my mark twain-第6部分

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Harriet　Beecher　Stowe；　and　adopted　in　most　of　the　houses　of　her　kindly
neighborhood。　　The　plants　were　set　in　the　ground；　and　the　flowering　vines
climbed　up　the　sides　and　overhung　the　roof　above　the　silent　spray　of　a
fountain　companied　by　callas　and　other　water…loving　lilies。　　There；　while
we　breakfasted；　Patrick　came　in　from　the　barn　and　sprinkled　the　pretty
bower；　which　poured　out　its　responsive　perfume　in　the　delicate　accents　of
its　varied　blossoms。　　Breakfast　was　Clemens's　best　meal；　and　he　sat
longer　at　his　steak　and　coffee　than　at　the　courses　of　his　dinner；
luncheon　was　nothing　to　him；　unless；　as　might　happen；　he　made　it　his
dinner；　and　reserved　the　later　repast　as　the　occasion　of　walking　up　and
down　the　room；　and　discoursing　at　large　on　anything　that　came　into　his
head。　　Like　most　good　talkers；　he　liked　other　people　to　have　their　say；
he　did　not　talk　them　down；　he　stopped　instantly　at　another's　remark　and
gladly　or　politely　heard　him　through；　he　even　made　believe　to　find
suggestion　or　inspiration　in　what　was　said。　　His　children　came　to　the
table；　as　I　have　told；　and　after　dinner　he　was　apt　to　join　his　fine　tenor
to　their　trebles　in　singing。

Fully　half　our　meetings　were　at　my　house　in　Cambridge；　where　he　made
himself　as　much　at　home　as　in　Hartford。　　He　would　come　ostensibly　to　stay
at　the　Parker　House；　in　Boston；　and　take　a　room；　where　he　would　light　the
gas　and　leave　it　burning；　after　dressing；　while　he　drove　out　to　Cambridge
and　stayed　two　or　three　days　with　us。　　Once；　I　suppose　it　was　after　a
lecture；　he　came　in　evening　dress　and　passed　twenty…four　hours　with　us　in
that　guise；　wearing　an　overcoat　to　hide　it　when　we　went　for　a　walk。
Sometimes　he　wore　the　slippers　which　he　preferred　to　shoes　at　home；　and
if　it　was　muddy；　as　it　was　wont　to　be　in　Cambridge；　he　would　put　a　pair
of　rubbers　over　them　for　our　rambles。　　He　liked　the　lawlessness　and　our
delight　in　allowing　it；　and　he　rejoiced　in　the　confession　of　his　hostess；
after　we　had　once　almost　worn　ourselves　out　in　our　pleasure　with　the
intense　talk；　with　the　stories　and　the　laughing；　that　his　coming　almost
killed　her；　but　it　was　worth　it。

In　those　days　he　was　troubled　with　sleeplessness；　or；　rather；　with
reluctant　sleepiness；　and　he　had　various　specifics　for　promoting　it。
At　first　it　had　been　champagne　just　before　going　to　bed；　and　we　provided
that；　but　later　he　appeared　from　Boston　with　four　bottles　of　lager…beer
under　his　arms；　lager…beer；　he　said　now；　was　the　only　thing　to　make　you
go　to　sleep；　and　we　provided　that。　　Still　later；　on　a　visit　I　paid　him　at
Hartford；　I　learned　that　hot　Scotch　was　the　only　soporific　worth
considering；　and　Scotch…whiskey　duly　found　its　place　on　our　sideboard。
One　day；　very　long　afterward；　I　asked　him　if　he　were　still　taking　hot
Scotch　to　make　him　sleep。　　He　said　he　was　not　taking　anything。　　For　a
while　he　had　found　going　to　bed　on　the　bath…room　floor　a　soporific；　then
one　night　he　went　to　rest　in　his　own　bed　at　ten　o'clock；　and　had　gone
promptly　to　sleep　without　anything。　　He　had　done　the　like　with　the　like
effect　ever　since。　　Of　course；　it　amused　him；　there　were　few　experiences
of　life；　grave　or　gay；　which　did　not　amuse　him；　even　when　they　wronged
him。

