mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第37节

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check　then　for　the　purchase　price；　for　fear　the　opportunity　might　be
lost。　　I　think　there　was　then　no　purpose　in　his　mind　of　building　a
country　home；　but　he　foresaw　that　such　a　site；　at　no　great　distance　from
New　York；　would　become　more　valuable；　and　he　had　plenty　of　idle　means。　
The　purchase　was　made　without　difficultya　tract　of　seventy…five　acres；
to　which　presently　was　added　another　tract　of　one　hundred　and　ten　acres；
and　subsequently　still　other　parcels　of　land；　to　complete　the　ownership
of　the　hilltop；　for　it　was　not　long　until　he　had　conceived　the　idea　of　a
home。　　He　was　getting　weary　of　the　heavy　pressure　of　city　life。　　He
craved　the　retirement　of　solitudeone　not　too　far　from　the　maelstrom；　so
that　he　might　mingle　with　it　now　and　then　when　he　chose。　　The　country
home　would　not　be　begun　for　another　year　yet；　but　the　purpose　of　it　was
already　in　the　air。　　No　one　of　the　family　had　at　this　time　seen　the
location。




CCXLIV

TRAITS　AND　PHILOSOPHIES

I　brought　to　the　dictation　one　morning　the　Omar　Khayyam　card　which
Twichell　had　written　him　so　long　ago；　I　had　found　it　among　the　letters。　
It　furnished　him　a　subject　for　that　morning。　　He　said：

　　　　　How　strange　there　was　a　time　when　I　had　never　heard　of　Omar　Khayyam！　
　　　　　When　that　card　arrived　I　had　already　read　the　dozen　quatrains　or　so
　　　　　in　the　morning　paper；　and　was　still　steeped　in　the　ecstasy　of
　　　　　delight　which　they　occasioned。　　No　poem　had　ever　given　me　so　much
　　　　　pleasure　before；　and　none　has　given　me　so　much　pleasure　since。　　It
　　　　　is　the　only　poem　I　have　ever　carried　about　with　me。　　It　has　not　been
　　　　　from　under　my　hand　all　these　years。

He　had　no　general　fondness　for　poetry；　but　many　poems　appealed　to　him；
and　on　occasion　he　liked　to　read　them　aloud。　　Once；　during　the　dictation；
some　verses　were　sent　up　by　a　young　authoress　who　was　waiting　below　for
his　verdict。　　The　lines　pictured　a　phase　of　negro　life；　and　she　wished　to
know　if　he　thought　them　worthy　of　being　read　at　some　Tuskegee　ceremony。　
He　did　not　fancy　the　idea　of　attending　to　the　matter　just　then　and　said：

〃Tell　her　she　can　read　it。　　She　has　my　permission。　　She　may　commit　any
crime　she　wishes　in　my　name。〃

It　was　urged　that　the　verses　were　of　high　merit　and　the　author　a　very
charming　young　lady。

〃I'm　very　glad；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　am　glad　the　Lord　made　her；　I　hope　He
will　make　some　more　just　like　her。　　I　don't　always　approve　of　His
handiwork；　but　in　this　case　I　do。〃

Then　suddenly　he　added：

〃Well；　let　me　see　itno　time　like　the　present　to　get　rid　of　these
things。〃

He　took　the　manuscript　and　gave　such　a　rendition　of　those　really　fine
verses　as　I　believe　could　not　be　improved　upon。　　We　were　held　breathless
by　his　dramatic　fervor　and　power。　　He　returned　a　message　to　that　young
aspirant　that　must　have　made　her　heart　sing。　　When　the　dictation　had
ended　that　day；　I　mentioned　his　dramatic　gift。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　a　gift；　I　suppose；　like　spelling　and　punctuation
and　smoking。　　I　seem　to　have　inherited　all　those。〃　　Continuing；　he　spoke
of　inherited　traits　in　general。

〃There　was　Paige；〃　he　said；　〃an　ignorant　man　who　could　not　make　a　machine
himself　that　would　stand　up；　nor　draw　the　working　plans　for　one；　but　he
invented　the　eighteen　thousand　details　of　the　most　wonderful　machine　the
world　has　ever　known。　　He　watched　over　the　expert　draftsmen；　and
superintended　the　building　of　that　marvel。　　Pratt　&　Whitney　built　it；　but
it　was　Paige's　machine；　neverthelessthe　child　of　his　marvelous　gift。　
We　don't　create　any　of　our　traits；　we　inherit　all　of　them。　　They　have
come　down　to　us　from　what　we　impudently　call　the　lower　animals。　　Man　is
the　last　expression；　and　combines　every　attribute　of　the　animal　tribes
that　preceded　him。　　One　or　two　conspicuous　traits　distinguish　each　family
of　animals　from　the　others；　and　those　one　or　two　traits　are　found　in
every　member　of　each　family；　and　are　so　prominent　as　to　eternally　and
unchangeably　establish　the　character　of　that　branch　of　the　animal　world。　
In　these　cases　we　concede　that　the　several　temperaments　constitute　a　law
of　God；　a　command　of　God；　and　that　whatsoever　is　done　in　obedience　to
that　law　is　blameless。　　Man；　in　his　evolution；　inherited　the　whole　sum　of
these　numerous　traits；　and　with　each　trait　its　share　of　the　law　of　God。　
He　widely　differs　from　them　in　this：　that　he　possesses　not　a　single
characteristic　that　is　equally　prominent　in　each　member　of　his　race。　　You
can　say　the　housefly　is　limitlessly　brave；　and　in　saying　it　you　describe
the　whole　house…fly　tribe；　you　can　say　the　rabbit　is　limitlessly　timid；
and　by　the　phrase　you　describe　the　whole　rabbit　tribe；　you　can　say　the
spider　and　the　tiger　are　limitlessly　murderous；　and　by　that　phrase　you
describe　the　whole　spider　and　tiger　tribes；　you　can　say　the　lamb　is
limitlessly　innocent　and　sweet　and　gentle；　and　by　that　phrase　you
describe　all　the　lambs。　　There　is　hardly　a　creature　that　you　cannot
definitely　and　satisfactorily　describe　by　one　single　traitexcept　man。　
Men　are　not　all　cowards　like　the　rabbit；　nor　all　brave　like　the　house…
fly；　nor　all　sweet　and　innocent　and　gentle　like　the　lamb；　nor　all
murderous　like　the　spider　and　the　tiger　and　the　wasp；　nor　all　thieves
like　the　fox　and　the　bluejay；　nor　all　vain　like　the　peacock；　nor　all
frisky　like　the　monkey。　　These　things　are　all　in　him　somewhere；　and　they
develop　according　to　the　proportion　of　each　he　received　in　his　allotment：
We　describe　a　man　by　his　vicious　traits　and　condemn　him；　or　by　his　fine
traits　and　gifts；　and　praise　him　and　accord　him　high　merit　for　their
possession。　　It　is　comical。　　He　did　not　invent　these　things；　he　did　not
stock　himself　with　them。　　God　conferred　them　upon　him　in　the　first
instant　of　creation。　　They　constitute　the　law；　and　he　could　not　escape
obedience　to　the　decree　any　more　than　Paige　could　have　built　the　type…
setter　he　invented；　or　the　Pratt　&　Whitney　machinists　could　have　invented
the　machine　which　they　built。〃

