my mark twain-第3部分

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preferences　among　novelists；　or　at　least　I　never　heard　him　express　any。
He　used　to　read　the　modern　novels　I　praised；　in　or　out　of　print；　but　I　do
not　think　he　much　liked　reading　fiction。　　As　for　plays；　he　detested　the
theatre；　and　said　he　would　as　lief　do　a　sum　as　follow　a　plot　on　the
stage。　　He　could　not；　or　did　not；　give　any　reasons　for　his　literary
abhorrences；　and　perhaps　he　really　had　none。　　But　he　could　have　said　very
distinctly；　if　he　had　needed；　why　he　liked　the　books　he　did。　　I　was　away
at　the　time　of　his　great　Browning　passion；　and　I　know　of　it　chiefly　from
hearsay；　but　at　the　time　Tolstoy　was　doing　what　could　be　done　to　make　me
over　Clemens　wrote；　〃That　man　seems　to　have　been　to　you　what　Browning　was
to　me。〃　　I　do　not　know　that　he　had　other　favorites　among　the　poets；　but
he　had　favorite　poems　which　he　liked　to　read　to　you；　and　he　read；　of
course；　splendidly。　　I　have　forgotten　what　piece　of　John　Hay's　it　was
that　he　liked　so　much；　but　I　remembered　how　he　fiercely　revelled　in　the
vengefulness　of　William　Morris's　'Sir　Guy　of　the　Dolorous　Blast；'　and　how
he　especially　exalted　in　the　lines　which　tell　of　the　supposed　speaker's
joy　in　slaying　the　murderer　of　his　brother：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃I　am　threescore　years　and　ten；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　my　hair　is　'nigh　turned　gray；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　But　I　am　glad　to　think　of　the　moment　when
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　took　his　life　away。〃

Generally；　I　fancy　his　pleasure　in　poetry　was　not　great；　and　I　do　not
believe　he　cared　much　for　the　conventionally　accepted　masterpieces　of
literature。　　He　liked　to　find　out　good　things　and　great　things　for
himself；　sometimes　he　would　discover　these　in　a　masterpiece　new　to　him
alone；　and　then；　if　you　brought　his　ignorance　home　to　him；　he　enjoyed　it；
and　enjoyed　it　the　more　the　more　you　rubbed　it　in。

Of　all　the　literary　men　I　have　known　he　was　the　most　unliterary　in　his
make　and　manner。　　I　do　not　know　whether　he　had　any　acquaintance　with
Latin；　but　I　believe　not　the　least；　German　he　knew　pretty　well；　and
Italian　enough　late　in　life　to　have　fun　with　it；　but　he　used　English　in
all　its　alien　derivations　as　if　it　were　native　to　his　own　air；　as　if　it
had　come　up　out　of　American；　out　of　Missourian　ground。　　His　style　was
what　we　know；　for　good　and　for　bad；　but　his　manner；　if　I　may　difference
the　two；　was　as　entirely　his　own　as　if　no　one　had　ever　written　before。
I　have　noted　before　this　how　he　was　not　enslaved　to　the　consecutiveness
in　writing　which　the　rest　of　us　try　to　keep　chained　to。　　That　is；　he
wrote　as　he　thought；　and　as　all　men　think；　without　sequence；　without　an
eye　to　what　went　before　or　should　come　after。　　If　something　beyond　or
beside　what　he　was　saying　occurred　to　him；　he　invited　it　into　his　page；
and　made　it　as　much　at　home　there　as　the　nature　of　it　would　suffer　him。
Then；　when　he　was　through　with　the　welcoming　of　this　casual　and
unexpected　guest；　he　would　go　back　to　the　company　he　was　entertaining；
and　keep　on　with　what　he　had　been　talking　about。　　He　observed　this　manner
in　the　construction　of　his　sentences；　and　the　arrangement　of　his
chapters；　and　the　ordering　or　disordering　of　his　compilations。　＇Nowhere
is　this　characteristic　better　found　than　in　Twain's　Autobiography；'　it
was　not　a　〃style〃　it　was　unselfconscious　thought　　D。W。＇　I　helped　him
with　a　Library　of　Humor；　which　he　once　edited；　and　when　I　had　done　my
work　according　to　tradition；　with　authors；　times；　and　topics　carefully
studied　in　due　sequence；　he　tore　it　all　apart；　and　〃chucked〃　the　pieces
in　wherever　the　fancy；　for　them　took　him　at　the　moment。　　He　was　right：　we
were　not　making　a　text…book；　but　a　book　for　the　pleasure　rather　than　the
instruction　of　the　reader；　and　he　did　not　see　why　the　principle　on　which
he　built　his　travels　and　reminiscences　and　tales　and　novels　should　not
apply　to　it；　and　I　do　not　now　see；　either；　though　at　the　time　it
confounded　me。　　On　minor　points　he　was；　beyond　any　author　I　have　known；
without　favorite　phrases　or　pet　words。　　He　utterly　despised　the　avoidance
of　repetitions　out　of　fear　of　tautology。　　If　a　word　served　his　turn
better　than　a　substitute；　he　would　use　it　as　many　times　in　a　page　as　he
chose。




