my mark twain-第4部分

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and　in　parts　of　the　United　Kingdom；　without　ever　getting　upon　the　public
stage　except　for　the　noble　ends　of　charity；　and　then　promptly　getting　off
it；　I　felt　authorized　to　make　him　observe　that　his　scheme　was　as　nearly
nothing　as　chaos　could　be。　　He　agreed　hilariously　with　me；　and　was
willing　to　let　it　stand　in　proof　of　his　entire　dramatic　inability。
At　the　same　time　he　liked　my　plot　very　much；　which　ultimated　Sellers；
according　to　Clemens's　intention；　as　a　man　crazed　by　his　own　inventions
and　by　his　superstition　that　he　was　the　rightful　heir　to　an　English
earldom。　　The　exuberant　nature　of　Sellers　and　the　vast　range　of　his
imagination　served　our　purpose　in　other　ways。　　Clemens　made　him　a
spiritualist；　whose　specialty　in　the　occult　was　materialization；
he　became　on　impulse　an　ardent　temperance　reformer；　and　he　headed　a
procession　of　temperance　ladies　after　disinterestedly　testing　the
deleterious　effects　of　liquor　upon　himself　until　he　could　not　walk
straight；　always　he　wore　a　marvellous　fire…extinguisher　strapped　on　his
back；　to　give　proof　in　any　emergency　of　the　effectiveness　of　his
invention　in　that　way。

We　had　a　jubilant　fortnight　in　working　the　particulars　of　these　things
out。　　It　was　not　possible　for　Clemens　to　write　like　anybody　else；　but　I
could　very　easily　write　like　Clemens；　and　we　took　the　play　scene　and
scene　about；　quite　secure　of　coming　out　in　temperamental　agreement。
The　characters　remained　for　the　most　part　his；　and　I　varied　them　only　to
make　them　more　like　his　than；　if　possible；　he　could。　　Several　years
after；　when　I　looked　over　a　copy　of　the　play；　I　could　not　always　tell　my
work　from　his；　I　only　knew　that　I　had　done　certain　scenes。　　We　would　work
all　day　long　at　our　several　tasks；　and　then　at　night；　before　dinner；　read
them　over　to　each　other。　　No　dramatists　ever　got　greater　joy　out　of　their
creations；　and　when　I　reflect　that　the　public　never　had　the　chance　of
sharing　our　joy　I　pity　the　public　from　a　full　heart。　　I　still　believe
that　the　play　was　immensely　funny；　I　still　believe　that　if　it　could　once
have　got　behind　the　footlights　it　would　have　continued　to　pack　the　house
before　them　for　an　indefinite　succession　of　nights。　　But　this　may　be　my
fondness。

