mark twain, a biography, 1907-1910-第14节

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　　　　　I　miss　you；　dear。　　I　miss　Bermuda；　too；　but　not　so　much　as　I　miss
　　　　　you；　for　you　were　rare；　and　occasional　and　select；　and　Ltd。；　whereas
　　　　　Bermuda's　charms　and；　graciousnesses　were　free　and　common　and
　　　　　unrestrictedlike　the　rain；　you　know；　which　falls　upon　the　just　and
　　　　　the　unjust　alike；　a　thing　which　would　not　happen　if　I　were
　　　　　superintending　the　rain's　affairs。　　No；　I　would　rain　softly　and
　　　　　sweetly　upon　the　just；　but　whenever　I　caught　a　sample　of　the　unjust
　　　　　outdoors　I　would　drown　him。




CCLXVII

VIEWS　AND　ADDRESSES

　　　　　＇As　I　am　beginning　this　chapter；　April　16；　1912；　the　news　comes　of
　　　　　the　loss；　on　her　first　trip；　of　the　great　White　Star　Line　steamer
　　　　　Titanic；　with　the　destruction　of　many　passengers；　among　whom　are
　　　　　Frank　D。　Millet；　William　T。　Stead；　Isadore　Straus；　John　Jacob　Astor；
　　　　　and　other　distinguished　men。　　They　died　as　heroes；　remaining　with
　　　　　the　ship　in　order　that　the　women　and　children　might　be　saved。

　　　　　It　was　the　kind　of　death　Frank　Millet　would　have　wished　to　die。
　　　　　He　was　always　a　soldiera　knight。　　He　has　appeared　from　time　to
　　　　　time　in　these　pages；　for　he　was　a　dear　friend　of　the　Clemens
　　　　　household。　　One　of　America's　foremost　painters；　at　the　time　of　his
　　　　　death　he　was　head　of　the　American　Academy　of　Arts　in　Rome。＇

Mark　Twain　made　a　number　of　addresses　during　the　spring　of　1908。
He　spoke　at　the　Cartoonists'　dinner；　very　soon　after　his　return　from
Bermuda；　he　spoke　at　the　Booksellers'　banquet；　expressing　his　debt　of
obligation　to　those　who　had　published　and　sold　his　books；　he　delivered　a
fine　address　at　the　dinner　given　by　the　British　Schools　and　University
Club　at　Delmonico's；　May　25th；　in　honor　of　Queen　Victoria's　birthday。
In　that　speech　he　paid　high　tribute　to　the　Queen　for　her　attitude　toward
America；　during　the　crisis　of　the　Civil　Wax；　and　to　her　royal　consort；
Prince　Albert。

　　　　　What　she　did　for　us　in　America　in　our　time　of　storm　and　stress　we
　　　　　shall　not　forget；　and　whenever　we　call　it　to　mind　we　shall　always
　　　　　gratefully　remember　the　wise　and　righteous　mind　that　guided　her　in
　　　　　it　and　sustained　and　supported　herPrince　Albert's。　　We　need　not
　　　　　talk　any　idle　talk　here　to…night　about　either　possible　or　impossible
　　　　　war　between　two　countries；　there　will　be　no　war　while　we　remain　sane
　　　　　and　the　son　of　Victoria　and　Albert　sits　upon　the　throne。　　In
　　　　　conclusion；　I　believe　I　may　justly　claim　to　utter　the　voice　of　my
　　　　　country　in　saying　that　we　hold　him　in　deep　honor；　and　also　in
　　　　　cordially　wishing　him　a　long　life　and　a　happy　reign。

