The age-herald., 1898-01-28
MARK TWAIN HIMsEI F AGAIN. ssss

Nobody believes that "More Tramps Abroad" is the best book Mark Twain has written merely because it is his latest one; but it is, for all that, accepted everywhere as a certain proof that his hand has not lost its cunning. It is more like him at his best, assuredly, than some other things he has done during the last ten years, and it is a book worth reading. It is, of course a journal of the recent ex- tended tour he has made around the world 1ecturing and reading in the attempt to renovate his frayed-out fortunes-an at tempt which the book itself shares. MT. Clemens went first to Australia. He was there while the short altercation between this country and Britain was at it's height; and being at all times certain Of his Americanism and quite as sure about the patriotic feelings of the Australians, he despaired of a favorable reception. To his surprise, no less than delight the Aus tralians were too big people to make war upon one single American, however strong the feeling, and they gave him welcome for which he cannot be too grate- full He says, indeed, "the welcome which an American lecturer gets from a British colonial audience is a thing which will move him to his deepest depths and veil his sight and break his voice." He goes even further; making his observations with his customary shrewdness, he decides that 'the English-s speaking race will domi- nate the earth 100 years from now If its sections do not get to fighting each other
 There was fun as well as seriousness in Australia, as a matter of course It is the land of the boomerang for one thing. All it's inhabitants have stories to tell about the wonders of this marvellous na- tive invention. After telling a number of them Mark Twain closes with the account of the boomerang that it's owner could throw at a bird 100 yards away It would not only kill the game but bring it back to his feet This is also the land of the bell-bird, whose deep, booming note sounds from the darkest recesses of the gloomy forests, great boon to the thirsty natives of the land, for. the author explains, "he knows that wherever the bell-bird is there is water and he goes somewhere else"
 The book is dedicated ito my young friend Harry Rogers" the ascription going on to urge him ito form himself little more closely upon the model of the au- thor" Mr. Clemens rejoices in high moral altitude. ITO be good is noble,'' he justly remarks, Out to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble" So he teaches wise things like "A man may have no bad habits and have worse" Or he gives excellent advice to the effect "When in doubt tell the truth" "Hon- esty is the best policy" he justly observes, a.but sometimes the appearance of it is worth six of it." He is familiar with little foible of the public press when he notes that "He was as shy as newspa- per is when referring to its own merits. The collection as a whole bears out his assertion that "It is more trouble to make a maxim than it is to do right" Then he sets out on his travels. Two members Of my family elected to go with me, also a carbuncle," is his account of the disem- barkation, adding: ''The dictionary says the carbunce is a kind of jewel. Humor is out of place in a dictionary" A drunk en Canadian on the steamer gives him op- portunity to make some reflections on the habit of forming habts-and of reforming them. He holds that pledges do not serve a. really useful end, since they create desire to break themselves. He holds that you must not merely stop the drinking, but rid yourself first of the desire to drink. Limiting a habit will not answer. He tried that once himself-with cigars. He pledged himself to smoke only one day; note the result, as he records 1t: s.Within a week I found myself hunting for larger cigars than had been used to smoke. Within fortnight l was getting cigars made for me-on a yet larger pat tern. Within the month my cigar had grown to such large proportions that l could have used it for crutch It now seemed to me that one cigar limit was no real protection to a person, so l knocked my pledge on the head and re- stunned my liberty.
 One of the funniest things in the book is the statement that all the people in English Australasia endeavor to speak Ballarat English, explaining his meaning by saying that he once gave a cigar to MT. Little, and he said e." Afterward MT. Little helped him with light; he thanked him and MT. Little responded with "Km." Eventually he ascertained that 70" was the end of the phrase, T thank you," while "Km' similarly stood for 'You are welcome" This reflection follows: "All Balarat English is like that, and the effect is very soft and pleasant; it takes all the hardness and harshness out or your tongue"