Life — November 9, 1916 — page 34: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“Hello Huck!” REE RECALL that golden day when you first read “Huck Finn”? How your mother said, “For goodness sake, stop laughing aloud over that book. You sound silly.” But you couldn’t stop laughing. Today when you read “Huckleberry Finn” you will not laugh so much. You will chuckle often, but you will also want to weep. The deep humanity of it—the pathos, that you never saw, as a boy, will appeal to you now. You were too busy laughing to notice the limpid purity of the master’s style. MARK TWAIN When Mark Twain first wrote “ Huckle berry Finn” this land was swept with a gale of laughter. When he wrote “The Innocents Abroad” even Europe laughed at it itself. Bur one day there appeared a new book from his pen, so spiritual, so true, so lofty, that those who did not know him well were amazed. “Joan of Arc” was the work of a poet—a historian—a seer. Mark Twain was all of these. His was not the fight laughter of 2 moment’s fun, but the whimsical humor that made the tragedy of life more bearable. 25 VOLUMES The Price Goes Up siwe“saier" tine Essays—Travels—History This is Mark Twain’s own set. This is the set he wanted in the home of each of those who love him. Because he asked it, Harper's have worked to make a perfect set at a reduced price. Before the war we had a contract price for paper, so we could sell this set of Mark A Real American Mark Twain wasa steamboat pilot. He was a searcher for gold in the far west. i He worked bitterly His fame spread through the nation. Ie few to the ends of the earth, until his work was translated into strange tongues. From thea oo, the path of fame lay straight to the high places. At the height of hia fame he lost all his money. He was heavily in debt, but though 60 years old, be started afresh and paid every cent. It was the last heroic touch that drew him close to the hearts of his countrymen, The world has asked fs there an Ameri- can literature? Mark Twain is the an- awer, He is tl the spirit, of ‘America. From his poor and struggling boyhood to his glorious, splendid old age, be remained as simple, as democratic a3 the plainest of our forefathers. He was, of all Americans, the most American.” Free in soul, and dreami of high things—brave in the face of trouble—and always ready to laugh. That was Mark Twain. L =| if HARPER & BROTHERS Franklin Square, New York Twain at half price. Send the Coupon Without Money The last of the edition is in sight. The price of paper has gone up. here never again will be any more Mark Twain at the present price. Get the 25 volumes now, while you can. Every American has got to have a set of Mark Twain in his home, Get yours now and save money. ‘This is the first announce- ment of the final closing of the sale. Your chil- HARPER & BROTHERS Franklin Sq. New York ‘Send me. all charges prepaid,a set of Mark Twain's works in 25 volumes, illustrated, bound in handsome green cloth, stamped in gold. gold tops and deckled edges. If not satisfactory, I will return them at your expense. Otherwise I will send you $1.00 within 5 days and $2.8 month for 12 months. thas afetting the benett of your hall price s Life, 1.46 Address... Pains of Neutrality EVERY day or two some point of neutrality comes up between these States and England which their re- spective statesmen discuss calmly enough and with proper deliberation so that nothing awkward happens. But in almost every case there is more or less yelling from the persons and newspapers in the crowd, both here and in Great Britain. Of course that comes to nothing, but it agitates some people. So far as one can judge, about half, or perhaps two-thirds, of the British population now regard our Uncle Sam as pro-German at heart but afraid to admit it and anxious for only one thing in the war—to make the last possible dollar out of it. But that ought not to distress any really thoughtful American citizen, however he may regret it. The aver- age patriot in Colonel Bull’s country has very hazy ideas at this time about neutrality. His feeling is that just as the receiver is worse than the thief, the neutral is worse than the hostile. His notion of a good neutral is somebody who will take his coat off and help. Now, a neutral may help prodigious- ly, but the very essence of neutrality is to keep one’s coat on; also one’s shirt. The British statesmen under- stand that quite well, but not the Brit- ish people. . So for whatever is said about us we must make due allowances. Our Brit ish friends are up against a huge task and are suffering a great deal and are entitled to their emotions, even when they are misdirected. But the rule for them is not the rule for us. All land’s approval of our course in this great mix-up would give no as- surance that it was right; all Eng- land's disapproval would not prove us wrong. We have to shape our course according to our own national con- science and the rules of the game we have undertaken to play. £. S. M. Customer: 1 eLieve you Mave CUT MY MAIR BEFORE. Barber: WARDLY, SIR, 1 HAVE ONLY BEEN MERE A YEAR. SA 6 RRR ASE A RS EES SARA LY |