mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第32节

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fortunate　biographer　in　the　world；　as　undoubtedly　I　was；　though　not　just
in　the　way　that　I　first　imagined。

It　was　not　for　several　weeks　that　I　began　to　realize　that　these　marvelous
reminiscences　bore　only　an　atmospheric　relation　to　history；　that　they
were　aspects　of　biography　rather　than　its　veritable　narrative；　and　built
largelysometimes　whollyfrom　an　imagination　that；　with　age；　had
dominated　memory；　creating　details；　even　reversing　them；　yet　with　a
perfect　sincerity　of　purpose　on　the　part　of　the　narrator　to　set　down　the
literal　and　unvarnished　truth。　　It　was　his　constant　effort　to　be　frank
and　faithful　to　fact；　to　record；　to　confess；　and　to　condemn　without
stint。　　If　you　wanted　to　know　the　worst　of　Mark　Twain　you　had　only　to　ask
him　for　it。　　He　would　give　it；　to　the　last　syllableworse　than　the
worst；　for　his　imagination　would　magnify　it　and　adorn　it　with　new
iniquities；　and　if　he　gave　it　again；　or　a　dozen　times；　he　would　improve
upon　it　each　time；　until　the　thread　of　history　was　almost　impossible　to
trace　through　the　marvel　of　that　fabric；　and　he　would　do　the　same　for
another　person　just　as　willingly。　　Those　vividly　real　personalities　that
he　marched　and　countermarched　before　us　were　the　most　convincing
creatures　in　the　world；　the　most　entertaining；　the　most　excruciatingly
humorous；　or　wicked；　or　tragic；　but；　alas；　they　were　not　always　safe　to
include　in　a　record　that　must　bear　a　certain　semblance　to　history。　　They
often　disagreed　in　their　performance；　and　even　in　their　characters；　with
the　documents　in　the　next　room；　as　I　learned　by　and　by　when　those
records；　disentangled；　began　to　rebuild　the　structure　of　the　years。

His　gift　of　dramatization　had　been　exercised　too　long　to　be　discarded
now。　　The　things　he　told　of　Mrs。　Clemens　and　of　Susy　were　true
marvelously　and　beautifully　true；　in　spirit　and　in　aspectand　the　actual
detail　of　these　mattered　little　in　such　a　record。　　The　rest　was　history
only　as　'Roughing　It'　is　history；　or　the　'Tramp　Abroad'；　that　is　to　say；
it　was　fictional　history；　with　fact　as　a　starting…point。　　In　a　prefatory
note　to　these　volumes　we　have　quoted　Mark　Twain's　own　lovely　and
whimsical　admission；　made　once　when　he　realized　his　deviations：

〃When　I　was　younger　I　could　remember　anything；　whether　it　happened　or
not；　but　I　am　getting　old；　and　soon　I　shall　remember　only　the　latter。〃

At　another　time　he　paraphrased　one　of　Josh　Billings's　sayings　in　the
remark：　〃It　isn't　so　astonishing；　the　number　of　things　that　I　can
remember；　as　the　number　of　things　I　can　remember　that　aren't　so。〃

I　do　not　wish　to　say；　by　any　means；　that　his　so…called　autobiography　is　a
mere　fairy　tale。　　It　is　far　from　that。　　It　is　amazingly　truthful　in　the
character…picture　it　represents　of　the　man　himself。　　It　is　only　not
reliableand　it　is　sometimes　even　unjustas　detailed　history。　　Yet；
curiously　enough；　there　were　occasional　chapters　that　were
photographically　exact；　and　fitted　precisely　with　the　more　positive；　if
less　picturesque；　materials。　　It　is　also　true　that　such　chapters　were
likely　to　be　episodes　intrinsically　so　perfect　as　to　not　require　the
touch　of　art。

In　the　talks　which　we　usually　had；　when　the　dictations　were　ended　and
Miss　Hobby　had　gone；　I　gathered　much　that　was　of　still　greater　value。　
Imagination　was　temporarily　dispossessed；　as　it　were；　and；　whether
expounding　some　theory　or　summarizing　some　event；　he　cared　little　for
literary　effect；　and　only　for　the　idea　and　the　moment　immediately
present。

It　was　at　such　times　that　he　allowed　me　to　make　those　inquiries　we　had
planned　in　the　beginning；　and　which　apparently　had　little　place　in　the
dictations　themselves。　　Sometimes　I　led　him　to　speak　of　the　genesis　of
his　various　books；　how　he　had　come　to　write　them；　and　I　think　there　was
not　a　single　case　where　later　I　did　not　find　his　memory　of　these　matters
almost　exactly　in　accord　with　the　letters　of　the　moment；　written　to
Howells　or　Twichell；　or　to　some　member　of　his　family。　　Such　reminiscence　
was　usually　followed　by　some　vigorous　burst　of　human　philosophy；　often
too　vigorous　for　print；　too　human；　but　as　dazzling　as　a　search…light　in
its　revelation。

It　was　during　this　earlier　association　that　he　propounded；　one　day；　his
theory　of　circumstance；　already　set　down；　that　inevitable　sequence　of
cause　and　effect；　beginning　with　the　first　act　of　the　primal　atom。　　He
had　been　dictating　that　morning　his　story　of　the　clairvoyant　dream　which
preceded　his　brother's　death；　and　the　talk　of　foreknowledge　had
continued。　　I　said　one　might　logically　conclude　from　such　a　circumstance
that　the　future　was　a　fixed　quantity。

〃As　absolutely　fixed　as　the　past；〃　he　said；　and　added　the　remark　already
quoted。　＇Chap。　lxxv＇　A　little　later　he　continued：