He　liked　to　stride　up　and　down；　smoking　as　he　talked；　and　generally　his
words　were　slowly　measured；　with　varying　pauses　between　them。　　He　halted
in　the　midst　of　his　march；　and　without　a　suggestion　of　a　smile　added：

〃What　an　amusing　creature　the　human　being　is！〃

It　is　absolutely　impossible；　of　course；　to　preserve　the　atmosphere　and
personality　of　such　talks　as　thisthe　delicacies　of　his　speech　and
manner　which　carried　an　ineffable　charm。　　It　was　difficult；　indeed；　to
record　the　substance。　　I　did　not　know　shorthand；　and　I　should　not　have
taken　notes　at　such　times　in　any　case；　but　I　had　trained　myself　in
similar　work　to　preserve；　with　a　fair　degree　of　accuracy；　the　form　of
phrase；　and　to　some　extent　its　wording；　if　I　could　get　hold　of　pencil　and
paper　soon　enough　afterward。　　In　time　I　acquired　a　sort　of　phonographic
faculty；　though　it　always　seemed　to　me　that　the　bouquet；　the　subtleness
of　speech；　was　lacking　in　the　result。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　he　would
dictate　next　morning　the　substance　of　these　experimental　reflections；　or
I　would　find　among　his　papers　memoranda　and　fragmentary　manuscripts　where
he　had　set　them　down　himself；　either　before　or　after　he　had　tried　them
verbally。　　In　these　cases　I　have　not　hesitated　to　amend　my　notes　where　it
seemed　to　lend　reality　to　his　utterance；　though；　even　so；　there　is　always
lackingand　must　bethe　wonder　of　his　personality。




CCXLV

IN　THE　DAY'S　ROUND

A　number　of　dictations　of　this　period　were　about　Susy；　her　childhood；　and
the　biography　she　had　written　of　him；　most　of　which　he　included　in　his
chapters。　　More　than　once　after　such　dictations　he　reproached　himself
bitterly　for　the　misfortunes　of　his　house。　　He　consoled　himself　a　little
by　saying　that　Susy　had　died　at　the　right　time；　in　the　flower　of　youth
and　happiness；　but　he　blamed　himself　for　the　lack　of　those　things　which
might　have　made　her　childhood　still　more　bright。　　Once　he　spoke　of　the
biography　she　had　begun；　and　added：

〃Oh；　I　wish　I　had　paid　more　attention　to　that　little　girl's　work！　　If　I
had　only　encouraged　her　now　and　then；　what　it　would　have　meant　to　her；
and　what　a　beautiful　thing　it　would　have　been　to　have　had　her　story　of　me
told　in　her　own　way；　year　after　year！　　If　I　had　shown　her　that　I　cared；
she　might　have　gone　on　with　it。　　We　are　always　too　busy　for　our　children；
we　never　give　them　the　time　nor　the　interest　they　deserve。　　We　lavish
gifts　upon　them；　but　the　most　precious　gift…our　personal　association；
which　means　so　much　to　them…we　give　grudgingly　and　throw　it　away　on　those
who　care　for　it　so　little。〃　　Then；　after　a　moment　of　silence：　〃But　we　are
repaid　for　it　at　last。　　There　comes　a　time　when　we　want　their　company　and
their　interest。　　We　want　it　more　than　anything　in　the　world；　and　we　are
likely　to　be　starved　for　it；　just　as　they　were　starved　so　long　ago。　
There　is　no　appreciation　of　my　books　that　is　so　precious　to　me　as
appreciation　from　my　children。　　Theirs　is　the　praise　we　want；　and　the
praise　we　are　least　likely　to　get。〃

His　moods　of　remorse　seemed　to　overwhelm　him　at　times。　　He　spoke　of
Henry's　death　and　little　Langdon's；　and　charged　himself　with　both。
He　declared　that　for　years　he　had　filled　Mrs。　Clemens's　life　with
privations；　that　the　sorrow　of　Susy's　d