Charles T. Lark: presents a lecture entitled "My Client -- Mark Twain"

              CHARLES T. LARK
MANAGEMENT ERNEST BRIGGS, Inc.
TIMES BUILDING, NEW YORK

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PRESENTS A LECTURE ENTITLED
MY CLIENT—MARK TWAIN


MY CLIENT MARK TWAIN
BECAUSE of the great interest in the works of Mark Twain, and because of the interest in the personality of our greatest humorist we are this season giving especial attention to the presentation of lectures and readings concerning the life and literary works of Mark Twain.

As the chief attraction we are offering CHARLES T. LARK, a well known New York attorney, who has been eminently successful heretofore on notable occasions where a speaker capable of talking authoritatively on the subject of Mark Twain has been required.

CHARLES T. LARK was an intimate friend of Mark Twain, was his last household guest, drew his will and is still counsel for his estate.  He has made a life long study of the works of Mark Twain and so speaks with enthusiasm and authority.  Furthermore, it will be seen by reference to some of the endorsements here given that he has a native charm which pleases and entertains his audiences.



LARK TELLS ROTARY CLUB OF HUMORIST
Reminiscences of Mark Twain Given By Attorney.

Reminiscences of Mark Twain entertained Hackensack Rotarians at their weekly luncheon meeting at the Y yesterday.  The speaker was Charles T. Lark, of Hackensack, attorney for the estate of Samuel Clemens and a close friend, associate and business adviser of the testator.

Mark Twain, he said, was comfortably wealthy three times in his adult life and poor twice.  Through prosperity and adversity, however, his lively sense of humor continued unabated.  He was generous and practiced many charities in modest, unassuming fashion.  His business judgment regarding investments, not always of the best, brought him to grief at times, but his prolific writings each time recouped his losses.

His life of Joan of Arc was by far his greatest single literary effort.  Two years were devoted to its writing and a vast amount of research and careful preparation preceded it.

Typically American, Twain easily stands forth as the master of writing in his chosen field.  He had an unconquerable spirit and a fearless outspoken attitude of observation that left no one in doubt as to where he stood of many subjects he handled.

Mr. Lark's talk was greatly enjoyed, punctuated as it was by the frequent citation of aphorisms and anecdotes of Twain, and personal allusions to his fertile wit and wisdom.



Excerpt from Letter Regarding An Appearance in New York, from a Justice of the Supreme Court of New York State:
Accept a congratulatory handshake on your superb address on 'Wit, Wisdom and Work of My Client'.  The piece de resistance of the feast was the delectable dessert, Pennsylvania Dutch tongue garnished with fine brains, exquisitely served by you.

Language is too impoverished to adequately express my appreciation for your kindness in favoring us with your classic speech, which scintillated with literary gems from the writings of your treasured friend.  You masterly painted a gallery of rare word-pictures of the humor, wisdom, philosophy and genius of the sympathetic, human, honest and brave Mark Twain.  It was most instructive, informative and revealing.  Your heart is enrolled in a glorious labor of love in keeping the inimitable and incomparable Mark Twain's wit, wisdom and work alive.  He was one of the most fearless, keen and kind intellects among America's greatest men of letters.

I echo the sentiments of all present in proclaiming your address as unexcelled in the long history of brilliant post prandial performances at the Club.  My obligation to you will abide.




PERSONAL ENDORSEMENTS

Authors' Club
I do want you to know how greatly we enjoyed having you at the Authors' Club dinner.  You were the biggest success of the season.

The Club is considering publishing a book containing all the speeches made this season at its various functions.  If there is any of your talk that you might wish to put in manuscript form, will you do so and send it along to me?  We will then have it on hand if and when the book is brought out.

Kindest regards.

Faithfully yours,
FULTON OURSLER.  (President)



Harper and Brothers
Second, and of a great deal of interest and importance here, your Mark Twain Lecture.  I have read it again carefully in your revised version.  In some ways it gives the best brief picture of Mark Twain that anyone has done, a professional writer or otherwise.  There is one point to consider when we approach publication, and that is the spoken, or lecture, feeling which there is in various places throughout the manuscript.  Perhaps you wish to keep it in this form.  There is some doubt in my mind about this, for it does present some resistance to the reader of a printed brochure.

Faithfully,
WILLIAM H. BRIGGS.



Gettysburg Academy
I have this to add to your collection of Twainiana, though it is just possible you may know the story.  Dr. McKnight, with the hope of getting a generous contribution, once had an interview with Andrew Carnegie.  They were both members of the St. Andrew's Society, a Scotch organization of some kind.  In the course of the talk Mr. Carnegie told him of a recent dinner at which he was the guest of honor.  Mark Twain was there and of course was called upon.  This was about the time when the story was current that Carnegie had said he wished to die a poor man.  So Mark Twain said, I am reliably informed that our guest, this evening, is now engaged in carrying out his laudable ambition of dying a poor man.  How I wish I had his job and at his salary.

I was tremendously pleased and interested at the intimate sketch you gave us of this great and unique figure in American letters.  As I suggested to you, this morning, the lecture should be committed to print and it ought to be a good seller.

More power to your good right arm.

Cordially yours,
CHARLES H. HUBER.  (Headmaster)



Gettysburg College
I want to express again the apreciation of the student body as well as the Faculty for your wonderful address on Mark Twain.  I am still hearing of it almost every day.

With every good wish for the happiest of New Years, I am,

Cordially yours,
HENRY W. A. HANSON.  (President)





MY CLIENT MARK TWAIN

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A Lecture By CHARLES T. LARK
…Intimate and Authoritative

To Charles T. Lark Mark Twain
17 July '09.
THE MARK TWAIN writings reflect the carefree, happy idealism of youth—bubbling over, effervescent, fantastic and often grotesquely overdrawn.  His devoted wife, habitually addressed him as 'Youth' which was an alluring term of endearment, born in the heart of one who was always so dear to him, in the heart of one who helped him most, in the heart of the one who knew him best.  That word 'Youth' was more than a tender expression of affection—it was an apt and illuminating characterization!  It was, I contend, a one word biography of Mark Twain!  As demonstrating that the spirit of youth was apparently part of his very physical fiber, it is of interest to note that several palmists who, without knowing his identity, examined an impression of his hand, agreed that the owner of the imprint had characteristics of youth, enthusiasm and love of justice, and, sad to relate, these same palmists were also in unanimous accord that he also totally lacked any sense of humor!