mark twain, a biography, 1866-1875-第32部分

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was　surprised　to　meet　a　familiar　face　every　other　step。

All　his　impressions　of　England　had　been　happy　ones。　　He　could　deliver　a
gentle　satire　now　and　then　at　certain　British　institutionscertain
London　localities　and　featuresas　in　his　speech　at　the　Savage　Club；
＇September　28；　1872。　　This　is　probably　the　most　characteristic　speech
made　by　Mark　Twain　during　his　first　London　visit；　the　reader　will　find　it
in　full　in　Appendix　L；　at　the　end　of　last　volume。＇but　taking　the　snug
island　as　a　whole；　its　people；　its　institutions；　its　fair；　rural　aspects；
he　had　found　in　it　only　delight。　　To　Mrs。　Crane　he　wrote：

　　　　　If　you　and　Theodore　will　come　over　in　the　spring　with　Livy　and　me；
　　　　　and　spend　the　summer；　you　shall　see　a　country　that　is　so　beautiful
　　　　　that　you　will　be　obliged　to　believe　in　fairy…land。　　There　is　nothing
　　　　　like　it　elsewhere　on　the　globe。　　You　should　have　a　season　ticket　and
　　　　　travel　up　and　down　every　day　between　London　and　Oxford　and　worship
　　　　　nature。

　　　　　And　Theodore　can　browse　with　me　among　dusty　old　dens　that　look　now
　　　　　as　they　looked　five　hundred　years　ago；　and　puzzle　over　books　in　the
　　　　　British　Museum　that　were　made　before　Christ　was　born；　and　in　the
　　　　　customs　of　their　public　dinners；　and　the　ceremonies　of　every
　　　　　official　act；　and　the　dresses　of　a　thousand　dignitaries；　trace　the
　　　　　speech　and　manners　of　all　the　centuries　that　have　dragged　their
　　　　　lagging　decades　over　England　since　the　Heptarchy　fell　asunder。　　I
　　　　　would　a　good　deal　rather　live　here　if　I　could　get　the　rest　of　you
　　　　　over。

He　sailed　November　12th；　on　the　Batavia；　loaded　with　Christmas　presents
for　everybody；　jewelry；　furs；　laces；　also　a　practical　steam…engine　for
his　namesake；　Sam　Moffett。　　Half…way　across　the　Atlantic　the　Batavia　ran
into　a　hurricane　and　was　badly　damaged　by　heavy　seas；　and　driven　far　out
of　her　course。　　It　was　a　lucky　event　on　the　whole；　for　she　fell　in　with　a
water…logged　lumber　bark；　a　complete　wreck；　with　nine　surviving　sailors
clinging　to　her　rigging。　　In　the　midst　of　the　wild　gale　a　lifeboat　was
launched　and　the　perishing　men　were　rescued。　　Clemens　prepared　a　graphic
report　of　the　matter　for　the　Royal　Humane　Society；　asking　that　medals　be
conferred　upon　the　brave　rescuers；　a　document　that　was　signed　by　his
fellow…passengers　and　obtained　for　the　men　complete　recognition　and　wide
celebrity。　　Closing；　the　writer　said：

　　　　　As　might　have　been　anticipated；　if　I　have　been　of　any　service　toward
　　　　　rescuing　these　nine　shipwrecked　human　beings　by　standing　around　the
　　　　　deck　in　a　furious　storm；　without　an　umbrella；　keeping　an　eye　on
　　　　　things　and　seeing　that　they　were　done　right；　and　yelling　whenever　a
　　　　　cheer　seemed　to　be　the　important　thing；　I　am　glad　and　I　am
　　　　　satisfied。　　I　ask　no　reward。　　I　would　do　it　again　under　the　same
　　　　　circumstances。　　But　what　I　do　plead　for；　earnestly　and　sincerely；　is
　　　　　that　the　Royal　Humane　Society　will　remember　our　captain　and　our
　　　　　life…boat　crew；　and　in　so　remembering　them　increase　the　high　honor
　　　　　and　esteem　in　which　the　society　is　held　all　over　the　civilized
　　　　　world。

The　Batavia　reached　New　York　November　26；　1872。　　Mark　Twain　had　been
absent　three　months；　during　which　he　had　been　brought　to　at　least　a
partial　realization　of　what　his　work　meant　to　him　and　to　mankind。

