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Show MARK TWAIN ON JOAN B'ARC' In Harpers' Magazine for Dec-ember Mark f Twain, av1i has recently made a thorough study of the orisrinal documents bearing on the life of Joan of Arc. pays a wonderful tribute to this slight girl whom he calls "by far the most extraordinary pcr-j pcr-j son the human race has ever produced." . . "All the rules fail in this girl's case. In the f Avorld's history she stands alone quito alone. Others Oth-ers have been great in their first, public exhibition of generalship, valor, legal talent, diplomacy, fortitude; forti-tude; but always their previous year? and nssoeia- tions had been in a larger ami smaller degree a preparation1 for these tilings. There have been no exception to the rule. But Joan was competent in a laAV case at 10 Avithout CA-cr having seen a lawbook law-book or a court house before: she had no training in soldiership and no associations Avith it. yet sin-was sin-was a competent general in her first campaign: she Avas brave in her first battle, yet her courage .had had no education not e"en the education which a, "boy's courage gets from never-ceasing reminders that it is not permissible in a boy to be a coward, but only in a girl; friendless, alone, ignorant, in the bosom of her youth, she sat Week after week, a, prisoner in chains, before her assemblage of judges, enemies hunting her to her death, the ablest mind-in mind-in France, and ansAvered them out of an untauglf wisdom Avhich overmatched their learning, baffled their tricks end treacheries with a natiA-e sagacity-which sagacity-which compelled their wonder, and scored every da -a victory against these incredible odds that camped unchallenged on the field. In the history of the human intellect, untrained, inexperienced, and using only its birthright equipment of untried capacities, ca-pacities, there is nothing Avhich ' approaches tin-. Joan of Arc stands alone, and must continue to stand alone, by reason of the unfellowcd fact that in the things wherein she Avas great she Avas so without with-out shade or suggestion of help from preparatory teaching, practice, environment or experience." |