mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第4节

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as　to　price；　and　when　she　arrived　there　the　cabman's　extortionate　charge
was　refused。　　He　persisted　in　it；　and　she　sent　into　the　house　for　her
employer。　　Of　all　men；　Mark　Twain　was　the　last　one　to　countenance　an
extortion。　　He　reasoned　with　the　man　kindly　enough　at　first；　when　the
driver　at　last　became　abusive　Clemens　demanded　his　number；　which　was　at
first　refused。　　In　the　end　he　paid　the　legal　fare；　and　in　the　morning
entered　a　formal　complaint；　something　altogether　unexpected；　for　the
American　public　is　accustomed　to　suffering　almost　any　sort　of　imposition
to　avoid　trouble　and　publicity。

In　some　notes　which　Clemens　had　made　in　London　four　years　earlier　he
wrote：

　　　　　If　you　call　a　policeman　to　settle　the　dispute　you　can　depend　on　one
　　　　　thinghe　will　decide　it　against　you　every　time。　　And　so　will　the
　　　　　New　York　policeman。　　In　London　if　you　carry　your　case　into　court　the
　　　　　man　that　is　entitled　to　win　it　will　win　it。　　In　New　Yorkbut　no　one
　　　　　carries　a　cab　case　into　court　there。　　It　is　my　impression　that　it　is
　　　　　now　more　than　thirty　years　since　any　one　has　carried　a　cab　case　into
　　　　　court　there。

Nevertheless；　he　was　promptly　on　hand　when　the　case　was　called　to　sustain
the　charge　and　to　read　the　cabdrivers'　union　and　the　public　in　general　a　
lesson　in　good…citizenship。　　At　the　end　of　the　hearing；　to　a
representative　of　the　union　he　said：

〃This　is　not　a　matter　of　sentiment；　my　dear　sir。　　It　is　simply　practical
business。　　You　cannot　imagine　that　I　am　making　money　wasting　an　hour　or
two　of　my　time　prosecuting　a　case　in　which　I　can　have　no　personal
interest　whatever。　　I　am　doing　this　just　as　any　citizen　should　do。　　He
has　no　choice。　　He　has　a　distinct　duty。　　He　is　a　non…classified
policeman。　　Every　citizen　is；　a　policeman；　and　it　is　his　duty　to　assist
the　police　and　the　magistracy　in　every　way　he　can；　and　give　his　time；　if
necessary；　to　do　so。　　Here　is　a　man　who　is　a　perfectly　natural　product　of
an　infamous　system　in　this　citya　charge　upon　the　lax　patriotism　in　this
city　of　New　York　that　this　thing　can　exist。　　You　have　encouraged　him；　in
every　way　you　know　how　to　overcharge。　　He　is　not　the　criminal　here　at
all。　　The　criminal　is　the　citizen　of　New　York　and　the　absence　of
patriotism。　　I　am　not　here　to　avenge　myself　on　him。　　I　have　no　quarrel
with　him。　　My　quarrel　is　with　the　citizens　of　New　York；　who　have
encouraged　him；　and　who　created　him　by　encouraging　him　to　overcharge　in
this　way。〃

The　driver's　license　was　suspended。　　The　case　made　a　stir　in　the
newspapers；　and　it　is　not　likely　that　any　one　incident　ever　contributed
more　to　cab…driving　morals　in　New　York　City。

But　Clemens　had　larger　matters　than　this　in　prospect。　　His　many　speeches
on　municipal　and　national　abuses　he　felt　were　more　or　less　ephemeral。　　He
proposed　now　to　write　himself　down　more　substantially　and　for　a　wider
hearing。　　The　human　race　was　behaving　very　badly：　unspeakable　corruption
was　rampant　in　the　city；　the　Boers　were　being　oppressed　in　South　Africa；
the　natives　were　being　murdered　in　the　Philippines；　Leopold　of　Belgium
was　massacring　and　mutilating　the　blacks　in　the　Congo；　and　the　allied
powers；　in　the　cause　of　Christ；　were　slaughtering　the　Chinese。　　In　his
letters　he　had　more　than　once　boiled　over　touching　these　matters；　and　for
New…Year's　Eve；　1900；　had　written：


