mark twain, a biography, 1907-1910-第49部分

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dishonor。

Is　it　possible　for　human　wickedness　to　invent　a　doctrine　more　infernal
and　poisonous　than　this？　　Is　there　imaginable　a　baser　servitude　than　it
imposes？　　What　slave　is　so　degraded　as　the　slave　that　is　proud　that　he　is
a　slave？　　What　is　the　essential　difference　between　a　lifelong　democrat
and　any　other　kind　of　lifelong　slave？　　Is　it　less　humiliating　to　dance　to
the　lash　of　one　master　than　another？

This　infamous　doctrine　of　allegiance　to　party　plays　directly　into　the
hands　of　politicians　of　the　baser　sortand　doubtless　for　that　it　was
borrowedor　stolenfrom　the　monarchial　system。　　It　enables　them　to
foist　upon　the　country　officials　whom　no　self…respecting　man　would　vote
for　if　he　could　but　come　to　understand　that　loyalty　to　himself　is　his
first　and　highest　duty；　not　loyalty　to　any　party　name。

Shall　you　say　the　best　good　of　the　country　demands　allegiance　to　party？　
Shall　you　also　say　that　it　demands　that　a　man　kick　his　truth　and　his
conscience　into　the　gutter　and　become　a　mouthing　lunatic　besides？　　Oh　no；
you　say；　it　does　not　demand　that。　　But　what　if　it　produce　that　in　spite
of　you？　　There　is　no　obligation　upon　a　man　to　do　things　which　he　ought
not　to　do　when　drunk；　but　most　men　will　do　them　just　the　same；　and　so　we
hear　no　arguments　about　obligations　in　the　matterwe　only　hear　men
warned　to　avoid　the　habit　of　drinking；　get　rid　of　the　thing　that　can
betray　men　into　such　things。

This　is　a　funny　business　all　around。　　The　same　men　who　enthusiastically
preach　loyal　consistency　to　church　and　party　are　always　ready　and　willing
and　anxious　to　persuade　a　Chinaman　or　an　Indian　or　a　Kanaka　to　desert　his
church　or　a　fellow…American　to　desert　his　party。　　The　man　who　deserts　to
them　is　all　that　is　high　and　pure　and　beautifulapparently；　the　man　who
deserts　from　them　is　all　that　is　foul　and　despicable。　　This　is
Consistencywith　a　capital　C。

With　the　daintiest　and　self…complacentest　sarcasm　the　lifelong　loyalist
scoffs　at　the　Independentor　as　he　calls　him；　with　cutting　irony；　the
Mugwump；　makes　himself　too　killingly　funny　for　anything　in　this　world
about　him。　　Butthe　Mugwump　can　stand　it；　for　there　is　a　great　history
at　his　back；　stretching　down　the　centuries；　and　he　comes　of　a　mighty
ancestry。　　He　knows　that　in　the　whole　history　of　the　race　of　men　no
single　great　and　high　and　beneficent　thing　was　ever　done　for　the　souls
and　bodies；　the　hearts　and　the　brains　of　the　children　of　this　world；　but
a　Mugwump　started　it　and　Mugwumps　carried　it　to　victory：　And　their　names
are　the　stateliest　in　history：　Washington；　Garrison；　Galileo；　Luther；
Christ。　　Loyalty　to　petrified　opinions　never　yet　broke　a　chain　or　freed　a
human　soul　in　this　world…end　never　will。







APPENDIX　S

ORIGINAL　PREFACE　FOR　〃A　CONNECTICUT　YANKEE　IN　KING　ARTHUR'S　COURT〃

（See　Chapter　clxxii）

My　object　has　been　to　group　together　some　of　the　most　odious　laws　which
have　had　vogue　in　the　Christian　countries　within　the　past　eight　or　ten
centuries；　and　illustrate　them　by　the　incidents　of　a　story。

There　was　never　a　time　when　America　applied　the　death…penalty　to　more
than　fourteen　crimes。　　But　England；　within　the　memory　of　men　still
living；　had　in　her　list　of　crimes　223　which　were　punishable　by　death！　
And　yet　from　the　beginning　of　our　existence　down　to　a　time　within　the
memory　of　babes　England　has　distressed　herself　piteously　over　the
ungentleness　of　our　Connecticut　Blue　Laws。　　Those　Blue　Laws　should　have
been　spared　English　criticism　for　two　reasons：

