Project Gutenberg's Essays on Paul Bourget, by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Essays on Paul Bourget

Author: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Last Updated: February 15, 2009
Release Date: August 20, 2006 [EBook #3173]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ESSAYS ON PAUL BOURGET ***

Produced by David Widger

ESSAYS ON PAUL BOURGET

by Mark Twain

CONTENTS:

WHAT PAUL BOURGET THINKS OF US

A LITTLE NOTE TO M. PAUL BOURGET

WHAT PAUL BOURGET THINKS OF US

He reports the American joke correctly. In Boston they ask, How much
does he know? in New York, How much is he worth? in Philadelphia, Who
were his parents? And when an alien observer turns his telescope upon
us--advertisedly in our own special interest--a natural apprehension
moves us to ask, What is the diameter of his reflector?

I take a great interest in M. Bourget's chapters, for I know by the
newspapers that there are several Americans who are expecting to get
a whole education out of them; several who foresaw, and also foretold,
that our long night was over, and a light almost divine about to break
upon the land.

"His utterances concerning us are bound to be weighty and well
timed."

"He gives us an object-lesson which should be thoughtfully and
profitably studied."

These well-considered and important verdicts were of a nature to restore
public confidence, which had been disquieted by questionings as to
whether so young a teacher would be qualified to take so large a class
as 70,000,000, distributed over so extensive a schoolhouse as America,
and pull it through without assistance.

I was even disquieted myself, although I am of a cold, calm temperament,
and not easily disturbed. I feared for my country. And I was not wholly
tranquilized by the verdicts rendered as above. It seemed to me that
there was still room for doubt. In fact, in looking the ground over I
became more disturbed than I was before. Many worrying questions came
up in my mind. Two were prominent. Where had the teacher gotten his
equipment? What was his method?

He had gotten his equipment in