The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-04-28
MARK TWAIN, KING OF HUMOR.
Comprehensive Estimate of Americas
Late Literary Genius.
ark Twain is deadl

AAS%A ~ L "tAiAA - OSStAs
The king is dead-long live the king
But there is no heir, either apparent OF
presumptive. The throne of humor
whose kingdom was the world, is empty
The scepter that swayed the universe
heart-the pen-lies idle at last. The
empire of laughter and also of tears
this king Of the writing craft founded
and which he fostered for nearly fifty
years is become as whirling dust in the
abyss Of the things that were. Only
there remains the heritage of the deaC
rulers kindly philosophy, his droll fun
his quips and jestings and his pathos,
Mark Twain became before he dice
the most famous man on earth. He was
not merely a man; he was an institution
He was a sort of nelghborhood settle.
ment of good cheer, with many branches
located in the GASES as in the waste
places, where admission and refresh
ment were free to all. Millions-how
many millions is beyond estimating
came and partook of his wine of Opt.
mism and stayed for supper. His fame
was and is universal. Though an Amer
Jean born, a native of Missouri, he be-
longed to all lands. He had travelled ir
all lands and lived in most of them. He
had more Temperament homes per
haps than any other man of his day.
Nearly always he was a wanderer,
sometimes from necessity, more fire.
quently from choice. The world was
his plaything, and he was not content
without remapping for himself the en-
tire surface of the big bali.
He was man of most striking APP
pearance-the kind that attracts atten-
ton anywhere in a crowd and causes
others to take second look. In his
later years his shock-ro, his crown
of hair, perfectly white and glossy like
fine spun silk, became his trademark of
recognition by strangers wherever he
went. | have seen woman who never
before saw Mark Twain pick him out
without opera glasses, though she sat
in the top gallery of Carnegie hall and
he occupied lower box near the stage,
and the great house was crowded. He
had no doubles as to personal appear
ance-there was only one of him.
And there was only one of Mark
Twain as literary syndicate. 1t has
become the fashion to describe him as
the great American humorist. This
undoubtedly he was, but he was more.
His appreciation of Joan of Arc, first
published anonymously, is accepted by
critics of acumen as one of the most
refined works in the serious literature
of the nineteenth century. The book
won its way before Mark Twain ad-
mitted its paternity. While he was
writing the Joan classic he worked,
time and time about, on that amazing
funny masterpiece, ''Pudd'nhead Will
son. He simply couldn't be serious
altogether for a stated period.
Nor must we take it for granted that
Mark Twain, summing up his career as
a writer, ever was altogether funny
He never was. He was one of the clos
est observers OF human nature and in
situations, places and things, that ever
lived. Even in his most humorous
books we find that he has made accurate
transcripts of the things which i'm
pressed him. Though he exaggerated.
a privilege belonging to his profession,
one can read between the lines the in
herring truth. He was an inyeterate
foe to shams of every sort, and appar-
emily knew his highest happiness when
with droll sarcasm he punctured pop
ular fraud with his pen.
But Mark Twain often wrote books
just because he had the story to tell.
The tale of tom Sawyer" is one of
these, and the ''Huckleberry Finn"
book is another. Each of these is true
to life-to boy life Rudy&rd Kipling
is said to have remarked that he would
rather be the author of Tom Sawyer"
than of all of his own works.
1.-The Innocents Abroad" of course,
always will be associated with Mark
Twain name as one of his most char
acteristic books, but that may be be-
cause it was his first big work and won
for him the fame and the fortune which
enabled him to write what he pleased.
Mark Twain's name was Samuel
Langhorne Clemens, but it was used
chiefly as vessel whereon universities
hung LII. D. handles. He was Or
Clemens" three times over, but the
distinction never spoiled him. With no
school learning save such as he gained
from a few years attendance at the viii
lage school in Hannibal, Mo. his
scholastic titles were earned by literary
work which the whole world accepted
Mark Twain was intensely democrat
ic. He was easily approachable, and he
never emitted any bears growl or hon s
roar. Even the humblest person was
made to feel at home in his presence.
Shrinking reporters sent to interview