1。　　They　were　so　insipidly　mild；　by　contrast　with　the　bloody　and
atrocious　laws　of　England　of　the　same　period；　as　to　seem　characterless
and　colorless　when　one　brings　them　into　that　awful　presence。

2。　　The　Blue　Laws　never　had　any　existence。　　They　were　the　fancy…work　of
an　English　clergyman；　they　were　never　a　part　of　any　statute…book。　　And
yet　they　could　have　been　made　to　serve　a　useful　and　merciful　purpose；　if
they　had　been　injected　into　the　English　law　the　dilution　would　have　given
to　the　whole　a　less　lurid　aspect；　or；　to　figure　the　effect　in　another
way；　they　would　have　been　coca　mixed　into　vitriol。

I　have　drawn　no　laws　and　no　illustrations　from　the　twin　civilizations　of
hell　and　Russia。　　To　have　entered　into　that　atmosphere　would　have
defeated　my　purpose；　which　was　to　show　a　great　and　genuine　progress　in
Christendom　in　these　few　later　generations　toward　mercifulnessa　wide
and　general　relaxing　of　the　grip　of　the　law。　　Russia　had　to　be　left　out
because　exile　to　Siberia　remains；　and　in　that　single　punishment　is
gathered　together　and　concentrated　all　the　bitter　inventions　of　all　the
black　ages　for　the　infliction　of　suffering　upon　human　beings。　　Exile　for
life　from　one's　hearthstone　and　one's　idolsthis　is　rack；　thumb…screw；
the　water…drop；　fagot　and　stake；　tearing　asunder　by　horses；　flaying
aliveall　these　in　one；　and　not　compact　into　hours；　but　drawn　out　into
years；　each　year　a　century；　and　the　whole　a　mortal　immortality　of　torture
and　despair。　　While　exile　to　Siberia　remains　one　will　be　obliged　to　admit
that　there　is　one　country　in　Christendom　where　the　punishments　of　all　the
ages　are　still　preserved　and　still　inflicted；　that　there　is　one　country
in　Christendom　where　no　advance　has　been　made　toward　modifying　the
medieval　penalties　for　offenses　against　society　and　the　State。






APPENDIX　T

A　TRIBUTE　TO　HENRY　H。　　ROGERS

（See　Chapter　cc　and　earlier）

April　25；　1902。　　I　owe　more　to　Henry　Rogers　than　to　any　other　man　whom　I
have　known。　　He　was　born　in　Fairhaven；　Connecticut；　in　1839；　and　is　my
junior　by　four　years。　　He　was　graduated　from　the　high　school　there　in
1853；　when　he　was　fourteen　years　old；　and　from　that　time　forward　he
earned　his　own　living；　beginning　at　first　as　the　bottom　subordinate　in
the　village　store　with　hard…work　privileges　and　a　low　salary。　　When　he
was　twenty…four　he　went　out　to　the　newly　discovered　petroleum　fields　in
Pennsylvania　and　got　work；　then　returned　home；　with　enough　money　to　pay
passage；　married　a　schoolmate；　and　took　her　to　the　oil　regions。　　He
prospered；　and　by　and　by　established　the　Standard　Oil　Trust　with　Mr。
Rockefeller　and　others；　and　is　still　one　of　its　managers　and　directors。

