Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-01

flesh until he was in the gorgeous
sunset days Of his long. useful and
glorious life.
CREATED A SENSATION.
1.-The way came to know Mark Twain
personally is that three or four years
ago he visited washington as a lobbyist.
Let not the prudlsh and squeamish shud-
dor Mt the term, for Mark Twain was
not only lobbyist but very prince Of
lobbyists He did honor not only to the
lobbyist but also to those with whom
no lobbcd
80 It came to pass that on meinor-
able day Mark Twain. lobbyist. with his
world wide reputation as his avant
courier, dcso ended upon the capital in
gorgeous attire and swept everything
4eforc him. Solomon in all his glory WAS
not arraycd os was the Sraa. Missourian,
for in the dead O. wi:ter he wore
suit Of white flannels, white as the snow
which filled the air while all the world
wondered. He created a profound SEN
saton. as he no doubt intended to do,
n sensation which 90 far as he was con-
ocrned was strictly unitarian In charac-
ter and cunnnely planned for effect
upon hard headed. matter of fact so!ons.
THE subject matter of his lobbying
was Improvement in the copyright laws.
which were sadly in need of improve
ment. 1t was a subject near his heart.
He was intensely to earnest, persistent,
enthusiastic optimistic.
HARD TO KEEP a G, DRUM.
Mr.. Cannon gracefully and lgraciously
| turned over one of his rooms to Mark
Twain. and in it he held his court some
hat, 10,
aliaaton of business in Congress. for SO
| long he remained in tho capital it was
| almost Impossible to maintain n quorum
! in tn" House. so eager We're members to
! look into his face shake his hand, form
! his acquaintance and listen to his con-
versation. All men and all women and
! even the little children In the street Wed
| with each other to do him honor.
''rhe great hearted Niseourlan enjoyed
| it to the limit He talked with perfect
abandon on multitude of subjects and
all the while he lobbed, lobbied skilfuly,
lobbied in delightful manner, lobbied with
side splitting yarns, lobbied with fetching
argument for Justice. and accomplished
| the substance of what he sought, n rich
henefaction to American authors
II think myself happy to have been able
| 10 ala MN IN ms sell imposed tdSk Oh
aiding the American writer's
HENRY wATTERsONS ADDRESS.
Recollections of Mark Twains life were
given by Henry Watterson of Louisville.
Although Mark Twain and l." said
| Mr.. Watterson. "called each other
| cousin and claimed to be blood rela-
| tives, the connection between us was by
marriage. a great uncle of his mar
ried Il great aunt of mine; his mother
was named after and reared by this
great aunt: and the children of the mar
riagc were of course, his cousins and
mine. Though the family became widely
| separated, we were lifelong and very
dear friends passed much time together
at home and abroad; and had many COM
| mon ties and memories.
| Just after the successful production
of his play The G!lded Age and the
| uproarious hit OF the comedian. Raymond,
In its leading role, received a letter
from him In which he told me he had
made in Col. Mulberry Sellers a close
study OF n certain mutual kinsman and
thought he had drawn him to the life.
| but for the love of heaven he said.
| don't whisper II for he would never
understand or forgive me, II he did not
thrash me on sight
The pathos Of the part and not it's
comic aspects. had most impressed
him. He designed and wrote 1t for
Edwin Booth, From the first and al
ways he was Disguised by the Ray
mond portrayal. Except for Its pop
ularity and money making. he would
have withdrawn it from the stage as.
In a fit Of pique. Raymond himself
Gid, while IT was stu packing the
theatres. The original Sellers had
partly brought him up and been very
good to him: a second Don Quixote In
appearance and not unlike the
knight OF La Hancha In character
MEDLEY OF CONTRADICTIONS.
How much of melancholy lay hid
den behind the mask of the humor-
list It would be hard to say His
| Sriefs were tempered by vein of
, philosophy. He was medley Of con-
} tradictions. unconventional to the
point OF eccentricity, his sense OF his
J own dignity was all sufficient Though
) lavish in the use Of money he had a
} full realization Of It's value and made
close contracts for his work Like
sellers, his mind scared when it
sailed financial currents, He lacked
sound business judgment In the larger
things, while an excellent economist
in tho lesser
His marriage was the most brill
liant success of his life Hc got the
woman OF all the world he most need
cd truly lovely and wise helpmate;
who kept him in bounds and headed
him straight and right while she
lived; the best of housewives and
mothers, and the safest OF councillors
I ana soundest OF critics She knew
his worth; she understood his genius
she clearly saw his limitations and
angles. Her death was n grievous
disaster as well as n staggering blow.
, lie never quite survived It.
INTEGRITY THE BEDROCK.
Mark Twain's place In literature 1t
is not Tor us to fix. We are here the
rather to common orate his character
. ana his personality; his courageous
and upright manhood as strong as
u SCOTS, as primitive as Carlyle's. as
unassuming and simple as IrvinEs and
Whittier's; integrity the bedrock hard
and fast, quite hidden under the YER
dure of sentiment and the flower OF
, the loyal and the gentle
with the fine, uncrring phrasing of
his penetrated insight Mr.. Howells
called him the Lincoln of our litera-
ture. 1T is n striking title, and az