The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-11

OF President CleveIand's Venezuela letter.
but not even the feeling engendered by that
document could interfere with the cordial
ity OF his reception or the success OF his
entertainments At Pretoria he saw Presi-
dent Kruger and also paid a visit TO the
jameson Raiders. who were there I'm prison
and whom he endeavored TO cheer by tell
ing them OF the various great works, such
as Don Quixote" and Pilgrims Prog
ress." which never would have been writ
ten had not their authors been put in jail
But somehow, according to Mr.. Clemens
his words did not seem TO have very
cheering effect on that fortunate prison
The pleasantest city that he found in Eu-
rope was Vienna. where he remained from
July. 1897, to May, 1899 There he made one
OF two speeches that have since become
world-famous, and met great many or
the principal citizens, including among
others the Emperor of Austria
His present plans are not yet decided
upon. but 1T is probable that he will spend
the winter In New York. where he has
hosts of friends and where he is certain TO
become a notable figure in the social and
literary life OF the town. In the spring he
may return TO his old home In Hartford,
work that he has in hand.
HIS PLANS UNCERTAIN.
Paradoxical as 1t may seem, 1T is the
subordination of the humorous element to
the serious side of his character that has
made Mark Twain's work perhaps the
greatest OF its kind in this country. II
is because Of this serious vein of thought
that he is bound to outlive men who have
been mere funmakers or juggIers OF
words.
shall never forget that IL was he who
first taught me the important lesson that
bad little boys do not always come to
grief in the end, and particularly cheer
ing that lesson was 10 me at the time
that / learned it, Some of the good little
boys who read the Jumping Frog at
the same time that / did, have not ac-
quilted themselves as well as their teach
ers predicted that they would. and per-
sonal modeSty prevents any reference TO
what has since happened to some of the
others. IL was that same quality or truth
and seriousness that gave a real value TO
THE Innocents Abroad" which, apart
from it's delightful humor, is one Of the
very best books of Europeon travel that
/ have ever read.
The author of that book-the Clemens of
a third of a century ago-was man well
schooled in the life Of the Mississippi river
and the crude civilization of Western min
ing towns. He was a man who absorbed
knowledge naturally and easily, as. fortu-
nately for him, his pores had not been
clogged by four years course of classical
education. He had been thinking for
long while before he began to write. and
when he took up his pen he set about his
work with seriousness or purpose that
was akin to the seriousness of his face,
and that solemn manner of delivery which
We expect In our humOrists, and which at
the present day is puzzle to a good part
OF the British public.
HIS HOLD IN ENGLAND.
Atermus Ward was the first man who
ever dared to say funny things in London
with a serious cast of countenance. and ii
is largely due to his influence, and in later
years to that of Mark Twain, that our ma
tional humor has obtained the extraordi-
nary hold that 1t now has on the English
reading public of the world.
The Mark Twain Of to-day is the Missis-
sippi pilot of Jumping Frog fame. mel
lowed by forty years OF the sort of edu-
cation that only contact with the very best
side of the world can give. He has the
same drawl, the same bushy hair, the same
serious face. clear eyes and rudy skin.
His education has been of the kind that
sinks deep and leaves externalS almost
unchanged. Few men of his day have en-
toyed better opportunities than he for see
ing life under many and varied conditions,
women of his own and other countries.
What he found to do during the ten months
that he spent in England, or the twenty
that he passed in Vienna, he did not tell
me; but that the world will be the gamer
for his work and study during that period
of time / have manner of doubt.
The marvel to me is that a man can re-
main so many years abroad and return so
little changed to externals, and with
not a perceptible trace of foreign manner
or accent. / suppose it is because his per-
sonaiity-which is strongly American-per-
meates him through and through and is
not mere outward veneer to be removed
when the fashion changes.