The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1899-08-03
MARK TWAIN'S SPEECH.
Address at the Yasahond Dinner In Lon
don-Introduction Of the Humorise by
Mr.. Grossmith.

!, don-lntroduCfton OF the HumoEiSe &
Mr.. Grossmith.
LONDON, July 9.-The New Vags
bonds dinner in honor Of MAR
J: Twain''-S. l.. Clemens-and Mrs
Clemens, was one Of the best attend
t ed dinners the club has ever held
Four or five hundred members an
their guests of both sexes assembled
in the Kings Hall of the Holborl
< restaurant. The chair was taken b!
George Grossmith, and the vic'
chairs by DR.. Conan Doyle, G. B
> Burgin and Douglas Sladen. Mos
of the leading younger literary mel
of the day are members of the club
It includes Rider Haggard, Hal
Caine, S. R. Crockett, Stanley Wey
man, w. Pett Ridge, Conan Doyle
1. Zangwill, Anthony Hope, Coulsor
Kernahan, w. w. Jacobs, Louis
Becke, J. Bloundelle-Burton, ]. NJ
Cobban, Jerome K. Jerome, Kenneth
Grahame, Robert Hichens, Silas and
Joseph Hooking, G. F. Keary, A. E.
w. Mason, Arthur Morrison, Gilbert
Parker, Max Pemberton, Betram
Milford, Gabriel Setoun," William
Sharp, Hailliwell Sutcliffe, Cutliffe
Hyne, Allen Upward, w. E. Tire
buck, H. F. Wells, Percy White,
Walter Raymond and a good many
of the older authors, such as Messrs.
Grant Allen, George Manville Fem,
Jos. Hatton, F. w. Robinson, and
Moncure D. Conway. Among the
noa-authors present were Bernard
Partridge, Hayden Coffin, Hal Hurst
Robert Sauber, Col. James L. Tay-
lor and Morgan Richards. Among
the guests Lady Jeune, F. c. Selous.
Archibald Ross Colquhoun, A. Hen
ry Savage Lander, the explorer; Sir
William and Lady Trelawny, of Tre'
lawny Irving Montague, Sir Thomas
Wardle, Miss Beatrice Harraden, Sir
Alexander Mackenzie, Sir M. Rhow-
nagree, M. P; Miss Ray Rockman,
J. H. Lorilner, A. r. s. A., and Miss
Fanny Brough. After Mr.. Gross
NTH had risen to propose the first
two toasts of 1.-The Queen and THE
President of the United States," he
gave the first note Of humor in par
ticularly entertaining evening by an
nouncing that the ladies had permis-
sion to smoke. Immediately after
ward he rose to propose the toast Of
1.-The Guests of the Evening"
Ladies and Gentlemen: It is
now my pleasant duty to ask you to
drink to the health and prosperity OF
the great American humorist, lect-
urer and man of letters, Mark Twain,
and I couple with his name that of
his wife, Mrs. Clemens. (Cheers.)
You may not believe it, but this is
the first time I have ever taken q
chair at a banquet in my life. 1 have
always avoided doing 40, but Mr..
Douglas Sladen and Mr.. Burgin
seemed to labor under some delusion
that an English hulnorist was the
r.ght person to propose the toast Of
an American humorist. However,
fully appreciate the honor, and
am proud to be-, on this occasion in
the position of chairman. 1t is lit
tie over quarter Of a century ago
that | attended. the first lecture ever
given by Mark Twain in London.
remember the evening perfectly.
took c0pious notes that evening.
daughter The notes that 1 took
have been more valuable 60 me than
any I had ever taken in my life.
daughter. remember Mark Twain
walked upon the platform looking
very sad-very solemn, (laughterO
much more 80 than he does now.
Much laughter.) But when heard
the audience subsequently, roaring
at his subtle and splendid humor
could not help rejecting how much
better it was for man to look SOL
enn and be truly humorous, than Tor
a man to look funny with carroty
wig and q scarlet nose, and talk
about whiskey and his mother-ln-
law. At this lecture lady who sat
near me, criticised Mark Twain in
the following manner: 1T does seem
a shame to laugh at him-he looks
50 unhappy The effect of Mark
Twain's lecture on the audience was
rather remarkable. At the conclu-
sion of the first joke there was not
smile; at the end of the second there
was a roar of laughter. But mind
you, they, were not laughing at the
second joke, but at the first, which
had just dawned upon them. cloud
tuuRnCGT.J AttcI VIC thito JohO sbSy
began laughing at the second, and
so ON to the end. As the people left
the hall and entered their carriages
hired and otherwise-they roared
again. That was the last joke.
Gaughter.) There is distinct diff
ference between the methods of the
English and American story-teller.
The Englishman generally talks
about half an hour telling story,
with or without a point-as the case
may be-and the listeners cease to
take interest half way through, for
they suddenly. remember a much
better story OF their own. The Amer
lean never gives you that chance.
His story as a rule is so short that it
is practically over before it begins;
that is to say, he begins with the
point and ends there" (Much laugh