mark twain, a biography, 1866-1875-第7部分

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registered　eighteen　hundred　tonsabout　one…tenth　the　size　of
Mediterranean　excursion…steamers　todayand　when　conditions　were
favorable　she　could　make　ten　knots　an　hour　under　steamor；　at　least；　she
could　do　it　with　the　help　of　her　auxiliary　sails。　　Altogether　she　was　a
cozy；　satisfactory　ship；　and　they　were　a　fortunate　company　who　had　her
all　to　themselves　and　went　out　on　her　on　that　long…ago　ocean　gipsying。
She　has　grown　since　then；　even　to　the　proportions　of　the　Mayflower。　　It
was　necessary　for　her　to　grow　to　hold　all　of　those　who　in　later　times
claimed　to　have　sailed　in　her　on　that　voyage　with　Mark　Twain。　＇The
Quaker　City　passenger　list　will　be　found　under　Appendix　F；　at　the　end　of
last　volume。＇

They　were　not　all　ministers　and　deacons　aboard　the　Quaker　City。　　Clemens
found　other　congenial　spirits　be　sides　his　room…mate　Dan　Sloteamong
them　the　ship's　surgeon；　Dr。　A。　Reeve　Jackson　（the　guide…destroying
〃Doctor〃　of　The　Innocents）；　Jack　Van　Nostrand；　of　New　Jersey　（〃Jack〃）；
Julius　Moulton；　of　St。　Louis　（〃Moult〃）；　and　other　care…free　fellows；　the
smoking…room　crowd　which　is　likely　to　make　comradeship　its　chief
watchword。　　There　were　companionable　people　in　the　cabin　crowd　also
fine；　intelligent　men　and　women；　especially　one　of　the　latter；　a　middle…
aged；　intellectual；　motherly　soulMrs。　A。　W。　Fairbanks；　of　Cleveland；
Ohio。　　Mrs。　Fairbanksherself　a　newspaper　correspondent　for　her
husband's　paper；　the　Cleveland　Herald　had　a　large　influence　on　the
character　and　general　tone　of　those　Quaker　City　letters　which　established
Mark　Twain's　larger　fame。　　She　was　an　able　writer　herself；　her　judgment
was　thoughtful；　refined；　unbiasedaltogether　of　a　superior　sort。　　She
understood　Samuel　Clemens；　counseled　him；　encouraged　him　to　read　his
letters　aloud　to　her；　became　in　reality　〃Mother　Fairbanks；〃　as　they
termed　her；　to　him　and　to　others　of　that　ship　who　needed　her　kindly
offices。

In　one　of　his　home　letters；　later；　he　said　of　her：

　　　　　She　was　the　most　refined；　intelligent；　cultivated　lady　in　the　ship；
　　　　　and　altogether　the　kindest　and　best。　　She　sewed　my　buttons　on；　kept
　　　　　my　clothing　in　presentable　trim；　fed　me　on　Egyptian　jam　（when　I
　　　　　behaved）；　lectured　me　awfully　on　the　quarter…deck　on　moonlit
　　　　　promenading　evenings；　and　cured　me　of　several　bad　habits。　　I　am
　　　　　under　lasting　obligations　to　her。　　She　looks　young　because　she　is　so
　　　　　good；　but　she　has　a　grown　son　and　daughter　at　home。

In　one　of　the　early　letters　which　Mrs。　Fairbanks　wrote　to　her　paper　she
is　scarcely　less　complimentary　to　him；　even　if　in　a　different　way。

　　　　　We　have　D。D。's　and　M。D。'swe　have　men　of　wisdom　and　men　of　wit。
　　　　　There　is　one　table　from　which　is　sure　to　come　a　peal　of　laughter；
　　　　　and　all　eyes　are　turned　toward　Mark　Twain；　whose　face　is；　perfectly
　　　　　mirth…provoking。　　Sitting　lazily　at　the　table；　scarcely　genteel　in
　　　　　his　appearance；　there　is　something；　I　know　not　what；　that　interests
　　　　　and　attracts。　　I　saw　to…day　at　dinner　venerable　divines　and　sage…
　　　　　looking　men　convulsed　with　laughter　at　his　drolleries　and　quaint；
　　　　　odd　manners。

