Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-20
Doubleday. Page & Co. Washing
ton: Woodward & Lothrop.

Here the williamsons get back to their
familiar formula, an automobile. pretty
girl, a handsome man and a guide book.
THE Motor Maid" carries the fascinated
reader through Provence. transmitting
into delightful fiction the romance of that
ancient and historic land. There is some
thing strikingly familiar about the
mechanism which the authors employ as
vehicle OF story telling. The girl.
daughter OF a Frenchman of long lineage.
! is by circumstances impressed into serv-
ice as maid to an impossible new-rich
Englshwoman. In the evolution from
of title, Mrs. 'TurnOur"-new-rfch for
Turner-deve1ops into a screaming abb
surdity. Sir Samuel. her liver piii-mak-
ing husband. is more human, nut the
contrast between these two and their
lady maid and gentleman-chauffeur gives
the Wiliamsons their best opportunity
of some years to produce delightful ef-
fects. There is just enough OF the guide
book about The Motor Maid to be sug-
gestively instructive and diverting with
which works to its usual happy conclu-
sion. arriving there by a swift and un-
expected climax 1.-The Motor Maid
will revive the interest of those who hrst
enjoyed THE Lightning Conductor. but
who have not found in all the subsequent
which marked that exceptional tale.
MARK TwAIN'S SPEECHES; with m
HowelIs. New York: Harper &
Brothers.
Mr.. Howells I'm his brief. eloquent intro
duction to these reproduced speeches OF
the man who will be known doubtless for
ever more by his nom de plume notes the
fact that Mr. Clemens was great actor
as well as a great author. That is to say.
he knew how to give the spoken word a
peculiar vitality and significance. how 10
invest il with the color Of life. Mark
Twain's nearest approaches to failure as
speaker were the result Of his occa-
sional trusting TO spontaneity. He
studied every word and syllable and men,
orized them by a system of mnemonics
peculiar to himself. consisting OF an arbi-
trary arrangement of things on table
knives, forks. salt-cellars. inkstands. pens.
boxes. or whatever was at hand-which
stood for points and clauses and climaxes
and were at once indelible diction and
constant suggestion Here are assem-
Died over, one hundred of Mark Twain s
addresses and speeches, delivered on all
sorts Of occasions. at banquets. at meet
ings, at dedications, some long, some
short. some characteristic OF the fnimita-
BILE Clemens humor. others in more seri-
Gus vein, on all conceivable subjects from
the weather to the moral Righteousness OF
the American union. Among them are the
speech delivered at Oxford When he re-
ceived the doctors degree from that uni
versity; the address at the Aldrich me-
mortal meeting; an argument before the
congressional committee on patents.
pleading for an amendment Of the copy
right law; an eloquent plea for the bene-
fit Of the Russian sufferers at the Casino
Theater in 1905; a talk on accident insur-
ance at q London dinner; an address oS'
Joan Of Arc before the Society Of Illus
traitors; and so on through long, de-
Iightful range of personal reminders of
the man. the thinker. the humorous COM
mentator on current affairs. the homely
philosopher, the vigorous champion OF
causes and defender of rights. appro-
priately concluding with a speech delv-