Mark Twain's Lecture
A full and attentive audience assembled at the Cooper Institute last evening to listen to the recital of Mark Twain's experiences in the Sandwich Islands. Nearly every one present came prepared for considerable provocation for enjoyable laughter, and from the appearance of the mirthful faces leaving the hall at the conclusion of the lecture, but few were disappointed, and it not too much to say that seldom has so large an audience been so uniformly pleased as the one that listened to Mark Twain's quaint remarks last evening. The large hall of the Union was filled to its utmost capacity by fully two thousand persons, which fact spoke well for the brilliant reputation of the lecturer and his future success. Mr. Twain's style is a quaint one, both in manner and method, and throughout his discourse he managed to keep on the right side of his audience and frequently convulsed it with hearty laughter. Some of the anecdotes related were wittily told, and so embellished as to be doubly enjoyed by his hearers. While the speaker made some very amusing comments upon the habits and customs of the Sandwich Islanders, he stated that all the facts related by him were strictly true. The speaker gave the American missionaries great credit for their work in civilizing and converting the Islanders, and spoke of the singular fact that the descendants of these missionaries have no stain upon their moral character, being exemplary citizens.
During his description of the topography of the Sandwich Islands, the lecturer surprised his hearers by a graphic and eloquent description of the irruption of the great volcano which occurred in 1840, and his language was loudly applauded.
Judging from the success achieved by the lecturer last evening, he should repeat the experiment at an early day.
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