It　requires　only　a　few　days　on　shipboard　for　acquaintances　to　form；　and
presently　a　little　afternoon　group　was　gathering　to　hear　Mark　Twain　read
his　letters。　　Mrs。　Fairbanks　was　there；　of　course；　also　Mr。　and　Mrs。　S。
L。　Severance；　likewise　of　Cleveland；　and　Moses　S。　Beach；　of　the　Sun；　with
his　daughter　Emma；　a　girl　of　seventeen。　　Dan　Slote　was　likely　to　be
there；　too；　and　Jack；　and　the　Doctor；　and　Charles　J。　Langdon；　of　Elmira；
New　York；　a　boy　of　eighteen；　who　had　conceived　a　deep　admiration　for　the
brilliant　writer。　　They　were　fortunate　ones　who　first　gathered　to　hear
those　daring；　wonderful　letters。

But　the　benefit　was　a　mutual　one。　He　furnished　a　priceless　entertainment；
and　he　derived　something　equally　priceless　in　returnthe　test　of
immediate　audience　and　the　boon　of　criticism。　　Mrs。　Fairbanks　especially
was　frankly　sincere。　　Mr。　Severance　wrote　afterward：

　　　　　One　afternoon　I　saw　him　tearing　up　a　bunch　of　the　soft；　white　paper…
　　　　　copy　paper；　I　guess　the　newspapers　call　it…on　which　he　had　written
　　　　　something；　and　throwing　the　fragments　into　the　Mediterranean。　　I
　　　　　inquired　of　him　why　he　cast　away　the　fruits　of　his　labors　in　that
　　　　　manner。

〃Well；〃　he　drawled；　〃Mrs。　Fairbanks　thinks　it　oughtn't　to　be　printed；
and；　like　as　not；　she　is　right。〃

And　Emma　Beach　（Mrs。　Abbott　Thayer）　remembers　hearing　him　say：

〃Well；　Mrs。　Fairbanks　has　just　destroyed　another　four　hours'　work　for
me。〃

Sometimes　he　played　chess　with　Emma　Beach；　who　thought　him　a　great　hero
because；　once　when　a　crowd　of　men　were　tormenting　a　young　lad；　a
passenger；　Mark　Twain　took　the　boy's　part　and　made　them　desist。

〃I　am　sure　I　was　right；　too；〃　she　declares；　〃heroism　came　natural　to
him。〃

Mr。　Severance　recalls　another　incident　which；　as　he　says；　was　trivial
enough；　but　not　easy　to　forget：

We　were　having　a　little　celebration　over　the　birthday　anniversary　of　Mrs。
Duncan；　wife　of　our　captain。　　Mark　Twain　got　up　and　made　a　little　speech；
in　which　he　said　Mrs。　Duncan　was　really　older　than　Methuselah　because　she
knew　a　lot　of　things　that　Methuselah　never　heard　of。　　Then　he　mentioned　a
number　of　more　or　less　modern　inventions；　and　wound　up　by　saying；　〃What
did　Methuselah　know　about　a　barbed…wire　fence？〃

Except　Following　the　Equator；　The　Innocents　Abroad　comes　nearer　to　being
history　than　any　other　of　Mark　Twain's　travel…books。　　The　notes　for　it
were　made　on　the　spot；　and　there　was　plenty　of　fact；　plenty　of　fresh；　new
experience；　plenty　of　incident　to　set　down。　　His　idea　of　descriptive
travel　in　those　days　was　to　tell　the　story　as　it　happened；　also；　perhaps；
he　had　not　then　acquired　the　courage　of　his　inventions。　　We　may　believe
that　the　adventures　with　Jack；　Dan；　and　the　Doctor　are　elaborated　here
and　there；　but　even　those　happened　substantially　as　recorded。　　There　is
little　to　add；　then；　to　the　story　of　that　halcyon　trip；　and　not　much　to
elucidate。

The　old　note…books　give　a　light　here　and　there　that　is　interesting。　　It
is　curious　to　be　looking　through　them　now；　trying　to　realize　that　these
penciled　memoranda　were　the　fresh；　first　impressions　that　would　presently
grow　into　the　world's　most　delightful　book　of　travel；　that　they　were　set
down　in　the　very　midst　of　that　care…free　little　company　that　frolicked
through　Italy；　climbed　wearily　the　arid　Syrian　hills。　　They　are　all　dead
now；　but　to　us　they　are　as　alive　and　young　to…day　as　when　they　followed
the　footprints　of　the　Son　of　Man　through　Palestine；　and　stood　at　last
before　the　Sphinx；　impressed　and　awed　by　its　〃five　thousand　slow…
revolving　years。〃

