mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第19节

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most　of　them；　however　illiterate　in　form；　however　discouraging　in　length
beautiful　in　that　they　overflow　with　the　writers'　sincerity　and
gratitude。　

So　many　of　them　came　from　children；　usually　without　the　hope　of　a　reply；
some　signed　only　with　initials；　that　the　writers　might　not　be　open　to　the
suspicion　of　being　seekers　for　his　autograph。　　Almost　more　than　any　other
reward；　Mark　Twain　valued　this　love　of　the　children。

A　department　in　the　St。　Nicholas　Magazine　offered　a　prize　for　a
caricature　drawing　of　some　well…known　man。　　There　were　one　or　two　of
certain　prominent　politicians　and　capitalists；　and　there　was　literally　a
wheelbarrow　load　of　Mark　Twain。　　When　he　was　informed　of　this　he　wrote：
〃No　tribute　could　have　pleased　me　more　than　thatthe　friendship　of　the
children。〃

Tributes　came　to　him　in　many　forms。　　In　his　native　State　it　was　proposed
to　form　a　Mark　Twain　Association；　with　headquarters　at　Hannibal；　with　the
immediate　purpose　of　having　a　week　set　apart　at　the　St。　Louis　World's
Fair；　to　be　called　the　Mark　Twain　week；　with　a　special　Mark　Twain　day；　on
which　a　national　literary　convention　would　be　held。　　But　when　his　consent
was　asked；　and　his　co…operation　invited；　he　wrote　characteristically：

It　is　indeed　a　high　compliment　which　you　offer　me；　in　naming　an
association　after　me　and　in　proposing　the　setting　apart　of　a　Mark　Twain
day　at　the　great　St。　Louis　Fair；　but　such　compliments　are　not　proper　for
the　living；　they　are　proper　and　safe　for　the　dead　only。　　I　value　the
impulse　which　moves　you　to　tender　me　these　honors。　　I　value　it　as　highly
as　any　one　can；　and　am　grateful　for　it；　but　I　should　stand　in　a　sort　of
terror　of　the　honors　themselves。　　So　long　as　we　remain　alive　we　are　not
safe　from　doing　things　which；　however　righteously　and　honorably　intended；
can　wreck　our　repute　and　extinguish　our　friendships。

I　hope　that　no　society　will　be　named　for　me　while　I　am　still　alive；　for　I
might　at　some　time　or　other　do　something　which　would　cause　its　members　to
regret　having　done　me　that　honor。　　After　I　shall　have　joined　the　dead　I
shall　follow　the　custom　of　those　people；　and　be　guilty　of　no　conduct　that
can　wound　any　friend；　but　until　that　time　shall　come　I　shall　be　a
doubtful　quantity；　like　the　rest　of　our　race。

The　committee；　still　hoping　for　his　consent；　again　appealed　to　him。　　But
again　he　wrote：

While　I　am　deeply　touched　by　the　desire　of　my　friends　of　Hannibal　to
confer　these　great　honors　upon　me　I　must　still　forbear　to　accept　them。　
Spontaneous　and　unpremeditated　honors；　like　those　which　came　to　me　at
Hannibal；　Columbia；　St。　Louis；　and　at　the　village　stations　all　down　the
line；　are　beyond　all　price　and　are　a　treasure　for　life　in　the　memory；　for
they　are　a　free　gift　out　of　the　heart　and　they　come　without　solicitation；
but　I　am　a　Missourian；　and　so　I　shrink　from　distinctions　which　have　to　be
arranged　beforehand　and　with　my　privity；　for　I　then　become　a　party　to　my
own　exalting。　　I　am　humanly　fond　of　honors　that　happen；　but　chary　of
those　that　come　by　canvass　and　intention。

Somewhat　later　he　suggested　a　different　feature　for　the　fair；　one　that
was　not　practical；　perhaps；　but　which　certainly　would　have　aroused
interestthat　is　to　say；　an　old…fashioned　six…day　steamboat…race　from
New　Orleans　to　St。　Louis；　with　the　old…fashioned　accessories；　such　as
torch…baskets；　forecastle　crowds　of　negro　singers；　with　a　negro　on　the
safety…valve。　　In　his　letter　to　President　Francis　he　said：

As　to　particulars；　I　think　that　the　race　should　be　a　genuine　reproduction
of　the　old…time　race；　not　just　an　imitation　of　it；　and　that　it　should
cover　the　whole　course。　　I　think　the　boats　should　begin　the　trip　at　New
Orleans；　and　side　by　side　（not　an　interval　between）；　and　end　it　at　North
St。　Louis；　a　mile　or　two　above　the　Big　Mound。

In　a　subsequent　letter　to　Governor　Francis　he　wrote：

It　has　been　a　dear　wish　of　mine　to　exhibit　myself　at　the　great　Fair　&　get
a　prize；　but　circumstances　beyond　my　control　have　interfered　。　　。　　。　　。

I　suppose　you　will　get　a　prize；　because　you　have　created　the　most
prodigious　Fair　the　planet　has　ever　seen。　　Very　well；　you　have　indeed
earned　it；　and　with　it　the　gratitude　of　the　State　and　the　nation。

Newspaper　men　used　every　inducement　to　get　interviews　from　him。　　They
invited　him　to　name　a　price　for　any　time　he　could　give　them；　long　or
short。　　One　reporter　offered　him　five　hundred　dollars　for　a　two…hour
talk。　　Another　proposed　to　pay　him　one　hundred　dollars　a　week　for　a
quarter　of　a　day　each　week；　allowing　him　to　discuss　any　subject　he
pleased。　　One　wrote　asking　him　two　questions：　the　first；　〃Your　favorite
method　of　escaping　from　Indians〃；　the　second；　〃Your　favorite　method　of
escaping　capture　by　the　Indians　when　they　were　in　pursuit　of　you。〃　　They
inquired　as　to　his　favorite　copy…book　maxim；　as　to　what　he　considered
most　important　to　a　young　man's　success；　his　definition　of　a　gentleman。　
They　wished　to　know　his　plan　for　the　settlement　of　labor　troubles。　　But
they　did　not　awaken　his　interest；　or　his　cupidity。　　To　one　applicant　he
wrote：

