“Oh, thank you for your lovely words!”

He was given another birthday celebration that month—­this time by the Society of Illustrators.  Dan Beard, president, was also toast-master; and as he presented Mark Twain there was a trumpet-note, and a lovely girl, costumed as Joan of Arc, entered and, approaching him, presented him with a laurel wreath.  It was planned and carried out as a surprise to him, and he hardly knew for the moment whether it was a vision or a reality.  He was deeply affected, so much so that for several moments he could not find his voice to make any acknowledgments.

Clemens was more than ever sought now, and he responded when the cause was a worthy one.  He spoke for the benefit of the Russian sufferers at the Casino on December 18th.  Madame Sarah Bernhardt was also there, and spoke in French.  He followed her, declaring that it seemed a sort of cruelty to inflict upon an audience our rude English after hearing that divine speech flowing in that lucid Gallic tongue.

    It has always been a marvel to me—­that French language; it has
    always been a puzzle to me.  How beautiful that language is!  How
    expressive it seems to be!  How full of grace it is!

    And when it comes from lips like those, how eloquent and how limpid
    it is!  And, oh, I am always deceived—­I always think I am going to
    understand it.

It is such a delight to me, such a delight to me, to meet Madame Bernhardt, and laugh hand to hand and heart to heart with her.  I have seen her play, as we all have, and, oh, that is divine; but I have always wanted to know Madame Bernhardt herself—­her fiery self.  I have wanted to know that beautiful character.

    Why, she is the youngest person I ever saw, except myself—­for I
    always feel young when I come in the presence of young people.

And truly, at seventy, Mark Twain was young, his manner, his movement, his point of view-these were all, and always, young.

A number of palmists about that time examined impressions of his hand without knowledge as to the owner, and they all agreed that it was the hand of a man with the characteristics of youth, with inspiration, and enthusiasm, and sympathy—­a lover of justice and of the sublime.  They all agreed, too, that he was a deep philosopher, though, alas! they likewise agreed that he lacked the sense of humor, which is not as surprising as it sounds, for with Mark Twain humor was never mere fun-making nor the love of it; rather it was the flower of his philosophy —­its bloom and fragrance.

When the fanfare and drum-beat of his birthday honors had passed by, and a moment of calm had followed, Mark Twain set down some reflections on the new estate he had achieved.  The little paper, which forms a perfect pendant to the “Seventieth Birthday Speech,” here follows: 

Old age

    I think it likely that people who have not been here will be
    interested to know what it is like.  I arrived on the thirtieth of
    November, fresh from carefree & frivolous 69, & was disappointed.