University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1912-05-17

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Mark Twain. is the first who comes t.
mind. This week his boyhOod home il
Hannibal. Mo-. was publicly dedicat
ed as memorial to him. The h ust
was built by his father, John Mar
shall Clemens, in 1914 1t was re-
Gently purchased by Mr.. and Mrs. G.
A. Mahan and repaired. the settings
being preserved as nearly as possible
as they We're when Mark Twain lived
there. The place was decided to the
city of Hannibal. A bronze tablet
modelled by Miss Angelica Schuyler
Church of New York was placed on
the wall in the front room down
stairs. Miss Church modelled the
head and bust mostly from memory
and those who knew Mr.. Clemens
say it is wonderful likeness of him.
| In the same block with the Glenn
ems house is the home of Huckle-
berry Finn (TOm Blankenship), and
less than block away is Holidays
Hill.
Samuel Clemens was born in Han
nibal. Mo-, November 80, 1885. AS a
| child, he disliked school and when
his father died he, at the age of 12,
was apprenticed in a printing estab-
ishment. At Is years, he ran away
from hOm and for five years lived
the life of tramp printer in the
East. He came back to St. Louis and
worked as pilot on the Mississippi
until 1861. He Joined the Confeder-
ate forces in Missouri when the war
broke out but was soon taken pris-
oner. He escaped and went to
California. where, in 1867, he pub
iished his first book, Jumping Frog
of Calaveras
Later travels in Europe resulted
in his writing ''InnOcents Abroad"
Then followed the many books so
well known and read all over the
world
Mr.. Clemens received several hon.
orary degrees. including those OF NJ.
A. and l.. H. ID. from Yale in 1901,
U. ID. at the University of Missouri in
1909 and Lift. ID. at Oxford Univer-
sity in 1907.
His reputation as humorist has
been SO deeply impressed upon the
popular mind that few regard him
as anything else. 1t was his COM
plant that the world failed to take
him seriously. But Prof. Archibald
Henderson, of the Univei Iity of
North Carolina. asserts tha Mark
Twain's "supremest title to 'ristinc-
tion as great writer inheres in his
mastery in that greatest sphere of
thought. embracing religion, philos-
Ophy, morality and even humOr,
which we call sociology"
Mark Twain died in Elmira, N.
Y, April 25, 1910.
Another of MissOuri's we'll loved
authors is the poet, Eugene Field.
Julian Hawthorne said Of him: "A
homespun, hOmely, humorous, ten
der man is dear to human nature,
and when such a man is frightened
by genius he becomes inestimable."
And again: HE was the most cheer
full of companions; because, though
he must have endured his full share
of human anxieties and responsible |
tiles, yet he regarded himself so lit |
tie and others so much, that he was
constantly Out-of-dOOrs as it were, |
IN the fresh air and sunshine of char
ity and sympathy.
Field was born in ST. Louis Sep
tember 2, 1850. In November, 1856,
his mother died and he and his broth
er. Roswell Martin Field, were taken |
to Amherst, Mass, by their cousin,
Miss Mary F. French. who cared for
them and brought them up.
After being instructed for several
years by the Rev. James Tufts of
Monson. Eugene Field entered Will
Jams College, where he remained |
one year. When his brother Roswell
was a junior in the University of Mis-
souri,. he Joined him and it was at
this institution that he finished his
so far as it related to pre-
scribed study.
In 1878. he married Miss Julia
COmstock of St. Joseph,
Mo-. and much of his tenderest and
sweetest verse was inspired by love
of this woman. For example:
That little bit of a woman's voice
Hath grown most wonderous dear;
Above the blare of all elsewhere,
Gan inspiration that mOcks at care)
t riseth full and clear.