No；　there　are　temptations　against　which　we　are　fire…proof。　　Your
proposition　is　one　which　comes　to　me　with　considerable　frequency；　but　it
never　tempts　me。　　The　price　isn't　the　objection；　you　offer　plenty。　　It　is
the　nature　of　the　work　that　is　the　objectiona　kind　of　work　which　I
could　not　do　well　enough　to　satisfy　me。　　To　multiply　the　price　by　twenty
would　not　enable　me　to　do　the　work　to　my　satisfaction；　&　by　consequence
would　make　no　impression　upon　me。

Once　he　allowed　himself　to　be　interviewed　for　the　Herald；　when　from　Mr。
Rogers's　yacht　he　had　watched　Sir　Thomas　Lipton's　Shamrock　go　down　to
defeat；　but　this　was　a　subject　which　appealed　to　hima　kind　of
hotweather　subjectand　he　could　be　as　light…minded　about　it　as　he　chose。





CCXXXIX

THE　LAST　SUMMER　AT　ELMIRA

The　Clemenses　were　preparing　to　take　up　residence　in　Florence；　Italy。　
The　Hartford　house　had　been　sold　in　May；　ending　forever　the　association
with　the　city　that　had　so　long　been　a　part　of　their　lives。　　The　Tarrytown
place；　which　they　had　never　occupied；　they　also　agreed　to　sell；　for　it
was　the　belief　now　that　Mrs。　Clemens's　health　would　never　greatly　prosper
there。　　Howells　says；　or　at　least　implies；　that　they　expected　their
removal　to　Florence　to　be　final。　　He　tells　us；　too；　of　one　sunny
afternoon　when　he　and　Clemens　sat　on　the　grass　before　the　mansion　at
Riverdale；　after　Mrs。　Clemens　had　somewhat　improved；　and　how　they　〃looked
up　toward　a　balcony　where　by　and　by　that　lovely　presence　made　itself
visible；　as　if　it　had　stooped　there　from　a　cloud。　　A　hand　frailly　waved　a
handkerchief；　Clemens　ran　over　the　lawn　toward　it；　calling　tenderly。〃　　It
was　a　greeting　to　Howells　the　last　he　would　ever　receive　from　her。

Mrs。　Clemens　was　able　to　make　a　trip　to　Elmira　by　the　end　of　June；　and　on
the　1st　of　July　Mr。　Rogers　brought　Clemens　and　his　wife　down　the　river　on
his　yacht　to　the　Lackawanna　pier；　and　they　reached　Quarry　Farm　that
evening。　　She　improved　in　the　quietude　and　restfulness　of　that　beloved
place。　　Three　weeks　later　Clemens　wrote　to　Twichell：

Livy　is　coming　along：　eats　well；　sleeps　some；　is　mostly　very　gay；　not
very　often　depressed；　spends　all　day　on　the　porch；　sleeps　there　a　part　of
the　night；　makes　excursions　in　carriage　&　in　wheel…chair；　&；　in　the
matter　of　superintending　everything　&　everybody；　has　resumed　business　at
the　old　stand。

During　three　peaceful　months　she　spent　most　of　her　days　reclining　on　the
wide　veranda；　surrounded　by　those　dearest　to　her；　and　looking　out　on　the
dreamlike　landscapethe　long；　grassy　slope；　the　drowsy　city；　and　the
distant　hillsgetting　strength　for　the　far　journey　by　sea。　　Clemens　did
some　writing；　occupying　the　old　octagonal　studyshut　in　now　and
overgrown　with　vineswhere　during　the　thirty　years　since　it　was　built　so
many　of　his　stories　had　been　written。　　'A　Dog's　Tale'that　pathetic
anti…vivisection　storyappears　to　have　been　the　last　manuscript　ever
completed　in　the　spot　consecrated　by　Huck　and　Tom；　and　by　Tom　Canty　the
Pauper　and　the　little　wandering　Prince。

It　was　October　5th　when　they　left　Elmira。　　Two　days　earlier　Clemens　had
written　in　his　note…book：

　　　　　Today　I　placed　flowers　on　Susy's　gravefor　the　last　time　probably
　　　　　&　read　words：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Good…night；　dear　heart；　good…night。〃

They　did　not　return　to　Riverdale；　but　went　to　the　Hotel　Grosvenor　for　the
intervening　weeks。　　They　had　engaged　passage　for　Italy　on　the　Princess
Irene；　which　would　sail　on　the　24th。　　It　was　during　the　period　of　their
waiting　that　Clemens　concluded　his　final　Harper　contract。　　On　that　day；
in　his　note…book；　he　wrote：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　PROPHECY

In　1895　Cheiro　the　palmist　examined　my　hand　&　said　that　in　my　68th　year
（1903）　I　would　become　suddenly　rich。　　I　was　a　bankrupt　&　94；000　in　debt
at　the　time　through　the　failure　of　Charles　L。　Webster　&　Co。　　Two　years
laterin　LondonCheiro　repeated　this　long…distance　prediction；　&　added
that　the　riches　would　come　from　a　quite　unexpected　source。　　I　am
superstitious。　　I　kept　the　prediction　in　mind　&　often　thought　of　it。　
When　at　last　it　came　true；　October　22；　1903；　there　was　but　a　month　&　9
days　to　spa