The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-24
MARK TMAIN'S STORIES
TFrom the New York SUM-

TFrom the New York Sun.1
Mark Twain was the guest Of the
New York Press club last night at its
rooms in the Morton building. Mr..
Clemens was led to a platform early in
the evening, and was addressed by rep
resentatives of the club. When the
spirit moved him he made reply. He
said all he had to say in his usual hui
morous manner, but he at times drifted
so near to serious and tragic truths that
certain individuals in his audience did
not seem to see the fun humorous effect
Of what he was saying Col. William L.
Brown, the former editor Of the Daily
News. as president of the club, intro
Guced Mr. Clemens as the principal or
nament of American literature
L must say" said Mr.. Clemens. that
I have already begun to regret that 1
left my gun at home. I've said so many
times, when a chairman has addressed
me with just such compliments. that
the next time such a thing occurs I will
certainly use gun on that chairman. 1t
is my privilege to compliment him in re-
turn.
You behold before you" he continued,
turning to Colonel Brown, "a very, very
old man. A cursory glance at him
would deceive the most penetrating.
His features seem to reveal a person
dead to all honorable instincts.
(Laughter.) They seem to bear the
traces of all the known crimes
Qaughter), instead of the marks of a
life spent for the most part and now
altogether in the Sunday school (augh-
ter and cries of OH Ohi'), of a life
that may well stand an example to
all generations that have risen or will
r1z-I mean to say will rise. His pIi-
waite character is altogether suggestive
of virtues which to all appearances he
has not CLaughter) If you Will ex-
anime his past history you will find
it is marked all over with WayWardneSS
and effects a q
great spirit upon weak body Qaugh-
teTD, mere accidents of a great career.
Haughter.) In his heart he cherishes
every virtue on the list of virtues and
he practices them all-secretly Oaugh-
teri, always secretly. Laughter) You
all know him so well that there is no
need for him TO be introduced here.
Gentlemen, Colonel Brown
Colonel Brown rose and somewhat
breathlessly said that he understood
programme had been prepared and he
wished some one would come forward
with it. Then the colonel said he wished
to compliment Mr.. Twain on his ability
as a reader of character The pro-
graInme was then produced and a card
manipulation did some tricks Mr..
Clemens guyed him until he dropped
most of his cards.
}. I. C. Clarke, the playwright, said
that he once went out to California a
great many years ago and found that
Mark Twain was very unpopular at
Suffers Creek because of the way in
which he had maligned the inhabitants.
Mr. Clarke also said that he hoped Mark
Twain would live as long as the nation,
and compared his heroisn in meeting
and overcoming the debts of Webster
& Co to the heroism of Dewey and
Hobson.
Mr.. Clemens rose again. as he said.
not because he was asked to, but be-
cause he was afraid that if he waited
he would not be asked. He said that
it was not the ISLANDERS that hurt a man
but the truths that We're told about him
II the world knew half as much about
us as we knew about ourselves we could
never face it. When a man awol1e at
o'clock in the morning with a feeling
of utter loneliness, a feeling that he had
done nothing worth doing and was worth
nothing, it wasn't on account of the
lies that had been told about him; it
was on account of the infamieS which
nobody knew. The ISLANDERS according
ly about Suffers Greek did not worry
him at all. They were simply the effer-
vescences of inefficient intellects. Mr.
Clemens went on to expatiate on his
theory of the genius of humor, saying
that no humor that was worth having
came from any place but from the tear
full places of life. When he had talked
in this strain for 20 minutes or so he
turned to Mr.. Clarke and said: by the
way, I did not live at Suffers Creek-I
never did. You were thinking of Bret
Harte."
Mr.. Clarke curled up in his chair and
10 cover MS en- DarraSSInent. Mr.. Glenn
ems told a story to explain why Bret
Harte left the neighborhood of Suffers
Creek
John A Hennessy. chairman of the
board of trustees of the club said that
he had never read any of Mark TWains
works, though he had heard there were
estimable. Mr.. Hennessy said he be-
lieved that Mr.. Clemens lack of rever-
ence for truth had been the inspiration
for yellow journalism. Charities Com
missioner Keller made a brief address.
After a short vaudeville entertain
ment Mr.. Clemens rose to say good
night He said that there was q time
when he did not go home early I'm
old now he said. I've reformed. I'm
just as competent to stay all night as
ever was. It's to save my reputation
that 1 go. Years ago I didn't have any
reputation-we were all alike then
When you get old and respectable you
will understand There is one thing that
still rankles about this reception It's
about that nice young man who said he
had never read anything I wrote. He
looked 50 intelligent, too. Looks don't
mean anything after all. It was only a
sham intelligence He had not the basis
of an ordinary education. Good night"
Colonel Abe Gruber nominated Mr..
Clemens to be the anti-Tammany can
IL. 4.- frv4 -