He　came　on　to　Cambridge　in　April；　1875；　to　go　with　me　to　the　centennial
ceremonies　at　Concord　in　celebration　of　the　battle　of　the　Minute　Men　with
the　British　troops　a　hundred　years　before。　　We　both　had　special
invitations；　including　passage　from　Boston；　but　I　said；　Why　bother　to　go
into　Boston　when　we　could　just　as　well　take　the　train　for　Concord　at　the
Cambridge　station？　　He　equally　decided　that　it　would　be　absurd；　so　we
breakfasted　deliberately；　and　then　walked　to　the　station；　reasoning　of
many　things　as　usual。　　When　the　train　stopped；　we　found　it　packed　inside
and　out。　　People　stood　dense　on　the　platforms　of　the　cars；　to　our
startled　eyes　they　seemed　to　project　from　the　windows；　and　unless　memory
betrays　me　they　lay　strewn　upon　the　roofs　like　brakemen　slain　at　the　post
of　duty。

Whether　this　was　really　so　or　not；　it　is　certain　that　the　train　presented
an　impenetrable　front　even　to　our　imagination；　and　we　left　it　to　go　its
way　without　the　slightest　effort　to　board。　　We　remounted　the　fame…worn
steps　of　Porter's　Station；　and　began　exploring　North　Cambridge　for　some
means　of　transportation　overland　to　Concord；　for　we　were　that　far　on　the
road　by　which　the　British　went　and　came　on　the　day　of　the　battle。　　The
liverymen　whom　we　appealed　to　received　us；　some　with　compassion；　some
with　derision；　but　in　either　mood　convinced　us　that　we　could　not　have
hired　a　cat　to　attempt　our　conveyance；　much　less　a　horse；　or　vehicle　of
any　description。　　It　was　a　raw；　windy　day；　very　unlike　the　exceptionally
hot　April　day　when　the　routed　redcoats；　pursued　by　the　Colonials；　fled
panting　back　to　Boston；　with　〃their　tongues　hanging　out　like　dogs；〃
but　we　could　not　take　due　comfort　in　the　vision　of　their　discomfiture；
we　could　almost　envy　them；　for　they　had　at　least　got　to　Concord。　　A　swift
procession　of　coaches；　carriages；　and　buggies；　all　going　to　Concord；
passed　us；　inert　and　helpless；　on　the　sidewalk　in　the　peculiarly　cold　mud
of　North　Cambridge。　　We　began　to　wonder　if　we　might　not　stop　one　of　them
and　bribe　it　to　take　us；　but　we　had　not　the　courage　to　try；　and　Clemens
seized　the　opportunity　to　begin　suffering　with　an　acute　indigestion；
which　gave　his　humor　a　very　dismal　cast。　　I　felt　keenly　the　shame　of
defeat；　and　the　guilt　of　responsibility　for　our　failure；　and　when　a　gay
party　of　students　came　toward　us　on　the　top　of　a　tally　ho；　luxuriously
empty　inside；　we　felt　that　our　chance　had　come；　and　our　last　chance。
He　said　that　if　I　would　stop　them　and　tell　them　who　I　was　they　would
gladly；　perhaps　proudly；　give　us　passage；　I　contended　that　if　with　his
far　vaster　renown　he　would　approach　them；　our　success　would　be　assured。
While　we　stood；　lost　in　this　〃contest　of　civilities；〃　the　coach　passed
us；　with　gay　notes　blown　from　the　horns　of　the　students；　and　then　Clemens
started　in　pursuit；　encouraged　with　shouts　from　the　merry　party　who　could
not　imagine　who　was　trying　to　run　them　down；　to　a　rivalry　in　speed。　　The
unequal　match　could　end　only　in　one　way；　and　I　am　glad　I　cannot　recall
what　he　said　when　he　came　back　to　me。　　Since　then　I　have　often　wondered
at　the　grief　which　would　have　wrung　those　blithe　young　hearts　if　they
could　have　known　that　they　might　have　had　the　company　of　Mark　Twain　to
Concord　that　day　and　did　not。