An　election　had　taken　place　during　his　absencean　election　which
gratified　him　deeply；　for　it　had　resulted　in　the　second　presidency　of
General　Grant　and　in　the　defeat　of　Horace　Greeley；　whom　he　admired
perhaps；　but　not　as　presidential　material。　　To　Thomas　Nast；　who　had　aided
very　effectually　in　Mr。　Greeley's　overwhelming　defeat；　Clemens　wrote：

Nast；　you　more　than　any　other　man　have　won　a　prodigious　victory　for
GrantI　mean；　rather；　for　civilization　and　progress。　　Those　pictures
were　simply　marvelous；　and　if　any　man　in　the　land　has　a　right　to　hold　his
head　up　and　be　honestly　proud　of　his　share　in　this　year's　vast　events
that　man　is　unquestionably　yourself。　　We　all　do　sincerely　honor　you；　and
are　proud　of　you。

Horace　Greeley's　peculiar　abilities　and　eccentricities　won　celebrity　for
him；　rather　than　voters。　　Mark　Twain　once　said　of　him：

〃He　was　a　great　man；　an　honest　man；　and　served　his；　country　well　and　was
an　honor　to　it。　　Also；　he　was　a　good…natured　man；　but　abrupt　with
strangers　if　they　annoyed　him　when　he　was　busy。　　He　was　profane；　but　that
is　nothing；　the　best　of　us　is　that。　　I　did　not　know　him　well；　but　only
just　casually；　and　by　accident。　　I　never　met　him　but　once。　　I　called　on
him　in　the　Tribune　office；　but　I　was　not　intending　to。　　I　was　looking　for
Whitelaw　Reid；　and　got　into　the　wrong　den。　　He　was　alone　at　his　desk；
writing；　and　we　conversednot　long；　but　just　a　little。　　I　asked　him　if
he　was　well；　and　he　said；　'What　the　hell　do　you　want？'　　Well；　I　couldn't
remember　what　I　wanted；　so　I　said　I　would　call　again。　　But　I　didn't。〃

Clemens　did　not　always　tell　the　incident　just　in　this　way。　　Sometimes　it
was　John　Hay　he　was　looking　for　instead　of　Reid；　and　the　conversation
with　Greeley　varied；　but　perhaps　there　was　a　germ　of　history　under　it
somewhere；　and　at　any　rate　it　could　have　happened　well　enough；　and　not
have　been　out　of　character　with　either　of　the　men。




LXXXVIII

THE　GILDED　AGE〃

Mark　Twain　did　not　go　on　the　lecture　circuit　that　winter。　　Redpath　had
besought　him　as　usual；　and　even　in　midsummer　had　written：

〃Will　you？　　Won't　you？　　We　have　seven　thousand　to　eight　thousand　dollars
in　engagements　recorded　for　you；〃　and　he　named　a　list　of　towns　ranging
geographically　from　Boston　to　St。　Paul。

But　Clemens　had　no　intention　then　of　ever　lecturing　any　more；　and　again
in　November；　from　London；　he　announced　（to　Redpath）：

〃When　I　yell　again　for　less　than　500　I'll　be　pretty　hungry；　but　I
haven't　any　intention　of　yelling　at　any　price。〃

Redpath　pursued　him；　and　in　January　proposed　400　for　a　single　night　in
Philadelphia；　but　without　result。　　He　did　lecture　two　nights　in　Steinway
Hall　for　the　Mercantile　Library　Association；　on　the　basis　of　half
profits；　netting　1；300　for　the　two　nights　as　his　share；　and　he　lectured
one　night　in　Hartford；　at　a　profit　Of　1；500；　for　charity。　　Father
Hawley；　of　Hartford；　had　announced　that　his　missionary　work　was　suffering
for　lack　of　funds。　　Some　of　his　people　were　actually　without　food；　he
said；　their　children　crying　with　hunger。　　No　one　ever　responded　to　an
appeal　like　that　quicker　than　Samuel　Clemens。　　He　offered　to　deliver　a
lecture　free；　and　to　bear　an　equal　proportion　of　whatever　expenses　were
incurred　by　the　committee　of　eight　who　agreed　to　join　in　forwarding　the
project。　　He　gave　the　Sandwich　Island　lecture；　and　at　the　close　of　it　a
large　card　was　handed　him　with　the　figures　of　the　receipts　printed　upon
it。　　It　was　held　up　to　view；　and　the　house　broke　into　a　storm　of　cheers。