At　any　rate；　it　was　not　to　be。　　Raymond　had　identified　himself　with
Sellers　in　the　play…going　imagination；　and　whether　consciously　or
unconsciously　we　constantly　worked　with　Raymond　in　our　minds。　　But　before
this　time　bitter　displeasures　had　risen　between　Clemens　and　Raymond；　and
Clemens　was　determined　that　Raymond　should　never　have　the　play。　　He　first
offered　it　to　several　other　actors；　who　eagerly　caught　it；　only　to　give
it　back　with　the　despairing　renunciation；　〃That　is　a　Raymond　play。〃　　We
tried　managers　with　it；　but　their　only　question　was　whether　they　could
get　Raymond　to　do　it。　　In　the　mean　time　Raymond　had　provided　himself　with
a　play　for　the　wintera　very　good　play；　by　Demarest　Lloyd；　and　he　was　in
no　hurry　for　ours。　　Perhaps　he　did　not　really　care　for　it　perhaps　he　knew
when　he　heard　of　it　that　it　must　come　to　him　in　the　end。　　In　the　end　it
did；　from　my　hand；　for　Clemens　would　not　meet　him。　　I　found　him　in　a　mood
of　sweet　reasonableness；　perhaps　the　more　softened　by　one　of　those
lunches　which　our　publisher；　the　hospitable　James　R。　Osgood；　was　always
bringing　people　together　over　in　Boston。　　He　said　that　he　could　not　do
the　play　that　winter；　but　he　was　sure　that　he　should　like　it；　and　he　had
no　doubt　he　would　do　it　the　next　winter。　　So　I　gave　him　the　manuscript；
in　spite　of　Clemens's　charges；　for　his　suspicions　and　rancors　were　such
that　he　would　not　have　had　me　leave　it　for　a　moment　in　the　actor's　hands。
But　it　seemed　a　conclusion　that　involved　success　and　fortune　for　us。
In　due　time；　but　I　do　not　remember　how　long　after；　Raymond　declared
himself　delighted　with　the　piece；　he　entered　into　a　satisfactory
agreement　for　it；　and　at　the　beginning　of　the　next　season　he　started　with
it　to　Buffalo；　where　he　was　to　give　a　first　production。　　At　Rochester　he
paused　long　enough　to　return　it；　with　the　explanation　that　a　friend　had
noted　to　him　the　fact　that　Colonel　Sellers　in　the　play　was　a　lunatic；　and
insanity　was　so　serious　a　thing　that　it　could　not　be　represented　on　the
stage　without　outraging　the　sensibilities　of　the　audience；　or　words　to
that　effect。　　We　were　too　far　off　to　allege　Hamlet　to　the　contrary；　or
King　Lear；　or　to　instance　the　delight　which　generations　of　readers
throughout　the　world　had　taken　in　the　mad　freaks　of　Don　Quixote。
Whatever　were　the　real　reasons　of　Raymond　for　rejecting　the　play；　we　had
to　be　content　with　those　he　gave；　and　to　set　about　getting　it　into　other
hands。　　In　this　effort　we　failed　even　more　signally　than　before；　if　that
were　possible。　　At　last　a　clever　and　charming　elocutionist；　who　had　long
wished　to　get　himself　on　the　stage；　heard　of　it　and　asked　to　see　it。
We　would　have　shown　it　to　any　one　by　this　time；　and　we　very　willingly
showed　it　to　him。　　He　came　to　Hartford　and　did　some　scenes　from　it　for
us。　　I　must　say　he　did　them　very　well；　quite　as　well　as　Raymond　could
have　done　them；　in　whose　manner　he　did　them。　　But　now；　late　toward
spring；　the　question　was　where　he　could　get　an　engagement　with　the　play；
and　we　ended　by　hiring　a　theatre　in　New　York　for　a　week　of　trial
performances。

Clemens　came　on　with　me　to　Boston；　where　we　were　going　to　make　some
changes　in　the　piece；　and　where　we　made　them　to　our　satisfaction；　but　not
to　the　effect　of　that　high　rapture　which　we　had　in　the　first　draft。
He　went　back　to　Hartford；　and　then　the　cold　fit　came　upon　me；　and　〃in
visions　of　the　night；　in　slumberings　upon　the　bed；〃　ghastly　forms　of
failure　appalled　me；　and　when　I　rose　in　the　morning　I　wrote　him：　〃Here　is
a　play　which　every　manager　has　put　out…of…doors　and　which　every　actor
known　to　us　has　refused；　and　now　we　go　and　give　it　to　an　elocutioner。
We　are　fools。〃　　Whether　Clemens　agreed　with　me　or　not　in　my　conclusion；
he　agreed　with　me　in　my　premises；　and　we　promptly　bought　our　play　off　the
stage　at　a　cost　of　seven　hundred　dollars；　which　we　shared　between　us。
But　Clemens　was　never　a　man　to　give　up。　　I　relinquished　gratis　all　right
and　title　I　had　in　the　play；　and　he　paid　its　entire　expenses　for　a　week
of　one…night　stands　in　the　country。　　It　never　came　to　New　York；　and　yet　I
think　now　that　if　it　had　come；　it　would　have　succeeded。　　So　hard　does　the
faith　of　the　unsuccessful　dramatist　in　his　work　die。




