mark twain, a biography, 1907-1910-第28节

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&　I　was　young　because　she　lived　in　my　heart　&　preserved　its　youth　from
decay。



He　often　busied　himself　working　out　more　extensively　some　of　the　ideas
that　came　to　himmoral　ideas；　he　called　them。　　One　fancy　which　he
followed　in　several　forms　（some　of　them　not　within　the　privilege　of
print）　was　that　of　an　inquisitive　little　girl；　Bessie；　who　pursues　her
mother　with　difficult　questionings。＇Under　Appendix　w；　at　the　end　of
this　volume；　the　reader　will　find　one　of　the　〃Bessie〃　dialogues。＇　He
read　these　aloud　as　he　finished　them；　and　it　is　certain　that　they　lacked
neither　logic　nor　humor。

Sometimes　he　went　to　a　big　drawer　in　his　dresser；　where　he　kept　his
finished　manuscripts；　and　took　them　out　and　looked　over　them；　and　read
parts　of　them　aloud；　and　talked　of　the　plans　he　had　had　for　them；　and　how
one　idea　after　another　had　been　followed　for　a　time　and　had　failed　to
satisfy　him　in　the　end。

Two　fiction　schemes　that　had　always　possessed　him　he　had　been　unable　to
bring　to　any　conclusion。　　Both　of　these　have　been　mentioned　in　former
chapters；　one　being　the　notion　of　a　long　period　of　dream…existence　during
a　brief　moment　of　sleep；　and　the　other　being　the　story　of　a　mysterious
visitant　from　another　realm。　　He　had　experimented　with　each　of　these
ideas　in　no　less　than　three　forms；　and　there　was　fine　writing　and
dramatic　narrative　in　all；　but　his　literary　architecture　had　somehow
fallen　short　of　his　conception。　　〃The　Mysterious　Stranger〃　in　one　of　its
forms　I　thought　might　be　satisfactorily　concluded；　and　he　admitted　that
he　could　probably　end　it　without　much　labor。　　He　discussed　something　of
his　plans；　and　later　I　found　the　notes　for　its　conclusion。　　But　I　suppose
he　was　beyond　the　place　where　he　could　take　up　those　old　threads；　though
he　contemplated；　fondly　enough；　the　possibility；　and　recalled　how　he　had
read　at　least　one　form　of　the　dream　tale　to　Howells；　who　had　urged　him　to
complete　it。




CCLXXXIII

ASTRONOMY　AND　DREAMS

August　5；　1909。　　This　morning　I　noticed　on　a　chair　a　copy　of　Flaubert's
Salammbo　which　I　recently　lent　him。　　I　asked　if　he　liked　it。

〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　didn't　like　any　of　it。〃

〃But　you　read　it？〃

〃Yes；　I　read　every　line　of　it。〃

〃You　admitted　its　literary　art？〃

〃Well；　it's　like　this：　If　I　should　go　to　the　Chicago　stockyards　and　they
should　kill　a　beef　and　cut　it　up　and　the　blood　should　splash　all　over
everything；　and　then　they　should　take　me　to　another　pen　and　kill　another
beef　and　the　blood　should　splash　over　everything　again；　and　so　on　to　pen
after　pen；　I　should　care　for　it　about　as　much　as　I　do　for　that　book。〃

〃But　those　were　bloody　days；　and　you　care　very　much　for　that　period　in
history。〃

〃Yes；　that　is　so。　　But　when　I　read　Tacitus　and　know　that　I　am　reading
history　I　can　accept　it　as　such　and　supply　the　imaginary　details　and
enjoy　it；　but　this　thing　is　such　a　continuous　procession　of　blood　and
slaughter　and　stench　it　worries　me。　　It　has　great　artI　can　see　that。　
That　scene　of　the　crucified　lions　and　the　death　canon　and　the　tent　scene
are　marvelous；　but　I　wouldn't　read　that　book　again　without　a　salary。〃

August　16。　　He　is　reading　Suetonius；　which　he　already　knows　by　heartso
full　of　the　cruelties　and　licentiousness　of　imperial　Rome。

This　afternoon　he　began　talking　about　Claudius。

〃They　called　Claudius　a　lunatic；〃　he　said；　〃but　just　see　what　nice
fancies　he　had。　　He　would　go　to　the　arena　between　times　and　have　captives
and　wild　beasts　brought　out　and　turned　in　together　for　his　special
enjoyment。　　Sometimes　when　there　were　no　captives　on　hand　he　would　say；
'Well；　never　mind；　bring　out　a　carpenter。'　　Carpentering　around　the　arena
wasn't　a　popular　job　in　those　days。　　He　went　visiting　once　to　a　province
and　thought　it　would　be　pleasant　to　see　how　they　disposed　of　criminals
and　captives　in　their　crude；　old…fashioned　way；　but　there　was　no
executioner　on　hand。　　No　matter；　the　Emperor　of　Rome　was　in　no　hurryhe
would　wait。　　So　he　sat　down　and　stayed　there　until　an　executioner　came。〃

I　said；　〃How　do　you　account　for　the　changed　attitude　toward　these　things？　
We　are　filled　with　pity　to…day　at　the　thought　of　torture　and　suffering。〃

〃Ah！　　but　that　is　because　we　have　drifted　that　way　and　exercised　the
quality　of　compassion。　　Relax　a　muscle　and　it　soon　loses　its　vigor；　relax
that　quality　and　in　two　generationsin　one　generationwe　should　be
gloating　over　the　spectacle　of　blood　and　torture　just　the　same。　　Why；　I
read　somewhere　a　letter　written　just　before　the　Lisbon　catastrophe　in
1755　about　a　scene　on　the　public　square　of　Lisbon：　A　lot　of　stakes　with
the　fagots　piled　for　burning　and　heretics　chained　for　burning。　　The
square　was　crowded　with　men　and　women　and　children；　and　when　those　fires
were　lighted；　and　the　heretics　began　to　shriek　and　writhe；　those　men　and
women　and　children　laughed　so　they　were　fairly　beside　themselves　with　the
enjoyment　of　the　scene。　　The　Greeks　don't　seem　to　have　done　these　things。　
I　suppose　that　indicates　earlier　advancement　in　compassion。〃