He　did　very　little　writing　during　the　early　weeks　following　his　return。
Early　in　the　year　（January　3　and　6；　1873）　he　contributed　two　Sandwich
Island　letters　to　the　Tribune；　in　which；　in　his　own　peculiar　fashion；　he
urged　annexation。

〃We　must　annex　those　people；〃　he　declared；　and　proceeded　to　specify　the
blessings　we　could　give　them；　such　as　〃　leather…headed　juries；　the
insanity　law；　and　the　Tweed　Ring。〃

　　　　　We　can　confer　Woodhull　and　Clafin　on　them；　and　George　Francis　Train。
　　　　　We　can　give　them　lecturers！　　I　will　go　myself。

　　　　　We　can　make　that　little　bunch　of　sleepy　islands　the　hottest　corner
　　　　　on　earth；　and　array　it　in　the　moral　splendor　of　our　high　and　holy
　　　　　civilization。　　Annexation　is　what　the　poor　islanders　need！

　　　　　〃Shall　we；　to　men　benighted；　the　lamp　of　life　deny？〃

His　success　in　England　became　an　incentive　to　certain　American
institutions　to　recognize　his　gifts　at　home。　　Early　in　the　year　he　was
dined　as　the　guest　of　the　Lotos　Club　of　New　York；　and　a　week　or　two　later
elected　to　its　membership。　　This　was　but　a　beginning。　　Some　new
membership　or　honor　was　offered　every　little　while；　and　so　many　banquets
that　he　finally　invented　a　set　form　for　declining　them。　　He　was　not　yet
recognized　as　the　foremost　American　man　of　letters；　but　undoubtedly　he
had　become　the　most　popular；　and　Edwin　Whipple；　writing　at　this　time；　or
but　little　later；　said：

〃Mark　Twain　is　regarded　chiefly　as　a　humorist；　but　the　exercise　of　his
real　talents　would　rank　him　with　the　ablest　of　our　authors　in　the　past
fifty　years。〃　　So　he　was　beginning　to　be　〃discovered〃　in　high　places。

It　was　during　this　winter　that　the　Clemens　household　enjoyed　its　first
real　home　life　in　Hartford；　its　first　real　home　life　anywhere　since　those
earliest　days　of　marriage。　　The　Hooker　mansion　was　a　comfortable　place。
The　little　family　had　comparatively　good　health。　　Their　old　friends　were
stanch　and　lavishly　warm…hearted；　and　they　had　added　many　new　ones。
Their　fireside　was　a　delightful　nucleus　around　which　gathered　those　they
cared　for　most；　the　Twichells；　the　Warner　families；　the　Trumbullsall
certain　of　a　welcome　there。　　George　Warner；　only　a　little　while　ago；
remembering；　said：

〃The　Clemens　house　was　the　only　one　I　have　ever　known　where　there　was
never　any　preoccupation　in　the　evenings；　and　where　visitors　were　always
welcome。　　Clemens　was　the　best　kind　of　a　host；　his　evenings　after　dinner
were　an　unending　flow　of　stories。〃

Friends　living　near　by　usually　came　and　went　at　will；　often　without　the
ceremony　of　knocking　or　formal　leave…taking。　　They　were　more　like　one
great　family　in　that　neighborhood；　with　a　community　of　interests；　a　unity
of　ideals。　　The　Warner　families　and　the　Clemenses　were　particularly
intimate；　and　out　of　their　association　grew　Mark　Twain's　next　important
literary　undertaking；　his　collaboration　with　Charles　Dudley　Warner　in
'The　Gilded　Age'。

A　number　of　more　or　less　absurd　stories　have　been　printed　about　the
origin　of　this　book。　　It　was　a　very　simple　matter；　a　perfectly　natural
development。

At　the　dinner…table　one　night；　with　the　Warners　present；　criticisms　of
recent　novels　were　offered；　with　the　usual　freedom　and　severity　of
dinner…table　talk。　　The　husbands　were　inclined　to　treat　rather　lightly
the　novels　in　which　their　wives　were　finding　entertainment。　　The　wives
naturally　retorted　that　the　pro