But he was more than that. Upon the
current of his humor were carried precious cargoes of the philosophy of
life. His humor is often so subtle that the superficial reader fails to
appreciate its fine quality and misses the philosophy altogether. To
extract the full meaning from his writing one must be able to read not
only between the lines but also beneath the lines. The subtle quality of
his humor defies both analysis and explanation. If it fails to tell its
own story, so much the worse for the reader. To such humor as his,
explanation amounts to an impertinence. People can either appreciate it
or else they cannot, and there's the end of the matter.
In the good time to come when the school teaches reading for the purpose
of pleasure and not for examination purposes, we shall have Mark Twain
as one of our authors; and it is to be hoped that we shall have editions
devoid of notes. The notes may serve to give the name of the editor a
place on the title page, but the notes cannot add to the enjoyment of
the author's genial humor. Mark Twain reigns supreme, and the editor
does well to stand uncovered in his presence and to withhold his pen.
=A Twain story.=--One of Mark Twain's stories is said to be one of the
most humorous stories extant. The story relates how a soldier was
rushing off the battlefield in retreat when a companion, whose leg was
shattered, begged to be carried off the field.
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