acter of class distinctions
in America undoubtedly diminishes the amount of literary material "in
sight" but when, as in the case of Browne and Clemens, there is in the
humorist's mind a basis of reverence for things and persons that are
really reverend, it gives a breadth and freedom to the humorous
conception that is distinctively American.

We put Clemens and Browne in the same line, because in reading a page of
either we feel at once the American touch. Browne of course is not to be
compared to Clemens in affluence or in range in depicting humorous
character-types; but it must be remembered that Clemens has lived thirty
active years longer than his predecessor did. Neither has written a line
that he would wish to blot for its foul suggestion, or because it
ridiculed things that were lovely and of good report. Both were educated
in journalism, and came into direct contact with the strenuous and
realistic life of labor. And to repeat, though one was born and bred
west of the Mississippi and the other far "down east," both are
distinctly American. Had either been born and passed his childhood
outside our magic line, this resemblance would not have existed. And yet
we cannot say precisely wherein this likeness lies, nor what caused it;
so deep, so subtle, so pervading is the influence of nationality. But
their original expressions of the American humorous tone are worth ten
thousand literary echoes of Sterne or Lamb or Dickens or Thackeray.

The education of young Browne was limited to the strictly preparatory
years. At the age of thirteen he was forced by the death of his father
to try to earn his living. When about fourteen, he was apprenticed to a
Mr. Rex, who published a paper at Lancaster, New Hampshire. He remained
there about a year, then worked on various country papers, and finally
passed three years in the printing-house of Snow and Wilder, Boston. He
then went to Ohio, and after working for some months on the Tiffin
Advertiser, went to Toledo, where he remained till the fall of 1857.
Thence he went to Cleveland, Ohio, as local editor of the Plain Dealer.
Here appeared the humorous letters signed "Artemus Ward" and written in
the character of an itinerant showman. In 1860 he went to New York as
editor of the comic journal Vanity Fair.

His reputation grew steadily, and his first volume, 'Artemus Ward, His
Book,' was brought out in 1862. In 1863 he went to San Francisco by way
of the Isthmus and returned over