mark twain, a biography, 1907-1910-第1节

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Mark　Twain；　A　Biography；　1907…1910

By　Albert　Bigelow　Paine






VOLUME　III；　Part　2：　1907…1910






CCLVI

HONORS　FROM　OXFORD

Clemens　made　a　brief　trip　to　Bermuda　during　the　winter；　taking　Twichell
along；　their　first　return　to　the　island　since　the　trip　when　they　had
promised　to　come　back　so　soon…nearly　thirty　years　before。　　They　had　been
comparatively　young　men　then。　　They　were　old　now；　but　they　found　the
green　island　as　fresh　and　full　of　bloom　as　ever。　　They　did　not　find　their
old　landlady；　they　could　not　even　remember　her　name　at　first；　and　then
Twichell　recalled　that　it　was　the　same　as　an　author　of　certain
schoolbooks　in　his　youth；　and　Clemens　promptly　said；　〃Kirkham's　Grammar。〃　
Kirkham　was　truly　the　name；　and　they　went　to　find　her；　but　she　was　dead；
and　the　daughter；　who　had　been　a　young　girl　in　that　earlier　time；　reigned
in　her　stead　and　entertained　the　successors　of　her　mother's　guests。　　They
walked　and　drove　about　the　island；　and　it　was　like　taking　up　again　a
long…discontinued　book　and　reading　another　chapter　of　the　same　tale。　　It
gave　Mark　Twain　a　fresh　interest　in　Bermuda；　one　which　he　did　not　allow
to　fade　again。

Later　in　the　year　（March；　1907）　I　also　made　a　journey；　it　having　been
agreed　that　I　should　take　a　trip　to　the　Mississippi　and　to　the　Pacific
coast　to　see　those　old　friends　of　Mark　Twain's　who　were　so　rapidly
passing　away。　　John　Briggs　was　still　alive；　and　other　Hannibal
schoolmates；　also　Joe　Goodman　and　Steve　Gillis；　and　a　few　more　of　the
early　pioneersall　eminently　worth　seeing　in　the　matter　of　such　work　as
I　had　in　hand。　　The　billiard　games　would　be　interrupted；　but　whatever
reluctance　to　the　plan　there　may　have　been　on　that　account　was　put　aside
in　view　of　prospective　benefits。　　Clemens；　in　fact；　seemed　to　derive　joy
from　the　thought　that　he　was　commissioning　a　kind　of　personal　emissary　to
his　old　comrades；　and　provided　me　with　a　letter　of　credentials。

It　was　a　long；　successful　trip　that　I　made；　and　it　was　undertaken　none
too　soon。　　John　Briggs；　a　gentle…hearted　man；　was　already　entering　the
valley　of　the　shadow　as　he　talked　to　me　by　his　fire　one　memorable
afternoon；　and　reviewed　the　pranks　of　those　days　along　the　river　and　in
the　cave　and　on　Holliday's　Hill。　　I　think　it　was　six　weeks　later　that　he
died；　and　there　were　others　of　that　scattering　procession　who　did　not
reach　the　end　of　the　year。　　Joe　Goodman；　still　full　of　vigor　（in　1912）；
journeyed　with　me　to　the　green　and　dreamy　solitudes　of　Jackass　Hill　to
see　Steve　and　Jim　Gillis；　and　that　was　an　unforgetable　Sunday　when　Steve
Gillis；　an　invalid；　but　with　the　fire　still　in　his　eyes　and　speech；　sat
up　on　his　couch　in　his　little　cabin　in　that　Arcadian　stillness　and　told
old　tales　and　adventures。　　When　I　left　he　said：

〃Tell　Sam　I'm　going　to　die　pretty　soon；　but　that　I　love　him；　that　I've
loved　him　all　my　life；　and　I'll　love　him　till　I　die。　　This　is　the　last
word　I'll　ever　send　to　him。〃　　Jim　Gillis；　down　in　Sonora；　was　already
lying　at　the　point　of　death；　and　so　for　him　the　visit　was　too　late；
though　he　was　able　to　receive　a　message　from　his　ancient　mining　partner；
and　to　send　back　a　parting　word。

