Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-23
MARK TW AIN

OF Mark Twain-Mr. Clemens-lhe
man. and " his work. something more
should be said
He was. above an else. a typical
American. Genuine TO the core, DE
saw through conventional shams with
remarkable insight. and depicted them
with a keen. wholesouled and kindly
humor that ontitle him 20 the rank OF
a philosopher teaching by witticisms.
His humor was so unexpected and yet
so obvious. his daring use Of the local
slang and vernacular so unaffected,
that many able critics decided that his
works we're frivolous. his style vulgar
and his books unworthy Of recogni-
ton: and they were denied place In
many public and private Libraries on
this very account.
Like many another genius, there
fore the critics were unjust TO him.
and failed 10 discern the solid merit In
works so funny" as 10 be Immensely
appreciated by the average man. How
ever. il happened that the tardy recog-
milton Of his worth as a teacher was
at length accorded 20 him during his
Ufe-time-though IN his advanced years
and It will hardly be said Of him. as
Of so many others, that he lived a
century before his time.
The writer recalls that In HE own
college days, the writings ~ Mr. Glenn
ems were expressly condemned by the
literary purists as a special example
/ OF the injudicious use OF coiloquial YER
nacular and In particular, Of Amer
lean slang. Even those critics who
look deeper than words and phraseoi-
| ogv for evidences Of merit. beratod
| Mark Twain's works as lacking IN any
| claim 10 permanent popularity. Thus,
| I'm Prof. Richardson's American Lit
| orature." first published In 1855 we
| read that the creator OF "lnnocents
| Abroad" was doomed, like several 9TH
! or authors classified with him. to obliv-
| ion. This really able critic went on
| 10 say. Twenty years hence, unless
/ they chance 20 cushrine their wit in
some higher literary achievement, their
| unknown successors will be the privi-
legged comedians OF tho Republic. HUI
NOR alone never gives its masters a
| place in literature
Il was this failure % perceive that
! Mark Twain was not writing "humor
alone" that misled the ablo critics OF
his dav. another Of whom said Of him
and Artemus Ward. TT win not do 10
ignore them as mere butoons. or even
90 predict that their humors will soon
be forgotten
when IL came 10 be perceived that
Twain was writing his convictions and
| that his irreprcssible humor was only
his great and unconscious way OF con-
| yeyIng both his argument and his dis
] corning Wow N the facts and conditions
OF which he wrote. a change came over
the spirit OF the literary criticism con-
| corning him: and tho influential society
| NJ contemporary literature, which had
| previously condemned and houtcd him,
| turned completely around and praised
without stint the unique and wonder
, rul natural ondoWments Of man who
could. without apparent effort, delight
the hearts OF tens Of thousands of his
rouptrvmcn with "Boughlng H." "The
Innoccnts Abroad" and "rom sawyer"
Modern psychological opinion has
taught ms that De who truly under
stands human nature, and more espeoi-
ally child nature. is qualified 10 i'm
struct and warn HE fellows. Twain's
works clearly disclose this knowledge.
From beneath an his Jokes IL is now
clearly discerniblei and. better stil, no
not only know, but loved the boys Of
whom he wrote. while he truly apprecl-
stcd the man whom the crude life Of
the western frontier had concealed
from the superficial gaze Of those who
believe that clothes and manners
make the man.
Il Is now but a few years since Prof
Phelps Of Yale. quoting the remark OF
a renowned critic that az would DE
ridiculous to compare Mark Twain
with Holmes, added that this Is true
because. said he Il think II not un-
likely that the name OF Mark Twain
win outlast the name OF Holmes
lie has not the subtlety OF Henry
; ] James, nor the wonderful charm OF Mr.