mark twain, a biography, 1866-1875-第3部分

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〃Oh；　pretty　good；　only　Denis　here　mistook　it　for　a　spree。〃

He　lectured　again　in　San　Francisco；　this　time　telling　the　story　of　his
Overland　trip　in　1861；　and　he　did　the　daring　thing　of　repeating　three
times　the　worn…out　story　of　Horace　Greeley's　ride　with　Hank　Monk；　as
given　later　in　'Roughing　It'。　　People　were　deadly　tired　of　that　story　out
there；　and　when　he　told　it　the　first　time；　with　great　seriousness；　they
thought　he　must　be　failing　mentally。　　They　did　not　laughthey　only　felt
sorry。　　He　waited　a　little；　as　if　expecting　a　laugh；　and　presently　led
around　to　it　and　told　it　again。　　The　audience　was　astonished　still　more；
and　pitied　him　thoroughly。　　He　seemed　to　be　waiting　pathetically　in　the
dead　silence　for　their　applause；　then　went　on　with　his　lecture；　but
presently；　with　labored　effort；　struggled　around　to　the　old　story　again；
and　told　it　for　the　third　time。　　The　audience　suddenly　saw　the　joke　then；
and　became　vociferous　and　hysterical　in　their　applause；　but　it　was　a
narrow　escape。　　He　would　have　been　hysterical　himself　if　the　relief　had
not　came　when　it　did。

＇A　side…light　on　the　Horace　Greeley　story　and　on　Mr。　Greeley's
eccentricities　is　furnished　by　Mr。　Goodman：

When　I　was　going　East　in　1869　I　happened　to　see　Hank　Monk　just　before　I
started。　　〃Mr。　Goodman；〃　he　said；　〃you　tell　Horace　Greeley　that　I　want　to
come　East；　and　ask　him　to　send　me　a　pass。〃　　〃All　right；　Hank；〃　I　said；
〃I　will。〃　　It　happened　that　when　I　got　to　New　York　City　one　of　the　first
men　I　met　was　Greeley。　　〃Mr。　Greeley；〃　said；　〃I　have　a　message　for　you
from　Hank　Monk。〃　　Greeley　bristled　and　glared　at　me。　　〃Thatrascal？〃　he
said　〃He　has　done　me　more　injury　than　any　other　man　in　America。〃＇




LVI

BACK　TO　THE　STATES

In　the　mean　time　Clemens　had　completed　his　plan　for　sailing；　and　had
arranged　with　General　McComb；　of　the　Alta　California；　for　letters　during
his　proposed　trip　around　the　world。　　However；　he　meant　to　visit　his
people　first；　and　his　old　home。　　He　could　go　back　with　means　now；　and
with　the　prestige　of　success。

〃I　sail　to…morrow　per　Oppositiontelegraphed　you　to…day；〃　he　wrote　on
December　14th；　and　a　day　later　his　note…book　entry　says：

　　　　　Sailed　from　San　Francisco　in　Opposition　（line）　steamer　America；
　　　　　Capt。　　Wakeman；　at　noon；　15th　Dec。；　1866。　　Pleasant　sunny　day；　hills
　　　　　brightly　clad　with　green　grass　and　shrubbery。

So　he　was　really　going　home　at　last！　　He　had　been　gone　five　and　a　half
yearseventful；　adventurous　years　that　had　made　him　over　completely；　at
least　so　far　as　ambitions　and　equipment　were　concerned。　　He　had　came
away；　in　his　early　manhood；　a　printer　and　a　pilot；　unknown　outside　of　his
class。　　He　was　returning　a　man　of　thirty…one；　with　a　fund　of　hard
experience；　three　added　professionsmining；　journalism；　and　lecturing
also　with　a　new　name；　already　famous　on　the　sunset　slopes　of　its
adoption；　and　beginning　to　be　heard　over　the　hills　and　far　away。　　In　some
degree；　at　least；　he　resembled　the　prince　of　a　fairy　tale　who；　starting
out　humble　and　unnoticed；　wins　his　way　through　a　hundred　adventures　and
returns　with　gifts　and　honors。

