Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-08-30
All From the Point You View 1t.

NlIl'l Il-ttNtu 10 MS lecture IN a.
coma Theater, a short time ago, he
would probably have been more charv
IN the exhibition OF those ecren-
trictics which have made him fam
Gus. He certainly did not realize that
there was Il grave and digniiied pro-
lessor amid his auditors, who could
not b" brought within the influence of
his genial humor, or he might have
thrown into his discourse some Of those
dry, lncomprehcu>lbl scientific enig-
mas, founded upon fne.spun theories,
which puzzle the generality of man
kind quite a. much as does an ex-
PLANTATION Of the Archimedian square
the neophytes in the ritual of the an
cicnt and (highly) honorable order of
L. +. OF +. L.
or correspondent seems to have
lost sight OF the truth cmblazoned as
head line in all old-time copy-books
that there are "many men OF many
minds in this Jolly old world of ours;
that while some go in for ostentation
and show and delight to revel in san
culinary gore, there are others who
prefer to sit in the peanut gallery and
draw from passing events some of the
rays of sunshine which Dean Swift's
philosopher learned to extract even
from cucumbers. Had he realized
this, he might have conceded the fact
that commanding excellence may be
possessed or attained in one field of
life's endeavor, to the exclusion OF all
others. Lew Wallace may be mill
tary hero; he may have been a foreign
ambassador; he may be a diplomatist,
and know just how to pull the wool
over the eyes of foreign plenipotenti-
aries in the adjustment of treaty slip.
ulations; he may have written Ben
Hur, and described with graphic power
Roman chariot race or with moving
pathos the crucifixion on Calvary; he
may be "replete with wisdom and ripe
in intellectual culture" and still ut
terly unable to grasp the nub of joke.
He may be a charming author, and
hold high place in the literature of
our language, without possessing in
Che slightest degree that magnetic
force, that hypnotic power, which en-
abled Mark Twain to sway his audi
ence as he "shambled upon the
stage" How much of that influence
lis attributable to familiarity with
Marks writings, or is due to his pres
ence, is immsterial, so that it is &C.
knowledged to exist, even by those
who institute invidious comparisons.
The world judges of all human effort
by results. Whether this is the part
OF wisdom, or not, is probably mat
ter upon which our correspondent has
very decided opinion, but that does
not change the verdict of the masses,
embalmed in the verbage of a tongue
which be 50 much reveres-" Tor pop
ali, ror Del"
The fact is that Mark Twain's writ
ings appeal to the heart of his fellow
beings. His pathos finds ready echo
in the better nature of man; his wit
end humor play upon the risible
nerves as responsively as the breeze
upon the strings of an @olean harp
These are the conditions which assure
success when people visit the lecture
room to be amused or open book for
diversion. They carry with them to
the amusement hall different face
and another set of nerves from what
they take to the lecture-room, where
the discourse may be an illustration OF
the wonders of anatomy or fight
amid the incomprehensibilities of
space. Different classes OF people are
attracted by the grades of mental pab-
ulum set out for their delectation, and
if the learned professor. our cores
pondent, did not find Mark Twain's
soupe-maigre palatable, it was proba-
bly, because he had found a place at
the wrong table.
AS long as it is is impossible to de.
termine the amount of brain carried
by our famous men by some avoirdu-
pois rule, we must judge OF their mer-
it by results, and it may be unfortu-
nate for those eminent in literature
that this measure may do them, in
the estimation OF some people, an in
justice. There is, however, this com.
forting assurance: People would
rather be amused than instructed,
however foolish it may appear, and,
in the language of another irreverent
wit, they "pays their money and they
takes their choice"
"BARKIs IS WILLIN.' John ]. In
CALLS Of Kansas expresses a willingness
to again enter the arena of politics,
and accept his old place in the U. s.
Senate if his party so Wills. He was
sat down upon, in 1891, in a manner
that paralyzed him for q time, but like
all members OF his party he is ready
to take a seat in the band wagon
when the procession is about to move.
To show his devotion to the g. o. D.,
which is probably rendered necessary
by his enforced retirement, he adopts
the usual TRADE against Populists.
Speaking of the middle of the road"
party he says: "Not wholly de.
funct, but ON its death bed; i'll with
an incurable malady, its pulse flutters,
| its respiratiOn is lahorpd ifS fempera