The Washington times., 1910-04-22
Gentle Friend and Fearless
Champion Lost to the
People.

Mark Twain's death removes from the
International field Of letters the creator
Of American literary humOr, and one Of
its most distinguished HtterateUrs-
With his passing the people OF the
woTld-the militant and persuasive doors
Of things alike-have lost a gentle, sym
pathizing friend and fearless champion
For almost seventy-fve years he lived
and for two-score he numbered his ad-
mirers by figures that rival the census
Of the enlightened world
lie drew his personal friends from
every condition OF lie and held them
steadfastly by his engaging wholesome
personality and earnest understanding
Snatched from the obscurity Of his
gentle birth by tickle fortune and rear
ed in the university or the world to be-
come the master Of wholesome humor,
Mark Twain retained to the last mis- deli
cate distinctions Of light and shade. Civ
ing TO the world its dearest smiles and
drawing from 1t its most willing, sym
pathetic tears. For with all his humor
the public eve has seen no happy life
puncruated with deeper sorrOws. He had
known every travail of the soul, and
few there are whose spirit of sound hJ-
nor would have survived 30 many on
sIaughts OF a whimsical and cruel tate
Always Hoping for Best
II was the same man who gave this
message TO an anxious world
+-RIuors Of my deathe are largely ex-
seEerated,' - who subsequently described
h-s health as mot ruggedly vel. but
not III enough 10 excite an undertake.
and who. on return from Bermuda, two
DAYS prior 70 the sudden death OF his IA
vorite daughter Jean, the day before last
Christmas, confirmed the belief OF the
newspaper reporters who net him at Llle
sangpIank, with this discoUraEing state
Nv active work in this life and for
lie world Is done I shall write no more
books nor attempt new work
The accompanying smile was one OF
smiable sadness His cheeks were hoi-
low and fuTTowed, and his gait was
shutting and uncertain, as II tired al
most unto death
timely death. his daughter Jean made
public this statement at the instance OF
Ter father
Il hear the newspapers say I am
dying The charge is not true I would
do no such thing at my time OF life
I am behaving a. well as I can Merry
Christmas TO everybody
Daughters Death a Blow
How merry was his Christmas Is
known throughout a sympathizinE uni
verse. The hand of fate, always IN
scrutabIe, dealt its crueIest blow TO
the kiudest, gentlest OF men
The hour hand had Travelled but once
around the clock before the daughter
his couhdante, companion. and amanu-
ensis-was found dead IN her bath. a.
their country home. -'Stormtield, Red
ding. Conn Her last act had been
the preparation OF mammoth Christ
mas tree
The shock which transformed the
Christmas symbols INTO oler-t1e
most completed the wreck made pos
sEble bv the ravaEes Of time
Recalling the statement OF the pre-
viOUs evening which Knocked the Tu-
ulorS Of his death, the author Tentur-
ed. pitifuIIv- that The punishment is
more than the act meTited-' and set
tied back into a silent stole conflict
win his latest EFleL IHaT ms Aeaitn
declined gradually from this cause no
one doubts and Mark Twain himself
In 1888 while there were less than
q million white inhabitants In the
great empire west Of the Mississippi,
II was November So and The scene
OF his nativity was a hum BILE cabin
at Florida Mo- which a. that time
marked the extreme fringe of frontier
Marshall Clemens OF Virginia. and
his good wife who was Jane Lamb
ton. OF Ken tucky-
Ancestry on Two Continents
The father was q IueaI descendant
OF Gregory Clement one OF the three
judges who condemned 70 death Charles
J. Clement, excepted from the general
amnesty following the restoration, lost
his head in consequence
Jane I.anbton's f0rH=ars strove with
Daniel Boone on the dark and bloody
ground---the scene Of her birth twenty
nine years after the building OF The first
log cabin within the present confines OF
that Commonwealth Even n the state
famous as dollhouse Of feminine
beauty. Jane Lambton became known
as one os the most beautiful and bril-
liant bellies OF her time IN the Bluegrass
state
Clemens parents, victims Of the
vanderlust. left their small property Il
Lexington for q new home al James
town, on the Cumberland river. 70 Ten
uessee. Next they Travelled to Missouri.
Passing St Louis. then a city Of 1G.111
souls. for what seemed 10 them a land
of brighter promise They settled at
Florida. hamlet, described bv the
author in later years aS fthe settlement
that Just divides the desert from the
scw-U- -
Ii was there that the future Mark