But　perhaps　his　most　impressive　appearance　was　at　the　dedication　of　the
great　City　College　（May　14；　1908）；　where　President　John　Finley；　who　had
been　struggling　along　with　insufficient　room；　was　to　have　space　at　last
for　his　freer　and　fuller　educational　undertakings。　　A　great　number　of
honored　scholars；　statesmen；　and　diplomats　assembled　on　the　college
campus；　a　spacious　open　court　surrounded　by　stately　college　architecture
of　medieval　design。　　These　distinguished　guests　were　clad　in　their
academic　robes；　and　the　procession　could　not　have　been　widely　different
from　that　one　at　Oxford　of　a　year　before。　　But　there　was　something　rather
fearsome　about　it；　too。　　A　kind　of　scaffolding　had　been　reared　in　the
center　of　the　campus　for　the　ceremonies；　and　when　those　grave　men　in
their　robes　of　state　stood　grouped　upon　it　the　picture　was　strikingly
suggestive　of　one　of　George　Cruikshank's　drawings　of　an　execution　scene
at　the　Tower　of　London。　　Many　of　the　robes　were　blackthese　would　be　the
priestsand　the　few　scarlet　ones　would　be　the　cardinals　who　might　have
assembled　for　some　royal　martyrdom。　　There　was　a　bright　May　sunlight　over
it　all；　one　of　those　still；　cool　brightnesses　which　served　to　heighten
the　weird　effect。　　I　am　sure　that　others　felt　it　besides　myself；　for
everybody　seemed　wordless　and　awed；　even　at　times　when　there　was　no
occasion　for　silence。　　There　was　something　of　another　age　about　the　whole
setting；　to　say　the　least。

We　left　the　place　in　a　motor…car；　a　crowd　of　boys　following　after。　　As
Clemens　got　in　they　gathered　around　the　car　and　gave　the　college　yell；
ending　with　〃　Twain！　　Twain！　　Twain！〃　and　added　three　cheers　for　Tom
Sawyer；　Huck　Finn；　and　Pudd'nhead　Wilson。　　They　called　for　a　speech；　but
he　only　said　a　few　words　in　apology　for　not　granting　their　request。　　He
made　a　speech　to　them　that　night　at　the　Waldorfwhere　he　proposed　for
the　City　College　a　chair　of　citizenship；　an　idea　which　met　with　hearty
applause。

In　the　same　address　he　referred　to　the　〃God　Trust〃　motto　on　the　coins；
and　spoke　approvingly　of　the　President's　order　for　its　removal。

　　　　　We　do　not　trust　in　God；　in　the　important　matters　of　life；　and　not
　　　　　even　a　minister　of　the　Gospel　will　take　any　coin　for　a　cent　more
　　　　　than　its　accepted　value　because　of　that　motto。　　If　cholera　should
　　　　　ever　reach　these　shores　we　should　probably　pray　to　be　delivered　from
　　　　　the　plague；　but　we　would　put　our　main　trust　in　the　Board　of　Health。

Next　morning；　commenting　on　the　report　of　this　speech；　he　said：

〃If　only　the　reporters　would　not　try　to　improve　on　what　I　say。　　They　seem
to　miss　the　fact　that　the　very　art　of　saying　a　thing　effectively　is　in
its　delicacy；　and　as　they　can't　reproduce　the　manner　and　intonation　in
type　they　make　it　emphatic　and　clumsy　in　trying　to　convey　it　to　the
reader。〃

I　pleaded　that　the　reporters　were　often　young　men；　eager；　and　unmellowed
in　their　sense　of　literary　art。

〃Yes；〃　he　agreed；　〃they　are　so　afraid　their　readers　won't　see　my　good
points　that　they　set　up　red　flags　to　mark　them　and　beat　a　gong。　　They
mean　well；　but　I　wish　they　wouldn't　do　it。〃

He　referred　to　the　portion　of　his　speech　concerning　the　motto　on　the
coins。　　He　had　freely　expressed　similar　sentiments　on　other　public
occasions；　and　he　had　received　a　letter　criticizing　him　for　saying　that
we　do　not　really　trust　in　God　in　any　financial　matter。

