mark twain, a biography, 1866-1875-第42部分

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　　　　　We　have　made　thirty…five　miles　in　less　than　five　days。　　This
　　　　　demonstrates　that　the　thing　can　be　done。　　Shall　now　finish　by　rail。
　　　　　Did　you　have　any　bets　on　us？

To　Howells：

　　　　　Arrive　by　rail　at　seven　o'clock；　the　first　of　a　series　of　grand
　　　　　annual　pedestrian　tours　from　Hartford　to　Boston　to　be　performed　by
　　　　　us。　　The　next　will　take　place　next　year。

Redpath　read　his　despatch　to　a　lecture　audience；　with　effect。　　Howells
made　immediate　preparation　for　receiving　two　way…worn；　hungry　men。　　He
telegraphed　to　Young's　Hotel：　〃You　and　Twichell　come　right　up　to　37
Concord　Avenue；　Cambridge；　near　observatory。　　Party　waiting　for　you。〃

They　got　to　Howells's　about　nine　o'clock；　and　the　refreshments　were
waiting。　　Miss　Longfellow　was　there；　Rose　Hawthorne；　John　Fiske；　Larkin
G。　Mead；　the　sculptor；　and　others　of　their　kind。　　Howells　tells　in　his
book　how　Clemens；　with　Twichell；　〃suddenly　stormed　in；〃　and　immediately
began　to　eat　and　drink：

　　　　　I　can　see　him　now　as　he　stood　up　in　the　midst　of　our　friends；　with
　　　　　his　head　thrown　back；　and　in　his　hand　a　dish　of　those　escalloped
　　　　　oysters　without　which　no　party　in　Cambridge　was　really　a　party；
　　　　　exulting　in　the　tale　of　his　adventure；　which　had　abounded　in　the
　　　　　most　original　characters　and　amusing　incidents　at　every　mile　of
　　　　　their　progress。

Clemens　gave　a　dinner；　next　night；　to　Howells；　Aldrich；　Osgood；　and　the
rest。　　The　papers　were　full　of　jokes　concerning　the　Boston　expedition；
some　even　had　illustrations；　and　it　was　all　amusing　enough　at　the　time。

Next　morning；　sitting　in　the　writing…room　of　Young's　Hotel；　he　wrote　a
curious　letter　to　Mrs。　Clemens；　though　intended　as　much　for　Howells　and
Aldrich　as　for　her。　　It　was　dated　sixty…one　years　ahead；　and　was　a　sort
of　Looking　Backwards；　though　that　notable　book　had　not　yet　been　written。
It　presupposed　a　monarchy　in　which　the　name　of　Boston　has　been　changed　to
〃Limerick；〃　and　Hartford　to　〃Dublin。〃　　In　it；　Twichell　has　become　the
〃Archbishop　of　Dublin；〃　Howells　〃Duke　of　Cambridge；〃　Aldrich　〃Marquis　of
Ponkapog；〃　Clemens　the　〃Earl　of　Hartford。〃　　It　was　too　whimsical　and
delightful　a　fancy　to　be　forgotten。　＇This　remarkable　and　amusing
document　will　be　found　under　Appendix　M；　at　the　end　of　last　volume。＇

A　long　time　afterward；　thirty…four　year；　he　came　across　this　letter。　　He
said：

〃It　seems　curious　now　that　I　should　have　been　dreaming　dreams　of　a　future
monarchy　and　never　suspect　that　the　monarchy　was　already　present　and　the
Republic　a　thing　of　the　past。〃

What　he　meant；　was　the　political　succession　that　had　fostered　those
commercial　trusts　which；　in　turn；　had　established　party　dominion。

To　Howells；　on　his　return；　Clemens　wrote　his　acknowledgments；　and　added：

　　　　　Mrs。　Clemens　gets　upon　the　verge　of　swearing；　and　goes　tearing
　　　　　around　in　an　unseemly　fury　when　I　enlarge　upon　the　delightful　time
　　　　　we　had　in　Boston；　and　she　not　there　to　have　her　share。　　I　have　tried
　　　　　hard　to　reproduce　Mrs。　Howells　to　her；　and　have　probably　not　made　a
　　　　　shining　success　of　it。




XCVIII

〃OLD　TIMES　ON　THE　MISSISSIPPI〃

Howells　had　been　urging　Clemens　to　do　something　more　for　the　Atlantic；
specifically　something　for　the　January　number。　　Clemens　cudgeled　his
brains；　but　finally　declared　he　must　give　it　up：

