mark twain, a biography, 1907-1910-第29部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　　　has　made　me　cry。　　I　want　you　to　read　it。〃　　（It　was　Booth
　　　　　Tarkington's　'Beasley's　Christmas　Party'。）　〃Tarkington　has　the　true
　　　　　touch；〃　he　said；　〃his　work　always　satisfies　me。〃　　Another　book　he
　　　　　has　been　reading　with　great　enjoyment　is　James　Branch　Cabell's
　　　　　Chivalry。　　He　cannot　say　enough　of　the　subtle　poetic　art　with　which
　　　　　Cabell　has　flung　the　light　of　romance　about　dark　and　sordid　chapters
　　　　　of　history。




CCLXXVII

MARK　TWAIN'S　READING

Perhaps　here　one　may　speak　of　Mark　Twain's　reading　in　general。　　On　the
table　by　him；　and　on　his　bed；　and　in　the　billiard…room　shelves　he　kept
the　books　he　read　most。　　They　were　not　manynot　more　than　a　dozenbut
they　were　manifestly　of　familiar　and　frequent　usage。　　All；　or　nearly　all；
had　annotationsspontaneously　uttered　marginal　notes；　title　prefatories；
or　concluding　comments。　　They　were　the　books　he　had　read　again　and　again；
and　it　was　seldom　that　he　had　not　had　something　to　say　with　each　fresh
reading。

There　were　the　three　big　volumes　by　Saint…Simon'The　Memoirs'which　he
once　told　me　he　had　read　no　less　than　twenty　times。　　On　the　fly…leaf　of
the　first　volume　he　wrote

This；　&　Casanova　&　Pepys；　set　in　parallel　columns；　could　afford　a　good
coup　d'oeil　of　French　&　English　high　life　of　that　epoch。

All　through　those　finely　printed　volumes　are　his　commentaries；　sometimes
no　more　than　a　word；　sometimes　a　filled；　closely　written　margin。　　He
found　little　to　admire　in　the　human　nature　of　Saint…Simon's　period
little　to　approve　in　Saint…Simon　himself　beyond　his　unrestrained
frankness；　which　he　admired　without　stint；　and　in　one　paragraph　where　the
details　of　that　early　period　are　set　down　with　startling　fidelity　he
wrote：　〃Oh；　incomparable　Saint…Simon！〃

Saint…Simon　is　always　frank；　and　Mark　Twain　was　equally　so。　　Where　the
former　tells　one　of　the　unspeakable　compulsions　of　Louis　XIV。；　the　latter
has　commented：

We　have　to　grant　that　God　made　this　royal　hog；　we　may　also　be　permitted
to　believe　that　it　was　a　crime　to　do　so。

And　on　another　page：

In　her　memories　of　this　period　the　Duchesse　de　St。　Clair　makes　this
striking　remark：　〃Sometimes　one　could　tell　a　gentleman；　but　it　was　only
by　his　manner　of　using　his　fork。〃

His　comments　on　the　orthodox　religion　of　Saint…Simon's　period　are　not
marked　by　gentleness。　　Of　the　author's　reference　to　the　Edict　of　Nantes；
which　he　says　depopulated　half　of　the　realm；　ruined　its　commerce；　and
〃authorized　torments　and　punishments　by　which　so　many　innocent　people　of
both　sexes　were　killed　by　thousands；〃　Clemens　writes：

So　much　blood　has　been　shed　by　the　Church　because　of　an　omission　from　the
Gospel：　〃Ye　shall　be　indifferent　as　to　what　your　neighbor's　religion　is。〃　
Not　merely　tolerant　of　it；　but　indifferent　to　it。　　Divinity　is　claimed　
for　many　religions；　but　no　religion　is　great　enough　or　divine　enough　to
add　that　new　law　to　its　code。

In　the　place　where　Saint…Simon　describes　the　death　of　Monseigneur；　son　of
the　king；　and　the　court　hypocrites　are　wailing　their　extravagantly
pretended　sorrow；　Clemens　wrote：

It　is　all　so　true；　all　so　human。　　God　made　these　animals。　　He　must　have
noticed　this　scene；　I　wish　I　knew　how　it　struck　Him。

