_He maintains—defiantly, it is true—that he is never happy or uncomfortable, but the tone of this book, especially of the latter part, suggests the contrary. The optimist who could never resist investing in any wild cat scheme reveals himself despairing of humanity. And against the coarsenesses, admitted even by his partial biographer, is to be set proof after proof' of the most spontaneous and moving delicacy of feeling. Mark Twain was a great many things besides a writer; Mr. Paine suggests that he was "a great teacher, moralist, philosopher—the greatest, perhaps, of his age": and he was admittedly soldier, miner, prospector, pilot, "Jour" printer, lecturer, pub: lisher, and company promoter. There is in this list the material for a biography in a dozen -capacities, and it docs not include that in which his attainment was highest—he is one of the great lovers of history; his relationship with his wife, the deepest human relationship, is so beautiful that one welcomes his misfortunes for the light they throw on it. One can no more dogmatize about his character or resolve its contradictions than one can sum up a deep sea in the tropics—flashing and filled with life or storm—tossed on the surface and yet o @ body with what below lies chill and dark over sunken wrecks.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.