The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-31
Literary Lights And Shadows


Mark Twair,s Speeches" With pre-
face by Mark Twain and introduc-
ton by w. d. Unveils. (Harper q
Bros.)
In his speech Compliments and De-
grees" delivered at the Lotos club. New
York. January H. 1905, Mark Twain, mem
tioning q number of compliments paid
him In a long life, stated:
Now here is gold miners compli-
tnent.. 1t is AZ years old 1t was my in
PRODUCTION to an audience to which | lee
.ured In a log schoolhouse There We're
no ladies' there. l wasn't famous then.
They didn't know me. Only the miners
were there, with their breeches tucked
nto their boot-tops and with clay all
over them. They wanted some one 10
introduce me, and they selected MINER
who protested, saying
~ don't know anything about this
man. Anyhow, | only know two things
about him. One is he has never been In
jail, and tho other Is, don't Rno"
why"
"Mar,k Twain S Speeches" reveals Mr.
Clemens in a new and interesting phase
Mark Twain was, first of all, lecturer
almost before he began. to write. In tnls
Jew book are some OF his carries. nuin 40,
aus lectures and speeches These lee
lures speeches and remarks cover almost
every conceivable subject from weather
to women and women to politics and
fishing. The speeches in point of time
cover a little more than half Mr.. Glenn
ems life Many Of them were delivered
at important occasions. In this volume
win be found the speech delivered at
oxford when Mr.. Clemens received the
doctors degree from that university
speeches at various birthday dinners; the
address delivered at the Aldrich me-
norial meeting. etc. And star of all
1.-THE Story of a Speech"-a wonder,
winner, gem. gee! II you cannot take
in Boston Hubship properly, as you
should, you ought to read that speech
Nor should you miss Mark Twain's story
of how he took a girl to the theatre while
he was wearing tight boots-and what
happened what nice time he had
or course, you don't wish to read Mark
rwain's Speeches through at sitting
Mr.. Clemens tells you how 1t Is In the
preface:
III I were to sell the reader a barrel
of molasses, and he, instead of sweet
ening his substantial dinner with the
same at 1udicious intervals, should eat
the entire barrel at one sitting. and then
abuse me for making him sick. would
say that he deserved to be MADE SICK ior
not knowing any better how to utilize
the blessings this world affords. And II
I sell to the reader this volume OF nom
sense. and he, instead of seasoning his
graver reading with q chapter Of 1t now
and then when his mind demands such
relaxation. unwisely overdoses himself
with several chapters OF 1t at single
fitting, he will deserve to be nauseated
and he will have nobody to blame but
himself IL he is.
"There is no more sin in publishing an
entire volume of nonsense than. there Is
in keeping a candy store with no hard
ware in It, 1t lies wholly with the GUS
toner whether he will injure himself by
means of either, or he will derive from
them the benefits which they VIII AFFORD
him IL he uses their possibilities judi
ciously."
"princess Helene Won Racowitza." An
autobiography. Authorized translation
from the German by Cecil Mar. CINE
Macmillan Company.
One of the most Interesting women who
have recently broken loose with book
of any sort is the Princess Helene Won
Racowitza-
The princess is very fair with US. In
the first chapter we are warned that:
The following sketches are not intend
ed for timid souls or conventional think
ers, nor for those who are prudishly IN
clined or narrow minded Such people
had better not take up this book-not
even glance through It's pages-for the
result might be vexation of spirit!
Something like that-vexa'loh OIL spiri'-
good term, that!
INV aim is not to shock my readers,
but to warn them of certain things In
life which are better avoided, or maybe
to prove to them that, after all, the best
thing life contains is courage to uphold
truth and to avoid lying In word and
deed
1.-The following "reminiscences OF a
stormy life are offered for emancipated
people-to those independent souls who,
having reached the pinnacle which stands
above all conventions, look forward to
the time when, each one will be free TO
form his own life according to his own
individuality. untrammeled by social or
family prejudices-when women Will be
no longer regarded as a household drudge
but as the comrade of man, not as his
mere instrument OF pleasure-or maybe
even as his enemy.
Let me, therefore, once more warn
those who are easily shocked not to
read!
"To the free and courageous say,
.Read!' but read with the desire to un-
derstand the true nature of the author
as she follows the path traced for her
by Fate from heights to depths-even
to the verge OF the miro. The road leads
eventually toward the light and remains
therein. -
The Princess felt called upon also to
ask herself. docs my story contain any
thing important enough to interest man
kinder perchance to help any reader
over dark hour? Yes, think So"
The Princess Helene was the daughter
of Herr Donniges. German minister to
italy as late as 1872. Previously Minis
ter Donniges was in the service of the
Kings Max II and Louis II Of Bavaria,
1s48-1S63, where the princess was intro
duced to many strange sights. people and
things, of which she very interestingly
tells In her delightful autobiography
or the standards. conventionality and so
on maintained in European society In the
1853 days. the princess says:
"This Is what saw in oilr salon, where
the majority Of the &C. b-ities already
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. all. my own father
carried on, either openly or In secret,
liaisons with the ladies, or at least In
dulged in obvious flirtations, as they are
now called-or courtships, as 1t was ex-
nressed in those days. TO princess was
growing up, in this environment. Inter
estIne and instructive, this company most
certainly was: but conducive to sound
morals and cleanliness of spirit 1t en-
phatically was not. Morals were of Sec
ondary consideration. Let me mention a
few Of the celebrities I saw at that times
There were Bulwer Lytto,. Meyebeer
Lord Brougham, Dickens. ~ince Bar
clay de folly, the old King Louis of
Bavaria the transitory King Max H.
From the Russian court there were the
old Empress of the Russian court. widow
of Nicholas I; the glorious Grand Ouch
ess Helen princess Of Wurtemberg); and
the ideally lovely Grand Duchess Con-
stantine." The princess gives most
amusing account of Bulwer in his knee
brooches. how he appeared always with