sketches have appeared In the
magazines some Of them have been published
over and over again in different collections OF
| Mark Twuins writings. The only thing abso-
lutely new ia the puff OF the scrap book worded
with great skill from mercantile point OF view
| but OF trining literary value.
Although the book is little one. and its con-
tents already familiar to most readers Of
| cphcmcral literature. It affords n pretty fair
notion Of Mark Twain's capabilities ns humor-
| let and also of his limitations. However funny
| Mr.. Clements may be personally. and common
report makes him out dry wag. his humor Ms
conveyed by printers ink gives the impression
OF clcvcrncss rather than OF spontnneity. II
worth the while, 1t might not be difficult to re-
solve his methods into a comparatively few
| general formulas that would enable every man
| TO be his own Twain.
In his speech on Now England weather-one
OF the best things in the book--AIr. Clemens says:
There Ia q sumptuous variety about the New
England weather that compcls the strangers
admration-and regret In the spring
have counted one hundred and thirty-sX Diff
fercnt kinds OF weather inside " twenty-four
hours" We choose this passage because its two
clauses yield us two OF the simplest and ut the
same time most useful Of Twain's formulas for
humorous writing. Half. and perhaps two
thirds. OF the humor In this book ia constructed
on one or the other Of them. The bulk of q" In
nocents Abroad may be reduced to these same
two formulas.
The first formula Is that OF solemn misstatc-
~
Is complicated by sudden whirlaround to can
did statement There ia n sumptuous variety
about the New England weather that compels the
strangers admiration-and regret" The snme
combination Of solemn misstntcmcnt with unox-
pected candor is found In the Emperor Will
liam's commendatory notice Of TWINS topo-
graphical mp of Parts: Il said to my son
Frederick William II you could only make n
map like that. l should hc perfectly willing to
see you die-evcn ANXIOUS" In its simplest
form. this species Of humor consists In gravoly
saying the thing exactly opposite to what = gu
want your readers or hearers to understand
Along with his friend. tho Rcv. Mr. Twiichr
Of Hartford. Twain is trying TO sleep in n Ber-
muda hotel we had mosquito nets. md
the Reverend said the mosquitoes prosecuted
him good deal ! often heard him Shaping
and banging ct these imaginary creatures
with MS much zeal rs II they had been real.
There are no mosquitoes in Bermuda" Re-
turning 10 New Yoik. tho travellers aro an
noyed by the o1lciousness Of the health officers
OF the port They unnecessarily detain the
steamer all night AZ Quarantine. This i'm
posing rigor give everybody solemn and
awful idea Of the benehccnt watchiuness Of our
Government; and there were some who Won
dered IL anything finer could be found in other
countries" This formula has enabled Nr.
Twain to raise a laugh NJ moro than one public
dinner when his speeches commonly stHrt out
with the solemn announcement that he r. ut
tcrly unprepared to respond, the speaker az
the same time drawing roll 'oi manuscript
from his pocket and beginning to read IN clab-
, crate Grafton OF thanks. Tho formula may be
found in some form on nearly every page tAni
Twain has written. II is easily mastered by the
most ordinary comprehension. and we COM
mend II to all persons ambitious Of IA reputation
for dry humor.
Returning to the second clause OF the passaec
on New England weather. quctcl above" In
the spring | have counted one hundred and
, thirty-sx different kinds OF weather inside %.
twenty-four hours"-we got another OF Mr.
Ccmens's most useful formulas. the formula Of
scientific cNacgeration. IL he had said.
have counted great many different kinds oi
, weather inside Of twenly-iour hours" Their,
, would hardly be an excuse iorsmilug. Whatever
fun there IS in the exRsgeration lies In the de-.
r nitcncss with which tho exagg rated total Ii
P stated. one hundred and thirty i've or on,
y hundred and thiriy-scyen would answer ms we,
a as one hundred aud thir,y-siX; Ave orsiXwoulc
not 10 at all. The rule demands that the exag
4 eeration be Specific.
e This formula is also very much used by Nj
Clemens. In his Encounter with an Inter
l. viewer" whom asked his age he replies, " Nine
q teen. In June. and being pressed To specify the
exact date Of his BIRTH Eravey answers Mon
Z day. Oct 81. 1929 One Of the letters com
i mending the Map Of Paris is from J. Smith
and it says: My wife WIS FOR years an tote,
y with freckles. and though everything was done
o for her relief that could be DONE all WIS II
l. vain. But. sir since her fret glance Mt YOU
a map they hnvc entirely left her. She hW
nothing but commissions now" Al the end %
this volume is printed in fac-simile IN auto
/ graph certificate from Marx Twain settinl
y forth the virtues of his patent scrap book. II
says: "l hereby certify that during many year
! wNs afflicted with cramps in my limbs. indi
gesticn. salt rheum. enlargement Of the live
- and periodical attacks Of rnammatory rheu
matsm. complicated with st. Ntus's dance. m
Ut sulerngs being SO great that for months AZ
time WIS unable to stand upon my feet with
4 ont assistance or to speak the truth with il
p. But as soon rs had invented my self pasup
n scrap book and begun 70 use il in my ON
family. all these nArmtles disappeared" Con
- structing his humor on a fow formulas it
=. inevitable that Mark Twain should repeat him
self good deal us he dos.
h Genuine humor is not constructed but
-, Spontaneous Tie humor Of TIA ,koriy or G.
T.. Charles Lamb. or II Brc, Ilarte cannot be- an
alyzcd. and is not susceptible Of algehrair treat
& mcnt, The ccvcrncss Of Mark Twain Is nrg,
a ly susceptible of such treatment. II would D.
a. unjust and untrue TO say that this marhin
ccverness forms the whole staple Of his wori
IN But it is not credltable to his system Of cor
NJ struction that he ia best where he is least char
: acteristic OF himself.
The most fragrant Of Mr. Clcmons's sins isht
irrcyerence in dealing with subjects which NJ
not proper material for his hand. Ths fau
seems to proceed from lack of instructive goo
taste rather than from any deliberate iutentio
10 be indicate or irrcyersnt. Instances Of tn
falling are unfortunately numerous $50 the
went at il. tho whole four hundreia a'typray