VII。

There　is　an　incident　of　this　time　so　characteristic　of　both　men　that　I
will　yield　to　the　temptation　of　giving　it　here。　　After　I　had　gone　to
Hartford　in　response　to　Clemens's　telegram；　Matthew　Arnold　arrived　in
Boston；　and　one　of　my　family　called　on　his；　to　explain　why　I　was　not　at
home　to　receive　his　introduction：　I　had　gone　to　see　Mark　Twain。　　〃Oh；　but
he　doesn't　like　that　sort　of　thing；　does　he？〃　　〃He　likes　Mr。　Clemens　very
much；〃　my　representative　answered；　〃and　he　thinks　him　one　of　the　greatest
men　he　ever　knew。〃　　I　was　still　Clemens's　guest　at　Hartford　when　Arnold
came　there　to　lecture；　and　one　night　we　went　to　meet　him　at　a　reception。
While　his　hand　laxly　held　mine　in　greeting；　I　saw　his　eyes　fixed
intensely　on　the　other　side　of　the　room。　　〃Who…who　in　the　world　is　that？〃
I　looked　and　said；　〃Oh；　that　is　Mark　Twain。〃　　I　do　not　remember　just　how
their　instant　encounter　was　contrived　by　Arnold's　wish；　but　I　have　the
impression　that　they　were　not　parted　for　long　during　the　evening；　and　the
next　night　Arnold；　as　if　still　under　the　glamour　of　that　potent　presence；
was　at　Clemens's　house。　　I　cannot　say　how　they　got　on；　or　what　they　made
of　each　other；　if　Clemens　ever　spoke　of　Arnold；　I　do　not　recall　what　he
said；　but　Arnold　had　shown　a　sense　of　him　from　which　the　incredulous
sniff　of　the　polite　world；　now　so　universally　exploded；　had　already
perished。　　It　might　well　have　done　so　with　his　first　dramatic　vision　of
that　prodigious　head。　　Clemens　was　then　hard　upon　fifty；　and　he　had　kept；
as　he　did　to　the　end；　the　slender　figure　of　his　youth；　but　the　ashes　of
the　burnt…out　years　were　beginning　to　gray　the　fires　of　that　splendid
shock　of　red　hair　which　he　held　to　the　height　of　a　stature　apparently
greater　than　it　was；　and　tilted　from　side　to　side　in　his　undulating　walk。
He　glimmered　at　you　from　the　narrow　slits　of　fine　blue…greenish　eyes；
under　branching　brows；　which　with　age　grew　more　and　more　like　a　sort　of
plumage；　and　he　was　apt　to　smile　into　your　face　with　a　subtle　but　amiable
perception；　and　yet　with　a　sort　of　remote　absence；　you　were　all　there　for
him；　but　he　was　not　all　there　for　you。




VIII。

I　shall；　not　try　to　give　chronological　order　to　my　recollections　of　him；
but　since　I　am　just　now　with　him　in　Hartford　I　will　speak　of　him　in
association　with　the　place。　　Once　when　I　came　on　from　Cambridge　he
followed　me　to　my　room　to　see　that　the　water　was　not　frozen　in　my　bath；
or　something　of　the　kind；　for　it　was　very　cold　weather；　and　then
hospitably　lingered。　　Not　to　lose　time　in　banalities　I　began　at　once　from
the　thread　of　thought　in　my　mind。　　〃I　wonder　why　we　hate　the　past　so；〃
and　he　responded　from　the　depths　of　his　own　consciousness；　〃It's　so
damned　humiliating；〃　which　is　what　any　man　would　say　of　his　past　if　he
were　honest；　but　honest　men　are　few　when　it　comes　to　themselves。　　Clemens
was　one　of　the　few；　and　the　first　of　them　among　all　the　people　I　have
known。　　I　have　known；　I　suppose；　men　as　truthful；　but　not　so　promptly；　so
absolutely；　so　positively；　so　almost　aggressively　truthful。　　He　could
lie；　of　course；　and　did　to　save　others　from　grief　or　harm；　he　was；　not
stupidly　truthful；　but　his　first　impulse　was　to　say　out　the　thing　and
everything　that　was　in　him。　　To　those　who　can　understand　it　will　not　be
contradictory　of　his　sense　of　humiliation　from　the　past；　that　he　was　not
ashamed　for　anything　he　ever　did　to　the　point　of　wishing　to　hide　it。　　He
could　be；　and　he　was；　bitterly　sorry　for　his　errors；　which　he　had　enough
of　in　his　life；　but　he　was　not　ashamed　in　that　mean　way。　　What　he　had
done　he　owned　to；　good；　bad；　or　indifferent；　and　if　it　was　bad　he　was
rather　amused　than　troubled　as　to　the　effect　in　your　mind。　　He　would　not
obtrude　the　fact　upon　you；　but　if　it　were　in　the　way　of　personal　histo