Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-19

Mark Twain never writes ANYTHING
that is not thoroughly readable. He 10
to-day the most widely read and gen.
orally popular of American writer's. lie
never seems to exhaust his resources. and
with each new volume spreads an entirely
fresh feast before his readers In his latest
venture. "A Yankee In King Arthur's Court"
which has lust been issued from the press of
Charles l.. Webster & Co, Of New York.
he enters an entirely new and delightful
field. and pictures 4 live native of the
Nutmeg State suddenly changed from the
18Th century into the 9th century to become
an active mover in the affairs Of King Ar
thurs Realm. The strong imagination Of the
author has wide range in this novel concep-
ton and most delightful are it's varied con.
ceits. Veneration for things past or present
was never q trait of Mark Twsin's character.
He has little patience with the brutal institu.
tons Of antiquity, which many writers have
been pleased to picture IS posses ing pecu
liar charms.
The sge Of chivalry appears to Twain
chiefly ~ an age Of oppression. ignorance
aud immortality. He sees principally ito
shadows, its follies, its br ltalities The "in-
humanity OF man to man" appears more
strongly TO him than all the gorgeous splen-
= live 18th century Yankee into such environ
ments As are furnished by the England of the
sixth century without furnishing abundant
opportunity for the display of humor and
satire. Never have Mark T~ain's extrsor-
binary powers in this line been more strong.
iy displayed. The humor of thi, work 10
simply inmitable. Ii 10 irresistible and
yet 80 closely 10 the fun interviewer with
the pathos Of the narrative. that laugh.
ter and tears follow closely upou
each other Never has night errantry been
held up in = more ludicrous light than it has
In this work-not even in the Don Quixote
of Cervsntes. which laughed away the mock
heroic chivalry of Spain
Mark Twain has written some very popu-
lar works. hut we are inclined to believe
that this latter one IL destined to be
the most popular and enduring of them all
We have been accustomed to regard Twain
too much a. witty writer. Az with many
others. however. the reputation of being q
funny man has not been altogether an ad.
vantage to him.
Mark Twain is undoubtedly y humorist-
the greatest one in this country and one of
the greatest In the world But he il more
than hunorist. He 10 . bright, original
thinker. In his latest work occur passages
Of pre- eminent force. The questions pertain
ing TO ancient ideas Of government are pre-
sented with wonderful clearne.s and vigor.
The brutalities of the past are shown to
US rs they really existed and shoru
Of whatever mantle of sentiment Time has
clothed them With. The idea Of the "Di- |
vine right of kings" 10 pictured in
all its utter repuRnance to the laws Of hu- |
manity and to the progress Of nations. |
The conditions of the poor in the past |
are shown with . pathetic vividness. The |
author has exhibited shown wonderful |
faculty for adapting himself to any
!ialect. and he haadles the quaint old Eng
ish OF the 9th century with the came wonf
ierful facility that he did the English Of the |
era in that beautiful stofy, THE |
Prince and The PAuper." Taken altogether,
his last work Of Mark Twain's appears to
,s his best. and cannot fail to meet With the
'ame widespread popularity that has been
recorded oil his productions in the past.