We　hung　about；　unavailingly；　in　the　bitter　wind　a　while　longer；　and　then
slowly；　very　slowly；　made　our　way　home。　　We　wished　to　pass　as　much　time
as　possible；　in　order　to　give　probability　to　the　deceit　we　intended　to
practise；　for　we　could　not　bear　to　own　ourselves　baffled　in　our　boasted
wisdom　of　taking　the　train　at　Porter's　Station；　and　had　agreed　to　say
that　we　had　been　to　Concord　and　got　back。　　Even　after　coming　home　to　my
house；　we　felt　that　our　statement　would　be　wanting　in　verisimilitude
without　further　delay；　and　we　crept　quietly　into　my　library；　and　made　up
a　roaring　fire　on　the　hearth；　and　thawed　ourselves　out　in　the　heat　of　it
before　we　regained　our　courage　for　the　undertaking。　　With　all　these
precautions　we　failed；　for　when　our　statement　was　imparted　to　the
proposed　victim　she　instantly　pronounced　it　unreliable；　and　we　were　left
with　it　on　our　hands　intact。　　I　think　the　humor　of　this　situation　was
finally　a　greater　pleasure　to　Clemens　than　an　actual　visit　to　Concord
would　have　been；　only　a　few　weeks　before　his　death　he　laughed　our　defeat
over　with　one　of　my　family　in　Bermuda；　and　exulted　in　our　prompt
detection。




XI。

From　our　joint　experience　in　failing　I　argue　that　Clemens's　affection　for
me　must　have　been　great　to　enable　him　to　condone　in　me　the　final
defection　which　was　apt　to　be　the　end　of　our　enterprises。　　I　have　fancied
that　I　presented　to　him　a　surface　of　such　entire　trustworthiness　that　he
could　not　imagine　the　depths　of　unreliability　beneath　it；　and　that　never
realizing　it；　he　always　broke　through　with　fresh　surprise　but　unimpaired
faith。　　He　liked；　beyond　all　things；　to　push　an　affair　to　the　bitter　end；
and　the　end　was　never　too　bitter　unless　it　brought　grief　or　harm　to
another。　　Once　in　a　telegraph　office　at　a　railway　station　he　was　treated
with　such　insolent　neglect　by　the　young　lady　in　charge；　who　was
preoccupied　in　a　flirtation　with　a　〃gentleman　friend；〃　that　emulous　of
the　public　spirit　which　he　admired　in　the　English；　he　told　her　he　should
report　her　to　her　superiors；　and　（probably　to　her　astonishment）　he　did
so。　　He　went　back　to　Hartford；　and　in　due　time　the　poor　girl　came　to　me
in；　terror　and　in　tears；　for　I　had　abetted　Clemens　in　his　action；　and　had
joined　my　name　to　his　in　his　appeal　to　the　authorities。　　She　was
threatened　with　dismissal　unless　she　made　full　apology　to　him　and　brought
back　assurance　of　its　acceptance。　　I　felt　able　to　give　this；　and；　of
course；　he　eagerly　approved；　I　think　he　telegraphed　his　approval。
Another　time；　some　years　afterward；　we　sat　down　together　in　places　near
the　end　of　a　car；　and　a　brakeman　came　in　looking　for　his　official　note…
book。　　Clemens　found　that　he　had　sat　down　upon　it；　and　handed　it　to　him；
the　man　scolded　him　very　abusively；　and　came　back　again　and　again；　still
scolding　him　for　having　no　more　sense　than　to　sit　down　on　a　note…book。
The　patience　of　Clemens　in　bearing　it　was　so　angelic　that　I　saw　fit　to
comment；　〃I　suppose　you　will　report　this　fellow。〃　　〃Yes；〃　he　answered；
slowly　and　sadly。　　〃　That's　what　I　should　have　done　once。　　But　now　I
remember　that　he　gets　twenty　dollars　a　month。〃

Nothing　could　have　been　wiser；　nothing　tenderer；　and　his　humanity　was
not　for　humanity　alone。　　He　abhorred　the　dull　and　savage　joy　of　the
sportsman　in　a　lucky　shot；　an　unerring　aim；　and　once　when　I　met　him　in
the　country　he　had　just　been　sickened　by　the　success　of　a　gunner　in
bringing　down　a　blackbird；　and　he　described　the　poor；　stricken；　glossy
thing；　how　it　lay　throbbing　its　life　out　on　the　grass；　with　such　pity　as
he　might　have　given　a　wounded　child。　　I　find　this　a　fit　place　to　say　that
his　mind　and　soul　were　with　those　who　do　the　hard　work　of　the　world；　in
fear　of　those　who　give　them　a　chance　for　the