　　　　　　　　　A　GREETING　FROM　THE　NINETEENTH　TO　THE　TWENTIETH　CENTURY

　　　　　I　bring　you　the　stately　nation　named　Christendom；　returning；
　　　　　bedraggled；　besmirched；　and　dishonored；　from　pirate　raids　in　Kiao…
　　　　　Chou；　Manchuria；　South　Africa；　and　the　Philippines；　with　her　soul
　　　　　full　of　meanness；　her　pocket　full　of　boodle；　and　her　mouth　full　of
　　　　　pious　hypocrisies。　　Give　her　soap　and　towel；　but　hide　the　looking…
　　　　　glass。　＇Prepared　for　Red　Cross　Society　watch…meeting；　which　was
　　　　　postponed　until　March。　　Clemens　recalled　his　〃Greeting〃　for　that
　　　　　reason　and　for　one　other；　which　he　expressed　thus：　　〃The　list　of
　　　　　greeters　thus　far　issued　by　you　contains　only　vague　generalities　and
　　　　　one　definite　namemine：　'Some　kings　and　queens　and　Mark　Twain。'　Now
　　　　　I　am　not　enjoying　this　sparkling　solitude　and　distinction。　　It　makes
　　　　　me　feel　like　a　circus…poster　in　a　graveyard。〃＇

This　was　a　sort　of　preliminary。　　Then；　restraining　himself　no　longer；　he
embodied　his　sentiments　in　an　article　for　the　North　American　Review
entitled；　〃To　the　Person　Sitting　in　Darkness。〃　　There　was　crying　need　for
some　one　to　speak　the　right　word。　　He　was　about　the　only　one　who　could　do
it　and　be　certain　of　a　universal　audience。　　He　took　as　his　text　some
Christmas　Eve　clippings　from　the　New　York　Tribune　and　Sun　which　he　had
been　saving　for　this　purpose。　　The　Tribune　clipping　said：

　　　　　Christmas　will　dawn　in　the　United　States　over　a　people　full　of　hope
　　　　　and　aspiration　and　good　cheer。　　Such　a　condition　means　contentment
　　　　　and　happiness。　　The　carping　grumbler　who　may　here　and　there　go　forth
　　　　　will　find　few　to　listen　to　him。　　The　majority　will　wonder　what　is
　　　　　the　matter　with　him；　and　pass　on。

A　Sun　clipping　depicted　the　〃terrible　offenses　against　humanity　committed
in　the　name　of　politics　in　some　of　the　most　notorious　East　Side　districts
〃the　unmissionaried；　unpoliced　darker　New　York。　　The　Sun　declared　that
they　could　not　be　pictured　even　verbally。　　But　it　suggested　enough　to
make　the　reader　shudder　at　the　hideous　depths　of　vice　in　the　sections
named。　　Another　clipping　from　the　same　paper　reported　the　〃Rev。　Mr。　
Ament；　of　the　American　Board　of　Foreign　Missions；〃　as　having　collected
indemnities　for　Boxer　damages　in　China　at　the　rate　of　three　hundred　taels
for　each　murder；　〃full　payment　for　all　destroyed　property　belonging　to
Christians；　and　national　fines　amounting　to　thirteen　times　the
indemnity。〃　　It　quoted　Mr。　Ament　as　saying　that　the　money　so　obtained　was
used　for　the　propagation　of　the　Gospel；　and　that　the　amount　so　collected
was　moderate　when　compared　with　the　amount　secured　by　the　Catholics；　who
had　demanded；　in　addition　to　money；　life　for　life；　that　is　to　say；　〃head
for　head〃in　one　district　six　hundred　and　eighty　heads　having　been　so
collected。

