There have been great social doings this week, On Saturday their Maj ties gave a garden party at Windsor Castle to 8,000 ywople; on Wednesday Lord Curzon, the new Chancellor of presided at the Encernia when honorary degrees were conferred upon a remarkable list of men of high distinction in various fields of activity; and yesterday the fi performance of the great pageant at Oxford took place at all three gatherings the central figure of interest was Mark Twain." Mr. Clemens has of course been over to England on many previous occasions, and has had to undergo a good deal of ionizing; but for some reason the interest and enthusiasm which he has evoked this greater: than on any previous occasion. It is the more remarkable because he has not produced any great humorous work of late. Partly it must be that the old works have gained in popaler estimation as.time has partly too that it has. bee fully recognized that Mark Twain is something more than a mere jester. He ix a teacher of honan ity fall of human sympathies, Indeed Mr. Birrell con fessed at the Pilgrims' luncheon to. the great American that his favourite work of Mark Twain's was one in which the serious clement predominates, At the Oxford Encwnia, it is said, General Booth had an_even more enthusiastic welcome than Mr. Clemens yard Kipling ran no question that Mark Tw: hero of the day here, The acclan of General Booth is wonderful when one thinks of the sort of reception he would have been likely to afew years ago. who was, at th Curzon, among those honoured by the University, had a very" pleasant tion, on personal yronnds
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.