There　were　not　many　notes　in　the　Suetonius；　nor　in　the　Carlyle
Revolution；　though　these　were　among　the　volumes　he　read　oftenest。　
Perhaps　they　expressed　for　him　too　completely　and　too　richly　their
subject…matter　to　require　anything　at　his　hand。　　Here　and　there　are
marked　passages　and　occasional　cross…references　to　related　history　and
circumstance。

There　was　not　much　room　for　comment　on　the　narrow　margins　of　the　old　copy
of　Pepys；　which　he　had　read　steadily　since　the　early　seventies；　but　here
and　there　a　few　crisp　words；　and　the　underscoring　and　marked　passages　are
plentiful　enough　to　convey　his　devotion　to　that　quaint　record　which；
perhaps　next　to　Suetonius；　was　the　book　he　read　and　quoted　most。

Francis　Parkman's　Canadian　Histories　he　had　read　periodically；　especially
the　story　of　the　Old　Regime　and　of　the　Jesuits　in　North　America。　　As　late
as　January；　1908；　he　wrote　on　the　title…page　of　the　Old　Regime：

Very　interesting。　　It　tells　how　people　religiously　and　otherwise　insane
came　over　from　France　and　colonized　Canada。

He　was　not　always　complimentary　to　those　who　undertook　to　Christianize
the　Indians；　but　he　did　not　fail　to　write　his　admiration　of　their
couragetheir　very　willingness　to　endure　privation　and　even　the　fiendish
savage　tortures　for　the　sake　of　their　faith。　　〃What　manner　of　men　are
these？〃　he　wrote；　apropos　of　the　account　of　Bressani；　who　had　undergone
the　most　devilish　inflictions　which　savage　ingenuity　could　devise；　and
yet　returned　maimed　and　disfigured　the　following　spring　to　〃dare　again
the　knives　and　fiery　brand　of　the　Iroquois。〃　　Clemens　was　likely　to　be　on
the　side　of　the　Indians；　but　hardly　in　their　barbarism。　　In　one　place　he
wrote：

　　　　　That　men　should　be　willing　to　leave　their　happy　homes　and　endure
　　　　　what　the　missionaries　endured　in　order　to　teach　these　Indians　the
　　　　　road　to　hell　would　be　rational；　understandable；　but　why　they　should
　　　　　want　to　teach　them　a　way　to　heaven　is　a　thing　which　the　mind　somehow
　　　　　cannot　grasp。

Other　histories；　mainly　English　and　French；　showed　how　he　had　read　them
read　and　digested　every　word　and　line。　　There　were　two　volumes　of　Lecky；
much　worn；　Andrew　D。　White's　'Science　and　Theology'a　chief　interest　for
at　least　one　summerand　among　the　collection　a　well…worn　copy　of　'Modern
English　LiteratureIts　Blemishes　and　Defects'；　by　Henry　H。　　Breen。　　On
the　title…page　of　this　book　Clemens　had　written：

　　　　　HARTFORD；　1876。　　Use　with　care；　for　it　is　a　scarce　book。　　England
　　　　　had　to　be　ransacked　in　order　to　get　itor　the　bookseller　speaketh
　　　　　falsely。

He　once　wrote　a　paper　for　the　Saturday　Morning　Club；　using　for　his　text
examples　of　slipshod　English　which　Breen　had　noted。

Clemens　had　a　passion　for　biography；　and　especially　for　autobiography；
diaries；　letters；　and　such　intimate　human　history。　　Greville's　'Journal
of　the　Reigns　of　George　IV。　　and　William　IV。'　　he　had　read　much　and
annotated　freely。　　Greville；　while　he　admired　Byron's　talents；　abhorred
the　poet's　personality；　and　in　one　place　condemns　him　as　a　vicious　person
and　a　debauchee。　　He　adds：

Then　he　despises　pretenders　and　charlatans　of　all　sorts；　while　he　is
himself　a　pretender；　as　all　men　are　who　assume　a　character　which　does　not
belong　to　them　and　affect　to　be　something　which　they　are　all　the　time
conscious　they　are　not　in　reality。

Clemens　wrote　on　the　margin：

　　　　　But；　dear　sir；　you　are　forgetting　that　what　a　man　sees　in　the　human
　　　　　race　is　merely　himself　in　the　deep　and　honest　privacy　of　his　own
　　　　　heart。　　Byron　despised　the　race　because　he　despised　himself。　　I　feel
　　　　　as　Byron　did；　and　for　the　same　reason。　　Do　you　admire　the　race　（&
　　　　　consequently　yourself）？