〃I　wanted　to　answer　it；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　destroyed　it。　　It　didn't　seem
worth　noticing。〃

I　asked　how　the　motto　had　originated。

〃About　1853　some　idiot　in　Congress　wanted　to　announce　to　the　world　that
this　was　a　religious　nation；　and　proposed　putting　it　there；　and　no　other
Congressman　had　courage　enough　to　oppose　it；　of　course。　　It　took　courage
in　those　days　to　do　a　thing　like　that；　but　I　think　the　same　thing　would
happen　to…day。〃

〃Still　the　country　has　become　broader。　　It　took　a　brave　man　before　the
Civil　War　to　confess　he　had　read　the　'Age　of　Reason'。〃

〃So　it　did；　and　yet　that　seems　a　mild　book　now。　　I　read　it　first　when　I
was　a　cub　pilot；　read　it　with　fear　and　hesitation；　but　marveling　at　its
fearlessness　and　wonderful　power。　　I　read　it　again　a　year　or　two　ago；　for　
some　reason；　and　was　amazed　to　see　how　tame　it　had　become。　　It　seemed
that　Paine　was　apologizing　everywhere　for　hurting　the　feelings　of　the
reader。〃

He　drifted；　naturally；　into　a　discussion　of　the　Knickerbocker　Trust
Company's　suspension；　which　had　tied　up　some　fifty…five　thousand　dollars
of　his　capital；　and　wondered　how　many　were　trusting　in　God　for　the　return
of　these　imperiled　sums。　　Clemens　himself；　at　this　time；　did　not　expect
to　come　out　whole　from　that　disaster。　　He　had　said　very　little　when　the
news　came；　though　it　meant　that　his　immediate　fortunes　were　locked　up；
and　it　came　near　stopping　the　building　activities　at　Redding。　　It　was
only　the　smaller　things　of　life　that　irritated　him。　　He　often　met　large
calamities　with　a　serenity　which　almost　resembled　indifference。　　In　the
Knickerbocker　situation　he　even　found　humor　as　time　passed；　and　wrote　a
number　of　gay　letters；　some　of　which　found　their　way　into　print。

It　should　be　added　that　in　the　end　there　was　no　loss　to　any　of　the
Knickerbocker　depositors。




CCLXVIII

REDDING

The　building　of　the　new　home　at　Redding　had　been　going　steadily　forward
for　something　more　than　a　year。　　John　Mead　Howells　had　made　the　plans；
W。　W。　Sunderland　and　his　son　Philip；　of　Danbury；　Connecticut；　were　the
builders；　and　in　the　absence　of　Miss　Clemens；　then　on　a　concert　tour；
Mark　Twain's　secretary；　Miss　I。　V。　Lyon；　had　superintended　the
furnishing。

〃Innocence　at　Home；〃　as　the　place　was　originally　named；　was　to　be　ready
for　its　occupant　in　June；　with　every　detail　in　place；　as　he　desired。　　He
had　never　visited　Redding；　he　had　scarcely　even　glanced　at　the　plans　or
discussed　any　of　the　decorations　of　the　new　home。　　He　had　required　only
that　there　should　be　one　great　living…room　for　the　orchestrelle；　and
another　big　room　for　the　billiard…table；　with　plenty　of　accommodations
for　guests。　　He　had　required　that　the　billiard…room　be　red；　for　something
in　his　nature　answered　to　the　warm　luxury　of　that　color；　particularly　in
moments　of　diversion。　　Besides；　his　other　billiard…rooms　had　been　red；
and　such　association　may　not　be　lightly　disregarded。　　His　one　other
requirement　was　that　the　place　should　be　complete。

〃I　don't　want　to　see　it；〃　he　said；　〃until　the　cat　is　purring　on　the
hearth。〃

Howells　says：

〃He　had　grown　so　weary　of　change；　and　so　indifferent　to　it；　that　he　was
without　interest。〃

But　it　was　rather；　I　think；　that