mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第42节

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writing。　　His　interest　was　mainly　theoretical；　and　when　he　wrote　or　spoke
on　the　subject　his　remarks　were　not　likely　to　be　testimonials　in　its
favor。　　His　own　theory　was　that　the　alphabet　needed　reform；　first　of　all；
so　that　each　letter　or　character　should　have　one　sound；　and　one　sound
only；　and　he　offered　as　a　solution　of　this　an　adaptation　of　shorthand。　
He　wrote　and　dictated　in　favor　of　this　idea　to　the　end　of　his　life。　　Once
he　said：

〃Our　alphabet　is　pure　insanity。　　It　can　hardly　spell　any　large　word　in
the　English　language　with　any　degree　of　certainty。　　Its　sillinesses　are
quite　beyond　enumeration。　　English　orthography　may　need　reforming　and
simplifying；　but　the　English　alphabet　needs　it　a　good　many　times　as
much。〃

He　would　naturally　favor　simplicity　in　anything。　　I　remember　him　reading；
as　an　example　of　beautiful　English；　The　Death　of　King　Arthur；　by　Sir
Thomas　Malory；　and　his　verdict：

〃That　is　one　of　the　most　beautiful　things　ever　written　in　English；　and
written　when　we　had　no　vocabulary。〃

〃A　vocabulary；　then；　is　sometimes　a　handicap？〃

〃It　is　indeed。〃

Still　I　think　it　was　never　a　handicap　with　him；　but　rather　the　plumage　of
flight。　　Sometimes；　when　just　the　right　word　did　not　come；　he　would　turn
his　head　a　little　at　different　angles；　as　if　looking　about　him　for　the
precise　term。　　He　would　find　it　directly；　and　it　was　invariably　the　word
needed。　　Most　writers　employ；　now　and　again；　phrases　that　do　not　sharply
present　the　ideathat　blur　the　picture　like　a　poor　opera…glass。　　Mark
Twain's　English　always　focused　exactly。




CCXLVIII

〃WHAT　IS　MAN？〃　AND　THE　AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Clemens　decided　to　publish　anonymously；　or；　rather；　to　print　privately；
the　Gospel；　which　he　had　written　in　Vienna　some　eight　years　before　and
added　to　from　time　to　time。　　He　arranged　with　Frank　Doubleday　to　take
charge　of　the　matter；　and　the　De　Vinne　Press　was　engaged　to　do　the　work。　
The　book　was　copyrighted　in　the　name　of　J。　W。　Bothwell；　the
superintendent　of　the　De　Vinne　company；　and　two　hundred　and　fifty
numbered　copies　were　printed　on　hand…made　paper；　to　be　gradually
distributed　to　intimate　friends。　＇In　an　introductory　word　（dated
February；　1905）　the　author　states　that　the　studies　for　these　papers　had
been　made　twenty…five　or　twenty…seven　years　before。　　He　probably　referred
to　the　Monday　Evening　Club　essay；　〃What　Is　Happiness？〃　（February；　1883）。　
See　chap。　　cxli。＇　A　number　of　the　books　were　sent　to　newspaper
reviewers；　and　so　effectually　had　he　concealed　the　personality　of　his
work　that　no　critic　seems　to　have　suspected　the　book's　authorship。　　It
was　not　over…favorably　received。　　It　was　generally　characterized　as　a
clever；　and　even　brilliant；　expose　of　philosophies　which　were　no　longer
startlingly　new。　　The　supremacy　of　self…interest　and　〃man　the
irresponsible　machine〃　are　the　main　features　of　'What　Is　Man'　and　both　of
these　and　all　the　rest　are　comprehended　in　his　wider　and　more　absolute
doctrine　of　that　inevitable　life…sequence　which　began　with　the　first
created　spark。　　There　can　be　no　training　of　the　ideals；　〃upward　and　still
upward；〃　no　selfishness　and　unselfishness；　no　atom　of　voluntary　effort
within　the　boundaries　of　that　conclusion。　　Once　admitting　the　postulate；
that　existence　is　merely　a　sequence　of　cause　and　effect　beginning　with
the　primal　atom；　and　we　have　a　theory　that　must　stand　or　fall　as　a　whole。　
We　cannot　say　that　man　is　a　creature　of　circumstance　and　then　leave　him
free　to　select　his　circumstance；　even　in　the　minutest　fractional　degree。　
It　was　selected　for　him　with　his　disposition；　in　that　first　instant　of
created　life。　　Clemens　himself　repeatedly　emphasized　this　doctrine；　and
once；　when　it　was　suggested　to　him　that　it　seemed　to　〃surround　every
thing；　like　the　sky；〃　he　answered：

〃Yes；　like　the　sky；　you　can't　break　through　anywhere。〃

Colonel　Harvey　came　to　Dublin　that　summer　and　persuaded　Clemens　to　let
him　print　some　selections　from　the　dictations　in　the　new　volume　of　the
North　American　Review；　which　he　proposed　to　issue　fortnightly。　　The
matter　was　discussed　a　good　deal；　and　it　was　believed　that　one　hundred
thousand　words　could　be　selected　which　would　be　usable　forthwith；　as　well
as　in　that　long…deferred　period　for　which　it　was　planned。　　Colonel　Harvey
agreed　to　take　a　copy　of　the　dictated　matter　and　make　the　selections
himself；　and　this　plan　was　carried　out。　　It　may　be　said　that　most　of　the
chapters　were　delightful　enough；　though；　had　it　been　possible　to　edit
them　with　the　more　positive　documents　as　a　guide；　certain　complications
might　have　been　avoided。　　It　does　not　matter　now；　and　it　was　not　a　matter
of　very　wide　import　then。