The　despatch　made　Mr。　Ament　say　a　great　deal　more　than　this；　but　the　gist
here　is　enough。　　Mark　Twain；　of　course；　was　fiercely　stirred。　　The
missionary　idea　had　seldom　appealed　to　him；　and　coupled　with　this
business　of　bloodshed；　it　was　less　attractive　than　usual。　　He　printed　the
clippings　in　full；　one　following　the　other；　then　he　said：

　　　　　By　happy　luck　we　get　all　these　glad　tidings　on　Christmas　Evejust
　　　　　the　time　to　enable　us　to　celebrate　the　day　with　proper　gaiety　and
　　　　　enthusiasm。　　Our　spirits　soar　and　we　find　we　can　even　make　jokes；
　　　　　taels　I　win；　heads　you　lose。

He　went　on　to　score　Ament；　to　compare　the　missionary　policy　in　China　to
that　of　the　Pawnee　Indians；　and　to　propose　for　him　a　monument
subscriptions　to　be　sent　to　the　American　Board。　　He　denounced　the
national　policies　in　Africa；　China；　and　the　Philippines；　and　showed　by
the　reports　and　by　the　private　letters　of　soldiers　home；　how　cruel　and
barbarous　and　fiendish　had　been　the　warfare　made　by　those　whose　avowed
purpose　was　to　carry　the　blessed　light　of　civilization　and　Gospel　〃to　the
benighted　native〃how　in　very　truth　these　priceless　blessings　had　been
handed　on　the　point　of　a　bayonet　to　the　〃Person　Sitting　in　Darkness。〃

Mark　Twain　never　wrote　anything　more　scorching；　more　penetrating　in　its
sarcasm；　more　fearful　in　its　revelation　of　injustice　and　hypocrisy；　than
his　article　〃To　the　Person　Sitting　in　Darkness。〃　　He　put　aquafortis　on
all　the　raw　places；　and　when　it　was　finished　he　himself　doubted　the
wisdom　of　printing　it。　　Howells；　however；　agreed　that　it　should　be
published；　and　〃it　ought　to　be　illustrated　by　Dan　Beard；〃　he　added；　〃with
such　pictures　as　he　made　for　the　Yankee　in　King　Arthur's　Court；　but　you'd
better　hang　yourself　afterward。〃

Meeting　Beard　a　few　days　later；　Clemens　mentioned　the　matter　and　said：

〃So　if　you　make　the　pictures；　you　hang　with　me。〃

But　pictures　were　not　required。　　It　was　published　in　the　North　American
Review　for　February；　1901；　as　the　opening　article；　after　which　the
cyclone。　　Two　storms　moving　in　opposite　directions　produce　a　cyclone；　and
the　storms　immediately　developed；　one　all　for　Mark　Twain　and　his
principles；　the　other　all　against　him。　　Every　paper　in　England　and
America　commented　on　it　editorially；　with　bitter　denunciations　or　with
eager　praise；　according　to　their　lights　and　convictions。

At　14　West　Tenth　Street　letters；　newspaper　clippings；　documents　poured　in
by　the　bushellaudations；　vituperations；　denunciations；　vindications；　no
such　tumult　ever　occurred　in　a　peaceful　literary　home。　　It　was　really　as
if　he　had　thrown　a　great　missile　into　the　human　hive；　one…half　of　which
regarded　it　as　a　ball　of　honey　and　the　remainder　as　a　cobblestone。　
Whatever　other　effect　it　may　have　had；　it　left　no　thinking　person
unawakened。

Clemens　reveled　in　it。　　W。　A。　Rogers；　in　Harper's　Weekly；　caricatured　him
as　Tom　Sawyer　in　a　snow　fort；　assailed　by　the　shower　of　snowballs；
〃having　the　time　of　his　life。〃　　Another　artist；　Fred　Lewis；　pictured　him
as　Huck　Finn　with　a　gun。

The　American　Board　was