　　　　　Mrs。　Clemens　has　diligently　persecuted　me　day　by　day　with　urgings　to
　　　　　go　to　work　and　do　that　something；　but　it's　no　use。　　I　find　I　can't。
　　　　　We　are　in　such　a　state　of　worry　and　endless　confusion　that　my　head
　　　　　won't　go。

Two　hours　later　he　sent　another　hasty　line：

　　　　　I　take　back　the　remark　that　I　can't　write　for　the　January　number；
　　　　　for　Twichell　and　I　have　had　a　long　walk　in　the　woods；　and　I　got　to
　　　　　telling　him　about　old　Mississippi　days　of　steam…boating　glory　and
　　　　　grandeur　as　I　saw　them　（during　four　years）　from　the　pilot…house。　　He
　　　　　said；　〃What　a　virgin　subject　to　hurl　into　a　magazine！〃　I　hadn't
　　　　　thought　of　that　before。　　Would　you　like　a　series　of　papers　to　run
　　　　　through　three　months　or　six　or　nineor　about　four　months；　say？

Howells　welcomed　this　offer　as　an　echo　of　his　own　thought。　　He　had　come
from　a　piloting　family　himself；　and　knew　the　interest　that　Mark　Twain
could　put　into　such　a　series。

Acting　promptly　under　the　new　inspiration；　Clemens　forthwith　sent　the
first　chapter　of　that　monumental；　that　absolutely　unique；　series　of
papers　on　Mississippi　River　life；　which　to…day　constitutes　one　of　his
chief　claims　to　immortality。

His　first　number　was　in　the　nature　of　an　experiment。　　Perhaps；　after　all；
the　idea　would　not　suit　the　Atlantic　readers。

〃Cut　it；　scarify　it；　reject　it；　handle　it　with　entire　freedom；〃　he　wrote；
and　awaited　the　result。

The　〃result〃　was　that　Howells　expressed　his　delight：

　　　　　The　piece　about　the　Mississippi　is　capital。　　It　almost　made　the
　　　　　water　in　our　ice…pitcher　muddy　as　I　read　it。　　I　don't　think　I　shall
　　　　　meddle　much　with　it；　even　in　the　way　of　suggestion。　　The　sketch　of
　　　　　the　low…lived　little　town　was　so　good　that　I　could　have　wished　there
　　　　　was　more　of　it。　　I　want　the　sketches；　if　you　can　make　them；　every
　　　　　month。

Mark　Twain　was　now　really　interested　in　this　new　literary　venture。　　He
was　fairly　saturated　with　memories。　　He　was　writing　on　the　theme　that　lay
nearest　to　his　heart。　　Within　ten　days　he　reported　that　he　had　finished
three　of　the　papers；　and　had　begun　the　fourth。

And　yet　I　have　spoken　of　nothing　but　piloting　as　a　science　so　far；　and　I
doubt　if　I　ever　get　beyond　that　portion　of　my　subject。　　And　I　don't　care
to。　　Any　Muggins　can　write　about　old　days　on　the　Mississippi　of　five
hundred　different　kinds；　but　I　am　the　only　man　alive　that　can　scribble
about　the　piloting　of　that　day；　and　no　man　has　ever　tried　to　scribble
about　it　yet。　　Its　newness　pleases　me　all　the　time；　and　it　is　about　the
only　new　subject　I　know　of。

He　became　so　enthusiastic　presently　that　he　wanted　to　take　Howells　with
him　on　a　trip　down　the　Mississippi；　with　their　wives　for　company；　to　go
over　the　old　ground　again　and　obtain　added　material　enough　for　a　book。
Howells　was　willing　enoughagreed　to　go；　in　factbut　found　it　hard　to
get　away。　　He　began　to　temporize　and　finally　backed　out。　　Clemens　tried
to　inveigle　Osgood　into　the　trip；　but　without　success；　also　John　Hay；　but
Hay　had　a　new　baby　at　his　house　just　then〃three　days　old；　and　with　a
voice　beyond　price；〃　he　said；　offering　it　as　an　excuse　for　non…
acceptance。　　So　the　plan　for　revisiting　the　river　and　the　conclusion　of
the　book　were　held　in　abeyance　for　nearly　seven　years。