Some　of　the　items　consist　of　no　more　than　a　few　terse；　suggestive　words
serious；　humorous；　sometimes　profane。　　Others　are　statistical；
descriptive；　elaborated。　　Also　there　are　drawings〃not　copied；〃　he　marks
them；　with　a　pride　not　always　justified　by　the　result。　　The　earlier　notes
are　mainly　comments　on　the　〃pilgrims；〃　the　freak　pilgrims：　〃the　Frenchy…
looking　woman　who　owns　a　dog　and　keeps　up　an　interminable　biography　of
him　to　the　passengers〃；　the　〃long…legged；　simple；　wide…mouthed；　horse…
laughing　young　fellow　who　once　made　a　sea　voyage　to　Fortress　Monroe；　and
quotes　eternally　from　his　experiences〃；　also；　there　is　reference　to
another　young　man；　〃good；　accommodating；　pleasant　but　fearfully　green。〃
This　young　person　would　become　the　〃Interrogation　Point；〃　in　due　time；
and　have　his　picture　on　page　71　（old　edition）；　while　opposite　him；　on
page　70；　would　appear　the　〃oracle；〃　identified　as　one　Doctor　Andrews；　who
（the　note…book　says）　had　the　habit　of　〃smelling　in　guide…books　for
knowledge　and　then　trying　to　play　it　for　old　information　that　has　been
festering　in　his　brain。〃　　Sometimes　there　are　abstract　notes　such　as：

How　lucky　Adam　was。　　He　knew　when　he　said　a　good　thing　that　no　one　had
ever　said　it　before。

Of　the　〃character〃　notes；　the　most　important　and　elaborated　is　that　which
presents　the　〃Poet　Lariat。〃　　This　is　the　entry；　somewhat　epitomized：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BLOODGOOD　H。　　CUTTER

　　　　　He　is　fifty　years　old；　and　small　of　his　age。　　He　dresses　in
　　　　　homespun；　and　is　a　simple…minded；　honest；　old…fashioned　farmer；　with
　　　　　a　strange　proclivity　for　writing　rhymes。　　He　writes　them　on　all
　　　　　possible　subjects；　and　gets　them　printed　on　slips　of　paper；　with　his
　　　　　portrait　at　the　head。　　These　he　will　give　to　any　man　who　comes
　　　　　along；　whether　he　has　anything　against　him　or　not　。　　。　　。　　。

　　　　　Dan　said：

　　　　　〃It　must　be　a　great　happiness　to　you　to　sit　down　at　the　close　of　day
　　　　　and　put　its　events　all　down　in　rhymes　and　poetry；　like　Byron　and
　　　　　Shakespeare　and　those　fellows。〃

　　　　　〃Oh　yes；　it　isit　isWhy；　many's　the　time　I've　had　to　get　up　in
　　　　　the　night　when　it　comes　on　me：

　　　　　　　　　　Whether　we're　on　the　sea　or　the　land
　　　　　　　　　　We've　all　got　to　go　at　the　word　of　command

　　　　　Hey！　　how's　that？〃

A　curious　character　was　Cuttera　Long　Island　farmer　with　the　obsession
of　rhyme。　　In　his　old　age；　in　an　interview；　he　said：

〃Mark　was　generally　writing　and　he　was　glum。　　He　would　write　what　we　were
doing；　and　I　would　write　poetry；　and　Mark　would　say：

〃'For　Heaven's　sake；　Cutter；　keep　your　poems　to　yourself。'

〃Yes；　Mark　was　pretty　glum；　and　he　was　generally　writing。〃

Poor　old　Poet　Lariatdead　now　with　so　many　others　of　that　happy　crew。
We　may　believe　that　Mark　learned　to　be　〃glum〃　when　he　saw　the　Lariat
approaching　with　his　sheaf　of　rhymes。　　We　may　believe；　too；　that　he　was
〃generally　writing。〃　　He　contributed　fifty…three　letters　to　the　Alta
during　that　five　months　and　six　to　the　Tribune。　　They　would　average　about
two　columns　nonpareil　each；　which　is　to　say　four　thousand　words；　or
something　like　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　words　in　all。　　To　turn　out
an　average　of　fifteen　hundred　words　a　day；　with　continuous　sight…seeing
besides；　one　must　be　generally　writing　during　any　odd　intervals；　those
who　are　wont　to　regard　Mark　Twain　as　lazy　may　consider　these　statistics。
That　he　detested　manual　labor　is　true　enough；　but　at　the　work　for　which
he　was　fitted　and　intended　it　may　be　set　down　here　upon　authority　（and
despite　his　own　frequent　assertions　to