A　little　further　alongwhere　Greville　laments　that　Byron　can　take　no
profit　to　himself　from　the　sinful　characters　he　depicts　so　faithfully；
Clemens　commented：

　　　　　If　Byronif　any　mandraws　50　characters；　they　are　all　himself50
　　　　　shades；　50　moods；　of　his　own　character。　　And　when　the　man　draws　them
　　　　　well　why　do　they　stir　my　admiration？　　Because　they　are　meI
　　　　　recognize　myself。

A　volume　of　Plutarch　was　among　the　biographies　that　showed　usage；　and　the
Life　of　P。　T。　Barnum；　Written　by　Himself。　　Two　Years　Before　the　Mast　he
loved；　and　never　tired　of。　　The　more　recent　Memoirs　of　Andrew　D。　White
and　Moncure　D。　Conway　both；　I　remember；　gave　him　enjoyment；　as　did　the
Letters　of　Lowell。　　A　volume　of　the　Letters　of　Madame　de　Sevigne　had　some
annotated　margins　which　were　not　complimentary　to　the　translator；　or　for
that　matter　to　Sevigne　herself；　whom　he　once　designates　as　a　〃nauseating〃
person；　many　of　whose　letters　had　been　uselessly　translated；　as　well　as
poorly　arranged　for　reading。　　But　he　would　read　any　volume　of　letters　or
personal　memoirs；　none　were　too　poor　that　had　the　throb　of　life　in　them；
however　slight。

Of　such　sort　were　the　books　that　Mark　Twain　had　loved　best；　and　such　were
a　few　of　his　words　concerning　them。　　Some　of　them　belong　to　his　earlier
reading；　and　among　these　is　Darwin's　'Descent　of　Man'；　a　book　whose
influence　was　always　present；　though　I　believe　he　did　not　read　it　any
more　in　later　years。　　In　the　days　I　knew　him　he　read　steadily　not　much
besides　Suetonius　and　Pepys　and　Carlyle。　　These　and　his　simple
astronomies　and　geologies　and　the　Morte　Arthure　and　the　poems　of　Kipling
were　seldom　far　from　his　hand。




CCLXXXVIII

A　BERMUDA　BIRTHDAY

It　was　the　middle　of　November；　1909；　when　Clemens　decided　to　take　another
Bermuda　vacation；　and　it　was　the　19th　that　we　sailed。　　I　went　to　New　York
a　day　ahead　and　arranged　matters；　and　on　the　evening　of　the　18th　received
the　news　that　Richard　Watson　Gilder　had　suddenly　died。

Next　morning　there　was　other　news。　　Clemens's　old　friend；　William　M。　
Laffan；　of　the　Sun；　had　died　while　undergoing　a　surgical　operation。　　I
met　Clemens　at　the　train。　　He　had　already　heard　about　Gilder；　but　he　had
not　yet　learned　of　Laffan's　death。　　He　said：

〃That's　just　it。　　Gilder　and　Laffan　get　all　the　good　things　that　come
along　and　I　never　get　anything。〃

Then；　suddenly　remembering；　he　added：

〃How　curious　it　is！　　I　have　been　thinking　of　Laffan　coming　down　on　the
train；　and　mentally　writing　a　letter　to　him　on　this　Stetson…Eddy　affair。〃

I　asked　when　he　had　begun　thinking　of　Laffan。

He　said：　〃Within　the　hour。〃

It　was　within　the　hour　that　I　had　received　the　news；　and　naturally　in　my
mind　had　carried　it　instantly　to　him。　　Perhaps　there　was　something
telepathic　in　it。

He　was　not　at　all　ill　going　down　to　Bermuda；　which　was　a　fortunate　thing；
for　the　water　was　rough　and　I　was　quite　disqualified。　　We　did　not　even
discuss　astronomy；　though　there　was　what　seemed　most　important　newsthe
reported　discovery　of　a　new　planet。

But　there　was　plenty　of　talk　on　the　subject　as　soon　as　we　got　settled　in
the　Hamilton　Hotel。　　It　was　windy　and　rainy　out…of…doors；　and　we　looked
out　on　the　drenched　semi…tropical　foliage　with　a　great　bamboo　swaying　and
bending　in　the　foreground；　while　he　speculated　on　the　vast　di