In　1893　we　fell　together　by　accident　one　evening　in　the　Murray　Hill
Hotel；　and　our　friendship　began　on　the　spot　and　at　once。　　Ever　since　then
he　has　added　my　business　affairs　to　his　own　and　carried　them　through；　and
I　have　had　no　further　trouble　with　them。　　Obstructions　and　perplexities
which　would　have　driven　me　mad　were　simplicities　to　his　master　mind　and
furnished　him　no　difficulties。　　He　released　me　from　my　entanglements　with
Paige　and　stopped　that　expensive　outgo；　when　Charles　L。　Webster　&　Company
failed　he　saved　my　copyrights　for　Mrs。　Clemens　when　she　would　have
sacrificed　them　to　the　creditors　although　they　were　in　no　way　entitled　to
them；　he　offered　to　lend　me　money　wherewith　to　save　the　life　of　that
worthless　firm；　when　I　started　lecturing　around　the　world　to　make　the
money　to　pay　off　the　Webster　debts　he　spent　more　than　a　year　trying　to
reconcile　the　differences　between　Harper　&　Brothers　and　the　American
Publishing　Company　and　patch　up　a　working…contract　between　them　and
succeeded　where　any　other　man　would　have　failed；　as　fast　as　I　earned
money　and　sent　it　to　him　he　banked　it　at　interest　and　held　onto　it；
refusing　to　pay　any　creditor　until　he　could　pay　all　of　the　96　alike；　when
I　had　earned　enough　to　pay　dollar　for　dollar　he　swept　off　the
indebtedness　and　sent　me　the　whole　batch　of　complimentary　letters　which
the　creditors　wrote　in　return；　when　I　had　earned　28；500　more；　18；500　of
which　was　in　his　hands；　I　wrote　him　from　Vienna　to　put　the　latter　into
Federal　Steel　and　leave　it　there；　he　obeyed　to　the　extent　of　17；500；　but
sold　it　in　two　months　at　25；000　profit；　and　said　it　would　go　ten　points
higher；　but　that　it　was　his　custom　to　〃give　the　other　man　a　chance〃　（and
that　was　a　true　wordthere　was　never　a　truer　one　spoken）。　　That　was　at
the　end　of　'99　and　beginning　of　1900；　and　from　that　day　to　this　he　has
continued　to　break　up　my　bad　schemes　and　put　better　ones　in　their　place；
to　my　great　advantage。　　I　do　things　which　ought　to　try　man's　patience；
but　they　never　seem　to　try　his；　he　always　finds　a　colorable　excuse　for
what　I　have　done。　　His　soul　was　born　superhumanly　sweet；　and　I　do　not
think　anything　can　sour　it。　　I　have　not　known　his　equal　among　men　for
lovable　qualities。　　But　for　his　cool　head　and　wise　guidance　I　should
never　have　come　out　of　the　Webster　difficulties　on　top；　it　was　his　good
steering　that　enabled　me　to　work　out　my　salvation　and　pay　a　hundred　cents
on　the　dollarthe　most　valuable　service　any　man　ever　did　me。

His　character　is　full　of　fine　graces；　but　the　finest　is　this：　that　he　can
load　you　down　with　crushing　obligations　and　then　so　conduct　himself　that
you　never　feel　their　weight。　　If　he　would　only　require　something　in
returnbut　that　is　not　in　his　nature；　it　would　not　occur　to　him。　　With
the　Harpers　and　the　American　Company　at　war　those　copyrights　were　worth
but　little；　he　engineered　a　peace　and　made　them　valuable。　　He　invests
100；000　for　me　here；　and　in　a　few　months　returns　a　profit　of　31；000。　　I
invest　（in　London　and　here）　66；000　and　must　wait　considerably　for
results　（in　case　there　shall　be　any）。　　I　tell　him　about　it　and　he　finds
no　fault；　utters　not　a　sarcasm。　　He　was　born　serene；　patient；　all…
enduring；　where　a　friend　is　concerned；　and　nothing　can　extinguish　that
great　quality　in　him。　　Such　a　man　is　entitled　to　the　high　gift　of　humor：
he　has　it　at　its　very　best。　　He　is　not　only　the　best　friend　I　have　ever
had；　but　is　the　best　man　I　have　known。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　S。　L。　CLEMENS。





APPENDIX　U

FROM　MARK　TWAIN'S　LAST　POEM

BEGUN　AT　RIVERDALE；　NEW　YORK。　　FINISHED　AT　YORK　HARBOR；　MAINE；
AUGUST　18；　1902

（See　Chapter　ccxxiii）

（A　bereft　and　demented　mother　speaks）

。　　。　　。　　O；　I　can　see　my　darling　yet：　the　little　form
In　slip　of　flimsy　stuff　all　creamy　white；
Pink…belted　waist　with　ample　bows；
Blue　shoes　scarce　bigger　than　the　house…cat's　ears
Capering　in　delight　and　choked　with　glee。

It　was　a　summer　afternoon；　the　hill
Rose　green　above　me　and　about；　and　in　the　vale　below
The　distant　village　slept；　a