The　homeward　voyage　was　a　notable　one。　　It　began　with　a　tempest　a　little
way　out　of　San　Franciscoa　storm　terrible　but　brief；　that　brought　the
passengers　from　their　berths　to　the　deck；　and　for　a　time　set　them
praying。　　Then　there　was　Captain　Ned　Wakeman；　a　big；　burly；　fearless
sailor；　who　had　visited　the　edges　of　all　continents　and　archipelagos；　who
had　been　born　at　sea；　and　never　had　a　day's　schooling　in　his　life；　but
knew　the　Bible　by　heart；　who　was　full　of　human　nature　and　profanity；　and
believed　he　was　the　only　man　on　the　globe　who　knew　the　secret　of　the
Bible　miracles。　　He　became　a　distinct　personality　in　Mark　Twain's　work
the　memory　of　him　was　an　unfailing　delight。　　Captain　〃Ned　Blakely；〃　in
'Roughing　It'；　who　with　his　own　hands　hanged　Bill　Noakes；　after　reading
him　promiscuous　chapters　from　the　Bible；　was　Captain　Wakeman。　　Captain
〃Stormfield；〃　who　had　the　marvelous　visit　to　heaven；　was　likewise　Captain
Wakeman；　and　he　appears　in　the　〃Idle　Excursion〃　and　elsewhere。

Another　event　of　the　voyage　was　crossing　the　Nicaragua　Isthmusthe　trip
across　the　lake　and　down　the　San　Juan　Rivera；　brand…new　experience；
between　shores　of　splendid　tropic　tangle；　gleaming　with　vivid　life。　　The
luxuriance　got　into　his　note…book。

Dark　grottos；　fairy　festoons；　tunnels；　temples；　columns；　pillars；　towers；
pilasters；　terraces；　pyramids；　mounds；　domes；　walls；　in　endless　confusion
of　vine…workno　shape　known　to　architecture　unimitatedand　all　so
webbed　together　that　short　distances　within　are　only　gained　by　glimpses。
Monkeys　here　and　there；　birds　warbling；　gorgeous　plumaged　birds　on　the
wing；　Paradise　itself；　the　imperial　realm　of　beauty…nothing　to　wish　for
to　make　it　perfect。

But　it　was　beyond　the　isthmus　that　the　voyage　loomed　into　proportions
somber　and　terrible。　　The　vessel　they　took　there；　the　San　Francisco；
sailed　from　Greytown　January　1；　1867；　the　beginning　of　a　memorable　year
in　Mark　Twain's　life。　　Next　day　two　cases　of　Asiatic　cholera　were
reported　in　the　steerage。　　There　had　been　a　rumor　of　it　in　Nicaragua；　but
no　one　expected　it　on　the　ship。

The　nature　of　the　disease　was　not　hinted　at　until　evening；　when　one　of
the　men　died。　　Soon　after　midnight；　the　other　followed。　　A　minister
making　the　voyage　home；　Rev。　J。　G。　Fackler；　read　the　burial　service。　　The
gaiety　of　the　passengers；　who　had　become　well　acquainted　during　the
Pacific　voyage；　was　subdued。　　When　the　word　〃cholera〃　went　among　them；
faces　grew　grave　and　frightened。　　On　the　morning　of　January　4th　Reverend
Fackler's　services　were　again　required。　　The　dead　man　was　put　overboard
within　half　an　hour　after　he　had　ceased　to　breathe。

Gloom　settled　upon　the　ship。　　All　steam　was　made　to　put　into　Key　West。
Then　some　of　the　machinery　gave　way　and　the　ship　lay　rolling；　helplessly
becalmed　in　the　fierce　heat　of　the　Gulf；　while　repairs　were　being　made。
The　work　was　done　at　a　disadvantage；　and　the　parts　did　not　hold。　　Time
and　again　they　were　obliged　to　lie　to；　in　the　deadly　tropic　heat；
listening　to　the　hopeless　hammering；　wondering　who　would　be　the　next　to
be　sewed　up　hastily　in　a　blanket　and　slipped　over　the　ship's　side。　　On
the　5th　seven　new　cases　of　illness　were　reported。　　One　of　the　crew；　a　man
called　〃Shape；〃　was　said　to　be　dying。　　A　few　hours　later　he　was　dead。　　By
this　time　the　Reverend　Fackler　himself　had　been　taken。

〃So　they　are　burying　poor　'Shape'　without　benefit　of　clergy；〃　says　the
note…book。

General　consternation　now　began　to　prevail。　　Then　it　was　learned　that　the
ship's　doctor　had　run　out　of　medicines。　　The　passengers　became
demoralized。　　They　believed　their　vessel　was　to　become　a　charnel　ship。
Strict　sanitary　orders　were　issued；　and　a　hospital　was　improvised。

