FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58  
59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   >>   >|  
an." The two that follow gave him especial pleasure. OBITUARY FOR "MARK TWAIN" Worthy of his portrait, a place on his monument, as well as a place among his "perennial-consolation heirlooms": "Got up; washed; went to bed." The subject's own words (see Innocents Abroad). Can't go back on your own words, Mark Twain. There's nothing "to strike out"; nothing "to replace." What more could be said of any one? "Got up!"--Think of the fullness of meaning! The possibilities of life, its achievements--physical, intellectual, spiritual. Got up to the top!--the climax of human aspiration on earth! "Washed"--Every whit clean; purified--body, soul, thoughts, purposes. "Went to bed"--Work all done--to rest, to sleep. The culmination of the day well spent! God looks after the awakening. Mrs. S. A. OREN-HAYNES. Mark Twain was the only man who ever lived, so far as we know, whose lies were so innocent, and withal so helpful, as to make them worth more than a whole lot of fossilized priests' eternal truths. D. H. KENNER. CCXIX YACHTING AND THEOLOGY Clemens made fewer speeches during the Riverdale period. He was as frequently demanded, but he had a better excuse for refusing, especially the evening functions. He attended a good many luncheons with friendly spirits like Howells, Matthews, James L. Ford, and Hamlin Garland. At the end of February he came down to the Mayor's dinner given to Prince Henry of Prussia, but he did not speak. Clemens used to say afterward that he had not been asked to speak, and that it was probably because of his supposed breach of etiquette at the Kaiser's dinner in Berlin; but the fact that Prince Henry sought him out, and was most cordially and humanly attentive during a considerable portion of the evening, is against the supposition. Clemens attended a Yale alumni dinner that winter and incidentally visited Twichell in Hartford. The old question of moral responsibility came up and Twichell lent his visitor a copy of Jonathan Edwards's 'Freedom of the Will' for train perusal. Clemens found it absorbing. Later he wrote Twichell his views. DEAR JOE,--(After compliments.)--[Meaning "What a good time you gave me; what a happiness it was to be under your roof again," etc. See opening sentence of all translations of let
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58  
59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Clemens

 

Twichell

 

dinner

 
evening
 
Prince
 

attended

 

supposed

 
breach
 

etiquette

 

afterward


Prussia

 

Matthews

 

luncheons

 
friendly
 

functions

 

demanded

 

excuse

 
refusing
 

spirits

 
Garland

February

 
Hamlin
 

Howells

 

Meaning

 
compliments
 

perusal

 

absorbing

 

opening

 

sentence

 

translations


happiness

 

Freedom

 

Edwards

 

considerable

 
attentive
 

portion

 
supposition
 
humanly
 
cordially
 

Berlin


Kaiser

 

sought

 

frequently

 
alumni
 

responsibility

 

visitor

 

Jonathan

 
question
 

incidentally

 
winter