V。

At　that　time　I　had　become　editor　of　The　Atlantic　Monthly；　and　I　had
allegiances　belonging　to　the　conduct　of　what　was　and　still　remains　the
most　scrupulously　cultivated　of　our　periodicals。　　When　Clemens　began　to
write　for　it　he　came　willingly　under　its　rules；　for　with　all　his
wilfulness　there　never　was　a　more　biddable　man　in　things　you　could　show
him　a　reason　for。　　He　never　made　the　least　of　that　trouble　which　so
abounds　for　the　hapless　editor　from　narrower…minded　contributors。　　If　you
wanted　a　thing　changed；　very　good；　he　changed　it；　if　you　suggested　that　a
word　or　a　sentence　or　a　paragraph　had　better　be　struck　out；　very　good；
he　struck　it　out。　　His　proof…sheets　came　back　each　a　veritable　〃mush　of
concession；〃　as　Emerson　says。　　Now　and　then　he　would　try　a　little
stronger　language　than　'The　Atlantic'　had　stomach　for；　and　once　when　I
sent　him　a　proof　I　made　him　observe　that　I　had　left　out　the　profanity。
He　wrote　back：　〃Mrs。　Clemens　opened　that　proof；　and　lit　into　the　room
with　danger　in　her　eye。　　What　profanity？　　You　see；　when　I　read　the
manuscript　to　her　I　skipped　that。〃　　It　was　part　of　his　joke　to　pretend　a
violence　in　that　gentlest　creature　which　the　more　amusingly　realized　the
situation　to　their　friends。

I　was　always　very　glad　of　him　and　proud　of　him　as　a　contributor；　but　I
must　not　claim　the　whole　merit；　or　the　first　merit　of　having　him　write
for　us。　　It　was　the　publisher；　the　late　H。　O。　Houghton；　who　felt　the
incongruity　of　his　absence　from　the　leading　periodical　of　the　country；
and　was　always　urging　me　to　get　him　to　write。　　I　will　take　the　credit　of
being　eager　for　him；　but　it　is　to　the　publisher's　credit　that　he　tried；
so　far　as　the　modest　traditions　of　'The　Atlantic'　would　permit；　to　meet
the　expectations　in　pay　which　the　colossal　profits　of　Clemens's　books
might　naturally　have　bred　in　him。　　Whether　he　was　really　able　to　do　this
he　never　knew　from　Clemens　himself；　but　probably　twenty　dollars　a　page
did　not　surfeit　the　author　of　books　that　〃sold　right　along　just　like　the
Bible。〃