Those　early　piloting　chapters；　as　they　appeared　in　the　Atlantic；
constituted　Mark　Twain's　best　literary　exhibit　up　to　that　time。　　In　some
respects　they　are　his　best　literature　of　any　time。　　As　pictures　of　an
intensely　interesting　phase　of　life；　they　are　so　convincing；　so　real；　and
at　the　same　time　of　such　extraordinary　charm　and　interest；　that　if　the
English　language　should　survive　a　thousand　years；　or　ten　times　as　long；
they　would　be　as　fresh　and　vivid　at　the　end　of　that　period　as　the　day
they　were　penned。　　In　them　the　atmosphere　of；　the　river　and　its
environmentits　pictures；　its　thousand　aspects　of　lifeare　reproduced
with　what　is　no　less　than　literary　necromancy。　　Not　only　does　he　make　you
smell　the　river　you　can　fairly　hear　it　breathe。　　On　the　appearance　of　the
first　number　John　Hay　wrote：

〃It　is　perfect；　no　more　nor　less。　　I　don't　see　how　you　do　it；〃　and　added；
〃you　know　what　my　opinion　is　of　time　not　spent　with　you。〃

Howells　wrote：

　　　　　You　are　doing　the　science　of　piloting　splendidly。　　Every　word
　　　　　interesting；　and　don't　you　drop　the　series　till　you've　got　every　bit
　　　　　of　anecdote　and　reminiscence　into　it。

He　let　Clemens　write　the　articles　to　suit　himself。　　Once　he　said：

　　　　　If　I　might　put　in　my　jaw　at　this　point　I　should　say；　stick　to　actual
　　　　　fact　and　character　in　the　thing　and　give　things　in　detail。　　All　that
　　　　　belongs　to　the　old　river　life　is　novel；　and　is　now　mostly
　　　　　historical。　　Don't　write　at　any　supposed　Atlantic　audience；　but　yarn
　　　　　it　off　as　if　into　my　sympathetic　ear。

Clemens　replied　that　he　had　no　dread　of　the　Atlantic　audience；　he
declared　it　was　the　only　audience　that　did　not　require　a　humorist　to
〃paint　himself　striped　and　stand　on　his　head　to　amuse　it。〃

The　〃Old　Times〃　papers　ran　through　seven　numbers　of　the　Atlantic。　　They
were　reprinted　everywhere　by　the　newspapers；　who　in　that　day　had　little
respect　for　magazine　copyrights；　and　were　promptly　pirated　in　book　form
in　Canada。　　They　added　vastly　to　Mark　Twain's　literary　capital；　though
Howells　informs　us　that　the　Atlantic　circulation　did　not　thrive
proportionately；　for　the　reason　that　the　newspapers　gave　the　articles　to
their　readers　from　advanced　sheets　of　the　magazine；　even　before　the
latter　could　be　placed　on　sale。　　It　so　happened　that　in　the　January
Atlantic；　which　contained　the　first　of　the　Mississippi　papers；　there
appeared　Robert　Dale　Owen's　article　on　〃Spiritualism；〃　which　brought　such
humility　both　to　author　and　publisher　because　of　the　exposure　of　the
medium　Katie　King；　which　came　along　while　the　magazine　was　in　press。
Clemens　has　written　this　marginal　note　on　the　opening　page　of　the　copy　at
Quarry　Farm：

While　this　number　of　the　Atlantic　was　being　printed　the　Katie　King
manifestations　were　discovered　to　be　the　cheapest；　wretchedest　shams　and
frauds；　and　were　exposed　in　the　newspapers。　　The　awful　humiliation　of　it
unseated　Robert　Dale　Owen's　reason；　and　he　died　in　the　madhouse。




XCIX

A　TYPEWRITER；　AND　A　JOKE　ON　ALDRICH

It　was　during　the　trip　to　Boston　with　Twichell　that　Mark　Twain　saw　for
the　first　time　what　was　thena　brand…new　invention；　a　typewriter；　or　it
may　have　been　during　a　subsequent　visit；　a　week　or　two　later。　　At　all
events；　he　had　the　machine　and　was　practising　on　it　December　9；　1874；　for
he　wrote　two　letters　on　it　that　day；　one　to　Howells　and　the　other　to
Orion　Clemens。　　In　the　latter　he　says：

　　　　　I　am　trying　to　get　the　hang　of　this　new…fangled　writing…machine；　but
　　　　　am　not　making　a　shining　success　of　it。　　However；　this　is　the　first
　　　　　attempt　I　ever　have　made；　and　yet　I　perceive　that　I　shall　soon
　　　　　easily　acquir