　　　　　Verily　the　ship　is　becoming　a　floating　hospital　herselfnot　an　hour
　　　　　passes　but　brings　its　fresh　sensation；　its　new　disaster；　its
　　　　　melancholy　tidings。　　When　I　think　of　poor　〃Shape〃　and　the　preacher；
　　　　　both　so　well　when　I　saw　them　yesterday　evening；　I　realize　that　I
　　　　　myself　may　be　dead　to…morrow。

　　　　　Since　the　last　two　hours　all　laughter；　all　levity；　has　ceased　on　the
　　　　　shipa　settled　gloom　is　upon　the　faces　of　the　passengers。

By　noon　it　was　evident　that　the　minister　could　not　survive。　　He　died　at
two　o'clock　next　morning；　the　fifth　victim　in　less　than　five　days。　　The
machinery　continued　to　break　and　the　vessel　to　drag。　　The　ship's　doctor
confessed　to　Clemens　that　he　was　helpless。　　There　were　eight　patients　in
the　hospital。

But　on　January　6th　they　managed　to　make　Key　West；　and　for　some　reason
were　not　quarantined。　　Twenty…one　passengers　immediately　deserted　the
ship　and　were　heard　of　no　more。

〃I　am　glad　they　are　gone。　　Dn　them；〃　says　the　notebook。　　Apparently　he
had　never　considered　leaving；　and　a　number　of　others　remained。　　The
doctor　restocked　his　medicine…locker；　and　the　next　day　they　put　to　sea
again。　　Certainly　they　were　a　daring　lot　of　voyagers。　　On　the　8th　another
of　the　patients　died。　　Then　the　cooler　weather　seemed　to　check　the
contagion；　and　it　was　not　until　the　night　of　the　11th；　when　the　New　York
harbor　lights　were　in　view；　that　the　final　death　occurred。　　There　were　no
new　cases　by　this　time；　and　the　other　patients　were　convalescent。　　A
certificate　was　made　out　that　the　last　man　had　died　of　〃dropsy。〃　　There
would　seem　to　have　been　no　serious　difficulty　in　docking　the　vessel　and
landing　the　passengers。　　The　matter　would　probably　be　handled　differently
to…day。




LVII

OLD　FRIENDS　AND　NEW　PLANS

It　had　been　more　than　thirteen　years　since　his　first　arrival　in　New　York。
Then　he　had　been　a　youth；　green；　untraveled；　eager　to　get　away　from　home。
Now　a　veteran；　he　was　as　eager　to　return。

He　stopped　only　long　enough　in　New　York　to　see　Charles　Henry　Webb；　late
of　California；　who　had　put　together　a　number　of　the　Mark　Twain　sketches；
including　〃The　Jumping　Frog；〃　for　book　publication。　　Clemens　himself
decided　to　take　the　book　to　Carleton；　thinking　that；　having　missed　the
fame　of　the　〃Frog〃　once；　he　might　welcome　a　chance　to　stand　sponsor　for
it　now。　　But　Carleton　was　wary；　the　〃Frog〃　had　won　favor；　and　even　fame；
in　its　fugitive；　vagrant　way；　but　a　book　was　another　matter。　　Books　were
undertaken　very　seriously　and　with　plenty　of　consideration　in　those　days。
Twenty…one　years　later；　in　Switzerland；　Carleton　said　to　Mark　Twain：

〃My　chief　claim　to　immortality　is　the　distinction　of　having　declined　your
first　book。〃

Clemens　was　ready　enough　to　give　up　the　book　when　Carleton　declined　it；
but　Webb　said　he　would　publish　it　himself；　and　he　set　about　it　forthwith。
The　author　waited　no　longer　now；　but　started　for　St。　Louis；　and　was　soon
with　his　mother　and　sister；　whom　he　had　not　seen　since　that　eventful
first　year　of　the　war。　　They　thought　he　looked　old；　which　was　true
enough；　but　they　found　him　unchanged　in　his　manner：　buoyant；　full　of
banter　and　gravely　quaint　remarkshe　was　always　the　same。　　Jane　Clemens
had　grown　older；　too。　　She　was　nearly　sixty…four；　but　as　keen　and
vigorous　as　ever…proud　（even　if　somewhat　critical）　of　this　handsome；
brilliant　man　of　new　name　and　fame　who　had　been　her　mischievous；　waywa