We　had　several　short　contributions　from　Clemens　first；　all　of　capital
quality；　and　then　we　had　the　series　of　papers　which　went　mainly　to　the
making　of　his　great　book；　'Life　on　the　Mississippi'。　　Upon　the　whole　I
have　the　notion　that　Clemens　thought　this　his　greatest　book；　and　he　was
supported　in　his　opinion　by　that　of　the　'portier'　in　his　hotel　at　Vienna；
and　that　of　the　German　Emperor；　who；　as　he　told　me　with　equal　respect　for
the　preference　of　each；　united　in　thinking　it　his　best；　with　such　far…
sundered　social　poles　approaching　in　its　favor；　he　apparently　found
himself　without　standing　for　opposition。　　At　any　rate；　the　papers　won
instant　appreciation　from　his　editor　and　publisher；　and　from　the　readers
of　their　periodical；　which　they　expected　to　prosper　beyond　precedent　in
its　circulation。　　But　those　were　days　of　simpler　acceptance　of　the
popular　rights　of　newspapers　than　these　are；　when　magazines　strictly
guard　their　vested　interests　against　them。　　'The　New　York　Times'　and　the
'St。　Louis　Democrat'　profited　by　the　advance　copies　of　the　magazine　sent
them　to　reprint　the　papers　month　by　month。　　Together　they　covered　nearly
the　whole　reading　territory　of　the　Union；　and　the　terms　of　their　daily
publication　enabled　them　to　anticipate　the　magazine　in　its　own　restricted
field。　　Its　subscription　list　was　not　enlarged　in　the　slightest　measure；
and　The　Atlantic　Monthly　languished　on　the　news…stands　as　undesired　as
ever。




VI。

It　was　among　my　later　visits　to　Hartford　that　we　began　to　talk　up　the
notion　of　collaborating　a　play；　but　we　did　not　arrive　at　any　clear
intention；　and　it　was　a　telegram　out　of　the　clear　sky　that　one　day
summoned　me　from　Boston　to　help　with　a　continuation　of　Colonel　Sellers。
I　had　been　a　witness　of　the　high　joy　of　Clemens　in　the　prodigious　triumph
of　the　first　Colonel　Sellers；　which　had　been　dramatized　from　the　novel　of
'The　Gilded　Age。'　　This　was　the　joint　work　of　Clemens　and　Charles　Dudley
Warner；　and　the　story　had　been　put　upon　the　stage　by　some　one　in　Utah；
whom　Clemens　first　brought　to　book　in　the　courts　for　violation　of　his
copyright；　and　then　indemnified　for　such　rights　as　his　adaptation　of　the
book　had　given　him。　　The　structure　of　the　play　as　John　T。　Raymond　gave　it
was　substantially　the　work　of　this　unknown　dramatist。　　Clemens　never
pretended；　to　me　at　any　rate；　that　he　had　the　least　hand　in　it；　he
frankly　owned　that　he　was　incapable　of　dramatization；　yet　the　vital　part
was　his；　for　the　characters　in　the　play　were　his　as　the　book　embodied
them；　and　the　success　which　it　won　with　the　public　was　justly　his。
This　he　shared　equally　with　the　actor；　following　the　company　with　an
agent；　who　counted　out　the　author's　share　of　the　gate　money；　and　sent　him
a　note　of　the　amount　every　day　by　postal　card。　　The　postals　used　to　come
about　dinner…time；　and　Clemens　would　read　them　aloud　to　us　in　wild
triumph。

One　hundred　and　fifty　dollarstwo　hundred　dollarsthree　hundred　dollars
were　the　gay　figures　which　they　bore；　and　which　he　flaunted　in　the　air
before　he　sat　down　at　table；　or　rose　from　it　to　brandish；　and　then；
flinging　his　napkin　into　his　chair；　walked　up　and　down　to　exult　in。

By…and…by　the　popularity；　of　the　play　waned；　and　the　time　came　when　he
sickened　of　the　whole　affair；　and　withdrew　his　agent；　and　took　whatever
gain　from　it　the　actor　apportioned　him。　　He　was　apt　to　have　these　sudden
surceases；　following　upon　the　intensities　of　his　earlier　interest；　though
he　seemed　always　to　have　the　notion　of　making　something　more　of　Colonel
Sellers。　　But　when　I　arrived　in　Hartford　in　answer　to　his　summons；
I　found　him　with　no　definite　idea　of　what　he　wanted　to　do　with　him。
I　represented　that　we　must　have　some　sort　of　plan；　and　he　agreed　that　we
should　both　jot　down　a　scenario　overnight　and　compare　our　respective
schemes　the　next　morning。　　As　the　author　of　a　large　number　of　little
plays　which　have　been　privately　presented　throughout　the　United　States
and　in　parts　of　the　United　Kingdom；　without　ever　getting　upon　the　public
stage　except