The Washington herald., 1910-12-01


from gloomy tonight at Carnegie
Hall when the old friends of Mark
Twain and that small fraction of
his admirers which could be
squeezed between the floor and the
ceiling of the big building gathered
for the memorial ceremonies which
the Mark Twain memorial commit
tee of the American Academy Of
Arts and Letters had arranged.
The speakers and the audience
seemed 10 agree with an opinion
expressed by the presiding officer
of the exercises, William Dean
Howells: at seems to me" )" said Mr..
Howells, in his short Introductory
talk, 'that we are met tonight not
so much TO commemorate as to rec
ognize a great man, who still lives
in us as Our contemporary" and
then followed laughter over Mark
Twain's jokes as they were related
from the platform by others.
SPOKE OF Fun.
Even the dead authors pastor and
close friend. Rev. Joseph Hopkins
Twitchell. spoke only Of the good fun Il
was 10 trot around Europe with Mark.
20 open letter from him in ones morn
ing mail. and to sit near him at his fire.
side while the smoke mingled with ths
cloud OF white hair that might have been
the result Of a particularly hard pun
| fresh from the bechewed end Of Marks
cigar.
| On the platform with Mr.. Howells were
( the speakers Speaker Joseph c. Can
non, Col Henry Watterson. George y.
Cable. Hon Joseph II. Choate. Champ
Clark. and Rev. DR.. Twitchell. DR..
/ Henry Van Dyke, who read poem at
| the conclusion Of the addresses, also was
seated among those in the first row OF
the assamblage on the platform.
Not to Be FunerenI.
| After a prelude on the big organ played
4 by Warren r. Hedden, Mr.. Howells' in
/ troductory talk told IN brief that the
| commemorative exercises Of tonight were
designed with the thought that the mood
and the make" Of the commemoration
would not be formal and viii not be
1 funereal.
! The man himself could no more be
/ formaIized than flame" Mr, Howells said
His vivid genius ranged at viii through
| all the ways OF life. Now that IL is freed
10 the painless amplitude OF the skies. it
could hardly offer the pattern of a con-
ven;lonal observance. II the mood and
the make OF our commemoration could be
left to him we might hear him saying:
I "'Why. % course. you mustn't make a
! solemnity OF il; you mustn't have that
sort of obsequy. ! should want you TO be
serious about me-that is sincere; and
you couldn't be sincere II you ran TO
eulogy.
Say CreditsbIe Things.
But If any Of you can remember some
creditable thing about me I shouldn't
mind his telling 1t. providing always he
didn't blink the palliating circumstances.
the selfish considerations. that accompany
every noble action I should not Ike 10
DO made out "a miracle Of humor either.
and left a stumbling block FOR any one
who was intending to be moderately
amusing and instructive hereafter. And
at the same time / did not suppose a COM
memoration is exactly the occasion for
dwelling on a mans shortcomings in his
| life or his literature or for realizing that
he has entered upon an immortality OF
Oblivion.
| Mr.. Howells introduced Joseph II.
| Choate. who read paper of reminiscence
Of Twain in England. and in which AIr.
| ChOate interspersed some thoughts sug-
geated by his intimacy with the humorist
not only abroad but in America.
! II Speaker CarSOn has had his share
of seeming lack of appreciation lately
there was an audience spread out before
| him tonight that showed him they were
glad to see him. When he stood up 10
read his homely, kindly paper about his
/ friend Mark there was a burst Of ap-
plause that jumped to the rafters. banged
down and jumped up again. From the
way the applause rolled and continued TO
roll about the house one was reminded
/ of campaign days.
I'VE call him our greatest humorist, 4"
| said Speaker Cannon, hut I take his
work as a series of photographs rather
than as creations OF fancy Tom Sawyer
is the most natural boy between covers
/ and Col. Sellers is a daily visitor at the
| National Capital" Laughter)
The greater part Of Mr.. Cannon's
! paper had to do with the visit Twin
made to Washington in the interest OF
the authors copyright bill. Twain
( wanted TO get on the floor OF the House
10 talk "for about three hours, he said.
! but learned that only those who could
attain the honor of the floor were per-
sons who had received the thanks OF
(.oots,.aa m p.re 4 Cofw..,v, q