New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-06
DINNER FOR MARK TWAIN.
TO NARK 10TH BIRTHD4Y.
Giues Rules for Long Life to limo
cents at Home.

/
| cred them together, than hundred strong
and permitted only half a dozen besides writers
! of fiction to and pay homage. These were
| Mr.. and Mrs. Andrew Carnegie, Henry H. Rogers
| Perry Belmont, Mr. and Mrs. Orme Wilson and
| Creighton Webb.
! Three years ago Colonel Harvey gave another
| birthday dinner to Mr. Clemens On that occasion
| the company smaller and of a vastly differ
| ent character. The speakers then Secretary
Hay. Wayne MacVeagh Thomas b. Reed and
| William Dean Howells Last night, with the
! ception OF Mr.. Carnegie, who also claimed citi-
zenship in the republic of letters, they all
literary people. led by Mr.. Howells. Brander Mat
| thews, George w Gable, Mrs. Kate Douglas
| Wiggin and Richard Watson Glider. All had come
| 20 pay tribute the of threescore
years, who. IN his fnmitable manner. told
them how he had come into this world and how he
had achieved the fulness of years that was his
one Of the most sincere tributes from
Brander Matthews, who had introduced by
Colonel Harvey as the great master and chapion
OF the American language distinguished from
the English language. Professor Matthews dis
claimed this high praise and said that he glad
to have the opportunity to acclaim the guest of
the evening of the great masters of the
! language He continued:
He is great as stylist His style is direct. free
hatting and never sharping he is one of the real
| leaders OF our recent masters of English speech
Andrew Carnegie spoke with much feeling of how
he valued the friendship of Mr. Clemens and what
(
Mark Twain" said Mr. Carnegie .'wbo failed TO
come under the influence Of that iovabIe nature
All men loved him. and all were proud to have
shaken his hand He quoted from the venerable
Thomas Wentworth Higginson who had bewaiIed
MS loss yesterday morning in not being able
attend the dinner and pay his tribute to that
lovable man." Men like Mr. Clemens" said Mr.
Carnegie. never lack friends. We think ourselves
In nothing else so happy in remembering him.
William Dean HowelIs called on by Colonel
Il he heaIt ofN Mr. nd
he said he would precede the health by poem
which he had written for the affair. but he would
also precede this by few explanatory remarks
Mr.. Clemens he said, always throws me into
a poetic ecstacy. There be some undercur-
rent of poetry in him that draws me with him
and L always think of him in poetry. Three years
ago on somewhat similar occasion to this 1
wrote double-harTeed sonnet about him. I call
1t double barrelled because it had twenty-eght
lines instead of fourteen. Tonight he has reached
the Psalmst's age and he should perhaps have
psalm-the Psalm of David, if nothing better
can be found. have, however, endeavored to
write Shakespearian sonnet, but of twice Shake
spearean length. You will observe how Shake
speare has improved since he died Bernard Shaw
writes plays twice good as Shakespeare
write sonnets twice as long"
Mr.. HoWells then read the following poem:
5e With the S 3 Mor so fsss %
To az place uptown. where colossus shaped
vast vast smile dawnins from is mighty lips
One eye winked in perpetual eclipse.
VIA In the &, other her, huge tear Of pity stood
and Wb sD bpk gFOtesqgs esqtan
So ha T aT o n es IN M
And it replied. Il am the American joke
7 am no the Joke that laughs the proud
cheer sg the lowly. clipper the forlorn,
tell the tale that makes men cry for joy;
=, bring 9Th the Ia laugh that has hate in IL
Ny big stick blossoms With thorn ils wit Wit
Reaches the deaf unrampeted e the bind indn
But most love TO jolly my kind
type ter gay Mark e T%an made
On finishing the reading he called for Mark
Twains health. saying: I'VE ask not. oh. King
live forever but, on, King. live as long as you
like
Mark Twain rose to reply amid great enthusiasm.
The guests stood up and clapped and cheered and
waved their handkerchiefs and napkins, and it was
several minutes before they quoted sufficiently
Mr. Clemens to begin his speech. When he was
finally able TO make himself heard he said:
n Phe T seyen tt 6rthday is the time of life
can tell the world how you got there 1 have been |
and at last have the right 1 have aehieVed
ty SEEM f years IN the usual way by sticking
body else. | will offer here. sound maxim |
road 'i'''' can Fe''eh oiu age oy another man
w 9w a tsaeh offering my of life
scheme which has enabled me beat the doctor
Ter of diet have been persstent1y strict in STICK
ing to the things which didn't agree with me until
lately got the best OF i myself 0e But oi last spring
night up to then had always 'S Believed P ii It wasn't
!oaded; ! nave made 1t rule never 10 smoke !
just when I began to smoke. L only know that |
Greet He passed from this life early in 1S47 when
Smoked saf since dber h anS
not that I care for moderation myself; it has al
and never to refrain when awake.
IT IS al OF sixty years since l began to smoke
belts around them. 1 early found that those were
toe expensive for me. 1 have always bought cheap
ago they me 81 a barrel but my taste fatteriy
As for drinking, have no rule about that When
me DINERS drink like 10 help otherwise remain
Since was seven years old have seldom taken
a oose OF medicine, and have still schooner needed
pathic medicines. Not that needed them. 1t was
debt. and it made codliver oil cheaper than the
other breakfast foods. We had nine barrels of it,
| the first STANDARD Oil Trust had it all.
by the time the drug store was exhausted my
Il have never taken exercise except sleeping
else is loathsome. And it cannot be any benefit
when you are tired; was always tired
be a mistake for other people to try that. Morals
language. like piety, poker. paralysis mo man is
born with them. l wasn't myself. / started poor
this house that is poorer than l was then. Yes. !
started IKE that-the world before me not moral ora
IN the slot | can remember the first one ever got.
1t was an old. secondhand moral. all out of repair
a thing Ike that, and keep it in dry place and
distpfect it now and Them and give II fresh coat
to see how wen she viii last and how long she will
KEEP OF at e and the
statute Of Limitations; After that, you owe no &C
are time-expired man, TO use Kiping's military
The previous engagement plea. which in forty
years has cost you so many twinges, You can laX