Colonel　Harvey　and　Mr。　Duneka　came　up　to　spend　the　night。　　Mr。　Clemens
had　one　of　his　seizures　during　the　evening。　　They　come　oftener　and　last
longer。　　One　last　night　continued　for　an　hour　and　a　half。　　I　slept　there。

September　7。　　To…day　news　of　the　North　Pole　discovered　by　Peary。　　Five
days　ago　the　same　discovery　was　reported　by　Cook。　　Clemens's　comment：
〃It's　the　greatest　joke　of　the　ages。〃　　But　a　moment　later　he　referred　to
the　stupendous　fact　of　Arcturus　being　fifty　thousand　times　as　big　as　the
sun。

September　21。　　This　morning　he　told　me；　with　great　glee；　the　dream　he　had
had　just　before　wakening。　　He　said：

　　　　　〃I　was　in　an　automobile　going　slowly；　with　'a　little　girl　beside　me；
　　　　　and　some　uniformed　person　walking　along　by　us。　　I　said；　'I'll　get
　　　　　out　and　walk；　too'；　but　the　officer　replied；　'This　is　only　one　of
　　　　　the　smallest　of　our　fleet。'

　　　　　〃Then　I　noticed　that　the　automobile　had　no　front；　and　there　were　two
　　　　　cannons　mounted　where　the　front　should　be。　　I　noticed；　too；　that　we
　　　　　were　traveling　very　low；　almost　down　on　the　ground。　　Presently　we
　　　　　got　to　the　bottom　of　a　hill　and　started　up　another；　and　I　found
　　　　　myself　walking　ahead　of　the　'mobile。　　I　turned　around　to　look　for
　　　　　the　little　girl；　and　instead　of　her　I　found　a　kitten　capering　beside
　　　　　me；　and　when　we　reached　the　top　of　the　hill　we　were　looking　out　over
　　　　　a　most　barren　and　desolate　waste　of　sand…heaps　without　a　speck　of
　　　　　vegetation　anywhere；　and　the　kitten　said；　'This　view　beggars　all
　　　　　admiration。'　　Then　all　at　once　we　were　in　a　great　group　of　people
　　　　　and　I　undertook　to　repeat　to　them　the　kitten's　remark；　but　when　I
　　　　　tried　to　do　it　the　words　were　so　touching　that　I　broke　down　and
　　　　　cried；　and　all　the　group　cried；　too；　over　the　kitten's　moving
　　　　　remark。〃

　　　　　The　joy　with　which　he　told　this　absurd　sleep　fancy　made　it　supremely
　　　　　ridiculous　and　we　laughed　until　tears　really　came。

One　morning　he　said：　〃I　was　awake　a　good　deal　in　the　night；　and　I　tried
to　think　of　interesting　things。　　I　got　to　working　out　geological　periods；
trying　to　think　of　some　way　to　comprehend　them；　and　then　astronomical
periods。　　Of　course　it's　impossible；　but　I　thought　of　a　plan　that　seemed
to　mean　something　to　me。　　I　remembered　that　Neptune　is　two　billion　eight
hundred　million　miles　away。　　That；　of　course；　is　incomprehensible；　but
then　there　is　the　nearest　fixed　star　with　its　twenty…five　trillion　miles…
…twenty…five　trillionor　nearly　a　thousand　times　as　far；　and　then　I　took
this　book　and　counted　the　lines　on　a　page　and　I　found　that　there　was　an
average　of　thirty…two　lines　to　the　page　and　two　hundred　and　forty　pages；
and　I　figured　out　that；　counting　the　distance　to　Neptune　as　one　line；
there　were　still　not　enough　lines　in　the　book　by　nearly　two　thousand　to
reach　the　nearest　fixed　star；　and　somehow　that　gave　me　a　sort　of　dim　idea
of　the　vastness　of　the　distance　and　kind　of　a　journey　into　space。〃

Later　I　figured　out　another　method　of　comprehending　a　little　of　that
great　distance　by　estimating　the　existence　of　the　human　race　at　thirty
thousand　years　（Lord　Kelvin's　figures）　and　the　average　generation　to　have
been　thirty…three　years　with　a　world　population　of　1；500；000；000　souls。　
I　assumed　the　nearest　fixed　star　to　be　the　first　station　in　Paradise　and
the　first　soul　to　have　started　thirty　thousand　years　ago。　　Traveling　at
the　rate　of　about　thirty　miles　a　second；　it　would　just　now　be　arriving　in
Alpha　Centauri　with　all　the　rest　of　that　buried　multitude　stringing　out
behind　at　an　average　distance　of　twenty　miles　apart。

Few　things　gave　him　more　pleasure　than　the　contemplation　of　such　figures
as　these。　　We　made　occasional　business　trips　to　New　York；　and　during　one
of　them　visited　the　Museum　of　Natural　History　to　look　at　the　brontosaur
and　the　meteorites　and　the　astronomical　model　in　the　entrance　hall。　　To
him　these　were　the　most　fascinating　things　in　the　world。　　He　contemplated
the　meteorites　and　the　brontosaur；　and　lost　himself　in　strange　and
marvelous　imaginings　concerning　the　far　reaches　of　time　and　space　whence
they　had　come　down　to　us。

Mark　Twain　lived　curiously　apart　from　the　actualities　of　life。　　D