I　returned　by　way　of　New　Orleans　and　the　Mississippi　River；　for　I　wished
to　follow　that　abandoned　water　highway；　and　to　visit　its　presiding
genius；　Horace　Bixby；＇He　died　August　2；　1912；　at　the　age　of　86＇　still
alive　and　in　service　as　pilot　of　the　government　snagboat；　his
headquarters　at　St。　Louis。

Coming　up　the　river　on　one　of　the　old　passenger　steam　boats　that　still
exist；　I　noticed　in　a　paper　which　came　aboard　that　Mark　Twain　was　to
receive　from　Oxford　University　the　literary　doctor's　degree。　　There　had
been　no　hint　of　this　when　I　came　away；　and　it　seemed　rather　too　sudden
and　too　good　to　be　true。　　That　the　little　barefoot　lad　that　had　played
along　the　river…banks　at　Hannibal；　and　received　such　meager　advantages　in
the　way　of　schoolingwhose　highest　ambition　had　been　to　pilot　such　a
craft　as　this　onewas　about　to　be　crowned　by　the　world's　greatest
institution　of　learning；　to　receive　the　highest　recognition　for
achievement　in　the　world　of　letters；　was　a　thing　which　would　not　be
likely　to　happen　outside　of　a　fairy　tale。

Returning　to　New　York；　I　ran　out　to　Tuxedo；　where　he　had　taken　a　home　for
the　summer　（for　it　was　already　May）；　and　walking　along　the　shaded　paths
of　that　beautiful　suburban　park；　he　told　me　what　he　knew　of　the　Oxford
matter。

Moberly　Bell；　of　the　London　Times；　had　been　over　in　April；　and　soon　after
his　return　to　England　there　had　come　word　of　the　proposed　honor。　　Clemens
privately　and　openly　（to　Bell）　attributed　it　largely　to　his　influence。　
He　wrote　to　him：

　　　　　DEAR　MR。　BELL；　Your　hand　is　in　it　&　you　have　my　best　thanks。　
　　　　　Although　I　wouldn't　cross　an　ocean　again　for　the　price　of　the　ship
　　　　　that　carried　me　I　am　glad　to　do　it　for　an　Oxford　degree。　　I　shall
　　　　　plan　to　sail　for　England　a　shade　before　the　middle　of　June；　so　that
　　　　　I　can　have　a　few　days　in　London　before　the　26th。

A　day　or　two　later；　when　the　time　for　sailing　had　been　arranged；　he
overtook　his　letter　with　a　cable：

　　　　　I　perceive　your　hand　in　it。　　You　have　my　best　thanks。　　Sail　on
　　　　　Minneapolis　June　8th。　　Due　in　Southampton　ten　days　later。

Clemens　said　that　his　first　word　of　the　matter　had　been　a　newspaper
cablegram；　and　that　he　had　been　doubtful　concerning　it　until　a　cablegram
to　himself　had　confirmed　it。

〃I　never　expected　to　cross　the　water　again；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　would　be
willing　to　journey　to　Mars　for　that　Oxford　degree。〃

He　put　the　matter　aside　then；　and　fell　to　talking　of　Jim　Gillis　and　the
others　I　had　visited；　dwelling　especially　on　Gillis's　astonishing　faculty
for　improvising　romances；　recalling　how　he　had　stood　with　his　back　to　the
fire　weaving　his　endless；　grotesque　yarns；　with　no　other　guide　than　his
fancy。　　It　was　a　long；　happy　walk　we　had；　though　rather　a　sad　one　in　its
memories；　and　he　seemed　that　day；　in　a　sense；　to　close　the　gate　of　those
early　scenes　behind　him；　for　he　seldom　referred　to　them　afterward。

