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guard　their　vested　interests　against　them。　　'The　New　York　Times'　and　the
'St。　Louis　Democrat'　profited　by　the　advance　copies　of　the　magazine　sent
them　to　reprint　the　papers　month　by　month。　　Together　they　covered　nearly
the　whole　reading　territory　of　the　Union；　and　the　terms　of　their　daily
publication　enabled　them　to　anticipate　the　magazine　in　its　own　restricted
field。　　Its　subscription　list　was　not　enlarged　in　the　slightest　measure；
and　The　Atlantic　Monthly　languished　on　the　news…stands　as　undesired　as
ever。




VI。

It　was　among　my　later　visits　to　Hartford　that　we　began　to　talk　up　the
notion　of　collaborating　a　play；　but　we　did　not　arrive　at　any　clear
intention；　and　it　was　a　telegram　out　of　the　clear　sky　that　one　day
summoned　me　from　Boston　to　help　with　a　continuation　of　Colonel　Sellers。
I　had　been　a　witness　of　the　high　joy　of　Clemens　in　the　prodigious　triumph
of　the　first　Colonel　Sellers；　which　had　been　dramatized　from　the　novel　of
'The　Gilded　Age。'　　This　was　the　joint　work　of　Clemens　and　Charles　Dudley
Warner；　and　the　story　had　been　put　upon　the　stage　by　some　one　in　Utah；
whom　Clemens　first　brought　to　book　in　the　courts　for　violation　of　his
copyright；　and　then　indemnified　for　such　rights　as　his　adaptation　of　the
book　had　given　him。　　The　structure　of　the　play　as　John　T。　Raymond　gave　it
was　substantially　the　work　of　this　unknown　dramatist。　　Clemens　never
pretended；　to　me　at　any　rate；　that　he　had　the　least　hand　in　it；　he
frankly　owned　that　he　was　incapable　of　dramatization；　yet　the　vital　part
was　his；　for　the　characters　in　the　play　were　his　as　the　book　embodied
them；　and　the　success　which　it　won　with　the　public　was　justly　his。
This　he　shared　equally　with　the　actor；　following　the　company　with　an
agent；　who　counted　out　the　author's　share　of　the　gate　money；　and　sent　him
a　note　of　the　amount　every　day　by　postal　card。　　The　postals　used　to　come
about　dinner…time；　and　Clemens　would　read　them　aloud　to　us　in　wild
triumph。

One　hundred　and　fifty　dollarstwo　hundred　dollarsthree　hundred　dollars
were　the　gay　figures　which　they　bore；　and　which　he　flaunted　in　the　air
before　he　sat　down　at　table；　or　rose　from　it　to　brandish；　and　then；
flinging　his　napkin　into　his　chair；　walked　up　and　down　to　exult　in。

By…and…by　the　popularity；　of　the　play　waned；　and　the　time　came　when　he
sickened　of　the　whole　affair；　and　withdrew　his　agent；　and　took　whatever
gain　from　it　the　actor　apportioned　him。　　He　was　apt　to　have　these　sudden
surceases；　following　upon　the　intensities　of　his　earlier　interest；　though
he　seemed　always　to　have　the　notion　of　making　something　more　of　Colonel
Sellers。　　But　when　I　arrived　in　Hartford　in　answer　to　his　summons；
I　found　him　with　no　definite　idea　of　what　he　wanted　to　do　with　him。
I　represented　that　we　must　have　some　sort　of　plan；　and　he　agreed　that　we
should　both　jot　down　a　scenario　overnight　and　compare　our　respective
schemes　the　next　morning。　　As　the　author　of　a　large　number　of　little
plays　which　have　been　privately　presented　throughout　the　United　States
and　in　parts　of　the　United　Kingdom；　without　ever　getting　upon　the　public
stage　except　for　the　noble　ends　of　charity；　and　then　promptly　getting　off
it；　I　felt　authorized　to　make　him　observe　that　his　scheme　was　as　nearly
nothing　as　chaos　could　be。　　He　agreed　hilariously　with　me；　and　was
willing　to　let　it　stand　in　proof　of　his　entire　dramatic　inability。
At　the　same　time　he　liked　my　plot　very　much；　which　ultimated　Sellers；
according　to　Clemens's　intention；　as　a　man　crazed　by　his　own　inventions
and　by　his　superstition　that　he　was　the　rightful　heir　to　an　English
earldom。　　The　exuberant　nature　of　Sellers　and　the　vast　range　of　his
imagination　served　our　purpose　in　other　ways。　　Clemens　made　him　a
spiritualist；　whose　specialty　in　the　occult　was　materialization；
he　became　on　impulse　an　ardent　temperance　reformer；　and　he　headed　a
procession　of　temperance　ladies　after　disinterestedly　testing　the
deleterious　effects　of　liquor　upon　himself　until　he　could　not　walk
straight；　always　he　wore　a　marvellous　fire…extinguisher　strapped　on　his
back；　to　give　proof　in　any　emergency　of　the　effectiveness　of　his
invention　in　that　way。