〃Even　the　Almighty　Himself　cannot　check　or　change　that　sequence　of　events
once　it　is　started。　　It　is　a　fixed　quantity；　and　a　part　of　the　scheme　is
a　mental　condition　during　certain　moments　usually　of　sleepwhen　the　mind
may　reach　out　and　grasp　some　of　the　acts　which　are　still　to　come。〃

It　was　a　new　angle　to　mea　line　of　logic　so　simple　and　so　utterly
convincing　that　I　have　remained　unshaken　in　it　to　this　day。　　I　have　never
been　able　to　find　any　answer　to　it；　nor　any　one　who　could　even　attempt　to
show　that　the　first　act　of　the　first　created　atom　did　not　strike　the　key…
note　of　eternity。

At　another　time；　speaking　of　the　idea　that　God　works　through　man；　he
burst　out：

〃Yes；　of　course；　just　about　as　much　as　a　man　works　through　his　microbes！〃

He　had　a　startling　way　of　putting　things　like　that；　and　it　left　not　much
to　say。

I　was　at　this　period　interested　a　good　deal　in　mental　healing；　and　had
been　treated　for　neurasthenia　with　gratifying　results。　　Like　most　of　the
world；　I　had　assumed；　from　his　published　articles；　that　he　condemned
Christian　Science　and　its　related　practices　out　of　hand。　　When　I
confessed；　rather　reluctantly；　one　day；　the　benefit　I　had　received；　he
surprised　me　by　answering：

〃Of　course　you　have　been　benefited。　　Christian　Science　is　humanity's
boon。　　Mother　Eddy　deserves　a　place　in　the　Trinity　as　much　as　any　member
of　it。　　She　has　organized　and　made　available　a　healing　principle　that　for
two　thousand　years　has　never　been　employed；　except　as　the　merest　kind　of
guesswork。　　She　is　the　benefactor　of　the　age。〃

It　seemed　strange；　at　the　time；　to　hear　him　speak　in　this　way　concerning
a　practice　of　which　he　was　generally　regarded　as　the　chief　public
antagonist。　　It　was　another　angle　of　his　many…sided　character。




CCXL

THE　DEFINITION　OF　A　GENTLEMAN

That　was　a　busy　winter　for　him　socially。　　He　was　constantly　demanded　for
this　thing　and　thatfor　public　gatherings；　dinnerseverywhere　he　was　a
central　figure。　　Once　he　presided　at　a　Valentine　dinner　given　by　some
Players　to　David　Munro。　　He　had　never　presided　at　a　dinner　before；　he
said；　and　he　did　it　in　his　own　way；　which　certainly　was　a　taking　one；
suitable　to　that　carefree　company　and　occasiona　real　Scotch　occasion；
with　the　Munro　tartan　everywhere；　the　table　banked　with　heather；　and　a
wild　piper　marching　up　and　down　in　the　anteroom；　blowing　savage　airs　in
honor　of　Scotland's　gentlest　son。

An　important　meeting　of　that　winter　was　at　Carnegie　Halla　great
gathering　which　had　assembled　for　the　purpose　of　aiding　Booker　T。　
Washington　in　his　work　for　the　welfare　of　his　race。　　The　stage　and　the
auditorium　were　thronged　with　notables。　　Joseph　H。　Choate　and　Mark　Twain
presided；　and　both　spoke；　also　Robert　C。　Ogden　and　Booker　T。　Washington
himself。　　It　was　all　fine　and　interesting。　　Choate's　address　was　ably
given；　and　Mark　Twain　was　at　his　best。　　He　talked　of　politics　and　of
moralspublic　and　privatehow　the　average　American　citizen　was　true　to
his　Christian　principles　three　hundred　and　sixty…three　days　in　the　year；
and　how　on　the　other　two　days　of　the　year　he　left　those　principles　at
home　and　went　to　the　tax…office　and　the　voting…booths；　and　did　his　best
to　damage　and　undo　his　whole　year's　faithful　and　righteous　work。

　　　　　I　used　to　be　an　honest　man；　but　I　am　crumblingno；　I　have　crumbled。　
　　　　　When　they　assessed　me　at　75；000　a　fortnight　ago　I　went　out　and
　　　　　tried　to　borrow　the　money　and　couldn't。　　Then　when　I　found　they　were
　　　　　letting　a　whole　crowd　of　millionaires　live　in　New　York　at　a　third　of
　　　　　the　price　they　were　charging　me　I　was　hurt；　I　was　indignant；　and
　　　　　said；　this　is　the　last　feather。　　I　am　not　going　to　run　this　town　all
　　　　　by　myself。　　In　that　momentin　that　memorable　moment；　I　began　to
　　　　　crumble。　　In　fifteen　minutes　the　disintegration　was　complete。　　In
　　　　　fifteen　minutes　I　was　become　just　a　mere　moral　sand…pile；　and　I
　　　　　lifted　up　my　hand；　along　with　those　seasoned　and　experienced
　　　　　deacons；　and　swore　off　every　rag　of　personal　property　I've　got　in
　　　　　the　world。

I　had　never　heard　him　address　a　miscellaneous　audience。　　It　was　marvelous
to　see　how　he　convulsed　it；　and　silenced　it；　and　controlled　it　at　will。　
He　did　not　undertake　any　special　pleading　for　the　negro　cause；　he　only
prepared　the　way　with　cheerfulness。

Clemens　and　Choate　joined　forces　again；　a　few　weeks　later；　at　a　great
public　meeting　assembled　in　aid　of　the　adult　blind。　　Helen　Keller　was　to
be　present；　but　she