*This Book is annotated (it contains a detailed biography of the author). *An active Table of Contents has been added by the publisher for a better customer experience. *This book has been checked and corrected for spelling errors. Spanning the time between 1872 and the year before he died, this collection of after-dinner speeches, random thoughts to "the press", etc. clearly documents, once again, the truly eclectic mind of Samuel Clemens. It also demonstrates how he dealt with adulation, compliments and notoriety...head on! This collection is a treasure-trove of Twain sayings, witticisms and pronouncements on a huge galaxy of issues and concerns in his life.ContentsThe story of a speech -- Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrims -- Compliments and degrees -- Books, authors, and hats -- Dedication speech -- Die Schrecken der deutschen Sprache -- The horrors of the German language -- German for the Hungarians -- A new German word -- Unconscious plagiarism -- The weather -- The babies -- Our children and great discoveries -- Educating theatre-goers -- The educational theatre -- Poets as policemen -- Pudd'nhead Wilson dramatized -- Daly Theatre -- The dress of civilized woman -- Dress reform and copyright -- College girls -- Girls -- The ladies -- Woman's press club -- Votes for women -- Woman, an opinion -- Advice to girls -- Taxes and morals -- Tammany and Croker -- Municipal corruption -- Municipal government -- China and the Philippines -- Theoretical morals -- Layman's sermon -- University Settlement Society -- Public Education Association -- Education and citizenship -- Courage -- The dinner to Mr. Choate -- On Stanley and Livingstone -- Henry M. Stanley -- Dinner to Mr. Jerome -- Henry Irving -- Dinner to Hamilton W. Mabie -- Introducing Nye and Riley -- Dinner to Whitelaw Reid -- Rogers and railroads -- The old-fashioned printer -- Society of American Authors -- Reading-room opening -- Literature -- Disappearance of literature -- The New York Press Club dinner -- The alphabet and simplified spelling -- Spelling and pictures -- Books and burglars -- Authors' Club -- Booksellers -- "Mark Twain's first appearance" -- Morals and memory -- Queen Victoria -- Joan of Arc -- Accident insurance, etc. -- Osteopathy -- Water-supply -- Mistaken identity -- Cats and candy -- Obituary poetry -- Cigars and tobacco -- Billiards -- The Union right or wrong -- An ideal French address -- Statistics -- Galveston orphan bazaar -- San Francisco earthquake -- Charity and actors -- Russian republic -- Russian sufferers -- Watterson and Twain as rebels -- Robert Fulton fund -- Fulton Day, Jamestown -- Lotos Club dinner in honor of Mark Twain -- Copyright -- In aid of the blind -- Dr. Mark Twain, farmeopath -- Missouri University speech -- Business -- Carnegie the benefactor -- On poetry, veracity, and suicide -- Welcome home -- An undelivered speech -- Sixty-seventh birthday -- To the Whitefriars -- The Ascot gold cup -- The Savage Club dinner -- General Miles and the dog -- When in doubt, tell the truth -- The day we celebrate -- Independence day -- Americans and the English -- About London -- Princeton -- The St. Louis harbor-boat "Mark Twain" -- Seventieth birthday.