We　had　a　jubilant　fortnight　in　working　the　particulars　of　these　things
out。　　It　was　not　possible　for　Clemens　to　write　like　anybody　else；　but　I
could　very　easily　write　like　Clemens；　and　we　took　the　play　scene　and
scene　about；　quite　secure　of　coming　out　in　temperamental　agreement。
The　characters　remained　for　the　most　part　his；　and　I　varied　them　only　to
make　them　more　like　his　than；　if　possible；　he　could。　　Several　years
after；　when　I　looked　over　a　copy　of　the　play；　I　could　not　always　tell　my
work　from　his；　I　only　knew　that　I　had　done　certain　scenes。　　We　would　work
all　day　long　at　our　several　tasks；　and　then　at　night；　before　dinner；　read
them　over　to　each　other。　　No　dramatists　ever　got　greater　joy　out　of　their
creations；　and　when　I　reflect　that　the　public　never　had　the　chance　of
sharing　our　joy　I　pity　the　public　from　a　full　heart。　　I　still　believe
that　the　play　was　immensely　funny；　I　still　believe　that　if　it　could　once
have　got　behind　the　footlights　it　would　have　continued　to　pack　the　house
before　them　for　an　indefinite　succession　of　nights。　　But　this　may　be　my
fondness。

At　any　rate；　it　was　not　to　be。　　Raymond　had　identified　himself　with
Sellers　in　the　play…going　imagination；　and　whether　consciously　or
unconsciously　we　constantly　worked　with　Raymond　in　our　minds。　　But　before
this　time　bitter　displeasures　had　risen　between　Clemens　and　Raymond；　and
Clemens　was　determined　that　Raymond　should　never　have　the　play。　　He　first
offered　it　to　several　other　actors；　who　eagerly　caught　it；　only　to　give
it　back　with　the　despairing　renunciation；　〃That　is　a　Raymond　play。〃　　We
tried　managers　with　it；　but　their　only　question　was　whether　they　could
get　Raymond　to　do　it。　　In　the　mean　time　Raymond　had　provided　himself　with
a　play　for　the　wintera　very　good　play；　by　Demarest　Lloyd；　and　he　was　in
no　hurry　for　ours。　　Perhaps　he　did　not　really　care　for　it　perhaps　he　knew
when　he　heard　of　it　that　it　must　come　to　him　in　the　end。　　In　the　end　it
did；　from　my　hand；　for　Clemens　would　not　meet　him。　　I　found　him　in　a　mood
of　sweet　reasonableness；　perhaps　the　more　softened　by　one　of　those
lunches　which　our　publisher；　the　hospitable　James　R。　Osgood；　was　always
bringing　people　together　over　in　Boston。　　He　said　that　he　could　not　do
the　play　that　winter；　but　he　was　sure　that　he　should　like　it；　and　he　had
no　doubt　he　would　do　it　the　next　winter。　　So　I　gave　him　the　manuscript；
in　spite　of　Clemens's　charges；　for　his　suspicions　and　rancors　were　such
that　he　would　not　have　had　me　leave　it　for　a　moment　in　the　actor's　hands。
But　it　seemed　a　conclusion　that　involved　success　and　fortune　for　us。
In　due　time；　but　I　do　not　remember　how　long　after；　Raymond　declared
himself　delighted　with　the　piece；　he　entered　into　a　satisfactory
agreement　for　it；　and　at　the　beginning　of　the　next　season　he　started　with
it　to　Buffalo；　where　he　was　to　give　a　first　production。　　At　Rochester　he
paused　long　enough　to　return　it；　with　the　explanation　that　a　friend　had
noted　to　him　the　fact　that　Colonel　Sellers　in　the　play　was　a　lunatic；　and
insanity　was　so　serious　a　thing　that　it　could　not　be　represented　on　the
stage　without　outraging　the　sensibilities　of　the　audience；　or　words　to
that　effect。　　We　were　too　far　off　to　allege　Hamlet　to　the　contrary；　or
King　Lear；　or　to　instance　the　delight　which　generations　of　readers
throughout　the　world　had　taken　in　the　mad　freaks　of　Don　Quixote。
Whatever　were　the　real　reasons　of　Raymond　for　rejecting　the　play；　we　had
to　be　content　with　those　he　gave；　and　to　set　about　getting　it　into　other
hands。　　In　this　effort　we　failed　even　more　signally　than　before；　if　that
were　possible。　　At　last　a　clever　and　charming　elocutionist；　who　had　long
wished　to　get　himself　on　the　stage；　heard　of　it　and　asked　to　see　it。
We　would　have　shown　it　to　any　one　by　this　time；　and　we　very　willingly
showed　it　to　him。　　He　came　to　Hartford　and　did　some　scenes　from　it　for
us。　　I　must　say　he　did　them　very　well；　quite　as　well　as　Raymond　could
have　done　them；　in　whose　manner　he　did　them。　　But　now；　late　toward
spring；　the　question　was　where　he　could　get　an　engagement　with　the　play；
and　we　ended　by　hiring　a　theatre　in　New　York　for　a　week　of　trial
performances。

Clemens　came　on　with　me　to　Boston；　where　we　were　going　to　make　some
changes　in　the　piece；　and　where　we　made　them　to　our　satisfaction；　but　not
to　the　effect　of　that　high　rapture　which　we　had　in　the　first　draft。
He　went　back　to　Hartford；　and　then　the　cold　fit　came　upon　me；　and　〃in
visions　of　the　night；　in　slumberings　upon　the　bed；〃　ghastly　forms　of
failure　appalled　me；　and　when　I　rose　in　the　morning　I　wrote　him：　〃Here　is
a　play　which　every　manager　has　put　out…of…doors　and　which　every　actor
known　to　us　has　refused；　and　now　we　go　and　give　it　to　an　elocutioner。
We　are　fools。〃　　Whether　Clemens　agreed　with　me　or　not　in　my　conclusion；
he　agreed　with　me　in　my　premises；　and　we　promptly　bought　our　play　off　the
stage　at　a　cost　of　seven　hundred　dollars；　which　we　shared　between　us。
But　Clemens　was　never　a　man　to　give　up。　　I　relinquished　gratis　all　right
and　title　I　had　in　the　play；　and　he　p