He　was　back　at　21　Fifth　Avenue　presently；　arranging　for　his　voyage。　
Meantime；　cable　invitations　of　every　sort　were　pouring　in；　from　this　and
that　society　and　dignitary；　invitations　to　dinners　and　ceremonials；　and
what　not；　and　it　was　clear　enough　that　his　English　sojourn　was　to　be　a
busy　one。　　He　had　hoped　to　avoid　this；　and　began　by　declining　all　but　two
invitationsa　dinner…party　given　by　Ambassador　Whitelaw　Reid　and　a
luncheon　proposed　by　the　〃　Pilgrims。〃　　But　it　became　clear　that　this
would　not　do。　　England　was　not　going　to　confer　its　greatest　collegiate
honor　without　being　permitted　to　pay　its　wider　and　more　popular　tribute。

Clemens　engaged　a　special　secretary　for　the　tripMr。　Ralph　W。　Ashcroft；
a　young　Englishman　familiar　with　London　life。　　They　sailed　on　the　8th　of
June；　by　a　curious　coincidence　exactly　forty　years　from　the　day　he　had
sailed　on　the　Quaker　City　to　win　his　great　fame。　　I　went　with　him　to　the
ship。　　His　first　elation　had　passed　by　this　time；　and　he　seemed　a　little
sad；　remembering；　I　think；　the　wife　who　would　have　enjoyed　this　honor
with　him　but　could　not　share　it　now。




CCLVII

A　TRUE　ENGLISH　WELCOME

Mark　Twain's　trip　across　the　Atlantic　would　seem　to　have　been　a　pleasant
one。　　The　Minneapolis　is　a　fine；　big　ship；　and　there　was　plenty　of
company。　　Prof。　Archibald　Henderson；　Bernard　Shaw's　biographer；　was
aboard；＇Professor　。Henderson　has　since　then　published　a　volume　on　Mark
Twain…an　interesting　commentary　on　his　writings…mainly　from　the
sociological　point　of　view。＇　also　President　Patton；　of　the　Princeton
Theological　Seminary；　a　well…known　cartoonist；　Richards；　and　some　very
attractive　young　peopleschool…girls　in　particular；　such　as　all　through
his　life　had　appealed　to　Mark　Twain。　　Indeed；　in　his　later　life　they　made
a　stronger　appeal　than　ever。　　The　years　had　robbed　him　of　his　own　little
flock；　and　always　he　was　trying　to　replace　them。　　Once　he　said：

〃During　those　years　after　my　wife's　death　I　was　washing　about　on　a
forlorn　sea　of　banquets　and　speech…making　in　high　and　holy　causes；　and
these　things　furnished　me　intellectual　cheer；　and　entertainment；　but　they
got　at　my　heart　for　an　evening　only；　then　left　it　dry　and　dusty。　　I　had
reached　the　grandfather　stage　of　life　without　grandchildren；　so　I　began
to　adopt　some。〃

He　adopted　several　on　that　journey　to　England　and　on　the　return　voyage；
and　he　kept　on　adopting　others　during　the　rest　of　his　life。　　These
companionships　became　one　of　the　happiest　aspects　of　his　final　days；　as
we　shall　see　by　and　by。

There　were　entertainments　on　the　ship；　one　of　them　given　for　the　benefit
of　the　Seamen's　Orphanage。　　One　of　his　adopted　granddaughters〃Charley〃
he　called　herplayed　a　violin　solo　and　Clemens　made　a　speech。　　Later　his
autographs　were　sold　at　auction。　　Dr。　Patton　was　auctioneer；　and　one
autographed　postal　card　brought　twenty…five　dollars；　which　is　perhaps　the
record　price　for　a　single　Mark　Twain　signature。　　He　wore　his　white　suit
on　this　occasion；　and　in　the　course　of　his　speech　referred　to　it。　　He
told　first　of　the　many　defects　in　his　behavior；　and　how　members　of　his
household　had　always　tried　to　kee