The　payment　of　these　chapters　netted　Clemens　thirty　thousand　dollarsa
comfortable　sum；　which　he　promptly　proposed　to　spend　in　building　on　the
property　at　Redding。　　He　engaged　John　Mead　Howells　to　prepare　some
preliminary　plans。

Clara　Clemens；　at　Norfolk；　was　written　to　of　the　matter。

A　little　later　I　joined　her　in　Redding；　and　she　was　the　first　of　the
family　to　see　that　beautiful　hilltop。　　She　was　well　pleased　with　the
situation；　and　that　day　selected　the　spot　where　the　house　should　stand。　
Clemens　wrote　Howells　that　he　proposed　to　call　it　〃Autobiography　House；〃
as　it　was　to　be　built　out　of　the　Review　money；　and　he　said：

〃If　you　will　build　on　my　farm　and　live　there　it　will　set　Mrs。　Howells's
health　up　for　sure。　　Come　and　I'll　sell　you　the　site　for　twenty…five
dollars。　　John　will　tell　you　it　is　a　choice　place。〃

The　unusual　summer　was　near　its　close。　　In　my　notebook；　under　date　of
September　16th；　appears　this　entry：

　　　　　Windy　in　valleys　but　not　cold。　　This　veranda　is　protected。　　It　is
　　　　　peaceful　here　and　perfect；　but　we　are　at　the　summer's　end。

This　is　my　last　entry；　and　the　dictations　must　have　ceased　a　few　days
later。　　I　do　not　remember　the　date　of　the　return　to　New　York；　and
apparently　I　made　no　record　of　it；　but　I　do　not　think　it　could　have　been
later　than　the　20th。　　It　had　been　four　months　since　the　day　of　arrival；　a
long；　marvelous　summer　such　as　I　would　hardly　know　again。　　When　I　think
of　that　time　I　shall　always　hear　the　ceaseless　slippered；　shuffling　walk；
and　see　the　white　figure　with　its　rocking；　rolling　movement　passing　up
and　down　the　long　gallery；　with　that　preternaturally　beautiful　landscape
behind；　and　I　shall　hear　his　deliberate　speechalways　deliberate；　save
at　rare　intervals；　always　impressive；　whatever　the　subject　might　be；
whether　recalling　some　old　absurdity　of　youth；　or　denouncing　orthodox
creeds；　or　detailing　the　shortcomings　of　human…kind。




CCXLIX

BILLIARDS

The　return　to　New　York　marked　the　beginning　of　a　new　era　in　my　relations
with　Mark　Twain。　　I　have　not　meant　to　convey　up　to　this　time　that　there
was　between　us　anything　resembling　a　personal　friendship。　　Our　relations
were　friendly；　certainly；　but　they　were　relations　of　convenience　and
mainly　of　a　business；　or　at　least　of　a　literary　nature。　　He　was　twenty…
six　years　my　senior；　and　the　discrepancy　of　experience　and　attainments
was　not　measurable。　　With　such　conditions　friendship　must　be　a　deliberate
growth；　something　there　must　be　to　bridge　the　dividing　gulf。　　Truth
requires　the　confession　that；　in　this　case；　the　bridge　took　a　very　solid；
material　form；　it　being；　in　fact；　nothing　less　than　a　billiard…table。
＇Clemens　had　been　without　a　billiard…table　since　1891；　the　old　one　having
been　disposed　of　on　the　departure　from　Hartford。＇

It　was　a　present　from　Mrs。　Henry　H。　　Rogers；　and　had　been　intended　for
his　Christmas；　but　when　he　heard　of　it　he　could　not　wait；　and　suggested
delicately　that　if　he　had　it　〃right　now〃　he　could　begin　using　it　sooner。　
So　he　went　one　day　with　Mr。　Rogers　to　the　Balke…Collender　Company；　and
they　selected　a　handsome　combination　table　suitable　to　all　gamesthe
best　that　money　could　buy。　　He　was　greatly　excited　over　the　prospect；　and
his　former　bedroom　was　carefully　measured；　to　be　certain　that　it　was
large　enough　for　billiard　purposes。　　Then　his　bed　was　moved　into　the
study；　and　the　bookcases　and　certain　appropriate　pictures　were　placed　and
hung　in　the　billiard…room　to　give　it　the　proper　feeling。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
The　billiard…table　arrived　and　was　put　in　place；　the　brilliant　green
cloth　in　contrast　with　the　rich　red　wallpaper　and　the　bookbindings　and
pictures　making　the　room　wonderfully　handsome　and　inviting。

Meantime；　Clemens；　with　one　of　his　sudden　impulses；　had　conceived　the
notion　of　spending　the　winter　in　Egypt；　on　the　Nile。　　He　had　gone　so　far；
within　a　few　hours　after　the　idea　developed；　as　to　plan　the　time　of　his
departure；　and　to　partially　engage　a　traveling　secretary；　so　that　he
might　continue　his　dictations。　　He　was　quite　full　of　the　idea　just　at　the
moment　when　the　billiard　table　was　being　installed。　　He　had　sent　for　a
book　on　the　subjectthe　letters　of　Lady　Duff…Gordon；　whose　daughter；
Janet　Ross；　had　become　a　dear　friend　in　Florence　during　the　Viviani　days。　
He　spoke　of　this　new　purpose　on　the　morning　when　we　renewed　the　New　York
dictations；　a　month　or　more　following　the　return　from　Dublin。　　When　the
dictation　ended　he　said：

〃Have　you　any　special　place　to　lunch　to…day？〃

I　replied　that　I　had