my mark twain-第7节

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Whether　this　was　really　so　or　not；　it　is　certain　that　the　train　presented
an　impenetrable　front　even　to　our　imagination；　and　we　left　it　to　go　its
way　without　the　slightest　effort　to　board。　　We　remounted　the　fame…worn
steps　of　Porter's　Station；　and　began　exploring　North　Cambridge　for　some
means　of　transportation　overland　to　Concord；　for　we　were　that　far　on　the
road　by　which　the　British　went　and　came　on　the　day　of　the　battle。　　The
liverymen　whom　we　appealed　to　received　us；　some　with　compassion；　some
with　derision；　but　in　either　mood　convinced　us　that　we　could　not　have
hired　a　cat　to　attempt　our　conveyance；　much　less　a　horse；　or　vehicle　of
any　description。　　It　was　a　raw；　windy　day；　very　unlike　the　exceptionally
hot　April　day　when　the　routed　redcoats；　pursued　by　the　Colonials；　fled
panting　back　to　Boston；　with　〃their　tongues　hanging　out　like　dogs；〃
but　we　could　not　take　due　comfort　in　the　vision　of　their　discomfiture；
we　could　almost　envy　them；　for　they　had　at　least　got　to　Concord。　　A　swift
procession　of　coaches；　carriages；　and　buggies；　all　going　to　Concord；
passed　us；　inert　and　helpless；　on　the　sidewalk　in　the　peculiarly　cold　mud
of　North　Cambridge。　　We　began　to　wonder　if　we　might　not　stop　one　of　them
and　bribe　it　to　take　us；　but　we　had　not　the　courage　to　try；　and　Clemens
seized　the　opportunity　to　begin　suffering　with　an　acute　indigestion；
which　gave　his　humor　a　very　dismal　cast。　　I　felt　keenly　the　shame　of
defeat；　and　the　guilt　of　responsibility　for　our　failure；　and　when　a　gay
party　of　students　came　toward　us　on　the　top　of　a　tally　ho；　luxuriously
empty　inside；　we　felt　that　our　chance　had　come；　and　our　last　chance。
He　said　that　if　I　would　stop　them　and　tell　them　who　I　was　they　would
gladly；　perhaps　proudly；　give　us　passage；　I　contended　that　if　with　his
far　vaster　renown　he　would　approach　them；　our　success　would　be　assured。
While　we　stood；　lost　in　this　〃contest　of　civilities；〃　the　coach　passed
us；　with　gay　notes　blown　from　the　horns　of　the　students；　and　then　Clemens
started　in　pursuit；　encouraged　with　shouts　from　the　merry　party　who　could
not　imagine　who　was　trying　to　run　them　down；　to　a　rivalry　in　speed。　　The
unequal　match　could　end　only　in　one　way；　and　I　am　glad　I　cannot　recall
what　he　said　when　he　came　back　to　me。　　Since　then　I　have　often　wondered
at　the　grief　which　would　have　wrung　those　blithe　young　hearts　if　they
could　have　known　that　they　might　have　had　the　company　of　Mark　Twain　to
Concord　that　day　and　did　not。

We　hung　about；　unavailingly；　in　the　bitter　wind　a　while　longer；　and　then
slowly；　very　slowly；　made　our　way　home。　　We　wished　to　pass　as　much　time
as　possible；　in　order　to　give　probability　to　the　deceit　we　intended　to
practise；　for　we　could　not　bear　to　own　ourselves　baffled　in　our　boasted
wisdom　of　taking　the　train　at　Porter's　Station；　and　had　agreed　to　say
that　we　had　been　to　Concord　and　got　back。　　Even　after　coming　home　to　my
house；　we　felt　that　our　statement　would　be　wanting　in　verisimilitude
without　further　delay；　and　we　crept　quietly　into　my　library；　and　made　up
a　roaring　fire　on　the　hearth；　and　thawed　ourselves　out　in　the　heat　of　it
before　we　regained　our　courage　for　the　undertaking。　　With　all　these
precautions　we　failed；　for　when　our　statement　was　imparted　to　the
proposed　victim　she　instantly　pronounced　it　unreliable；　and　we　were　left
with　it　on　our　hands　intact。　　I　think　the　humor　of　this　situation　was
finally　a　greater　pleasure　to　Clemens　than　an　actual　visit　to　Concord
would　have　been；　only　a　few　weeks　before　his　death　he　laughed　our　defeat
over　with　one　of　my　family　in　Bermuda；　and　exulted　in　our　prompt
detection。




XI。

From　our　joint　experience　in　failing　I　argue　that　Clemens's　affection　for
me　must　have　been　great　to　enable　him　to　condone　in　me　the　final
defection　which　was　apt　to　be　the　end　of　our　enterprises。　　I　have　fancied
that　I　presented　to　him　a　surface　of　such　entire　trustworthiness　that　he
could　not　imagine　the　depths　of　unreliability　beneath　it；　and　that　never
realizing　it；　he　always　broke　through　with　fresh　surprise　but　unimpaired
faith。　　He　liked；　beyond　all　things；　to　push　an　affair　to　the　bitter　end；
and　the　end　was　never　too　bitter　unless　it　brought　grief　or　harm　to
another。　　Once　in　a　telegraph　office　at　a　railway　station　he　was　treated
with　such　insolent　neglect　by　the　young　lady　in　charge；　who　was
preoccupied　in　a　flirtation　with　a　〃gentleman　friend；〃　that　emulous　of
the　public　spirit　which　he　admired　in　the　English；　he　told　her　he　should
report　her　to　her　superiors；　and　（probably　to　her　astonishment）　he　did
so。　　He　went　back　to　Hartford；　and　in　due　time　the　poor　girl　came　to　me
in；　terror　and　in　tears；　for　I　had　abetted　Clemens　in　his　action；　and　had
joined　my　name　to　his　in　his　appeal　to　the　authorities。　　She　was
threatened　with　dismissal　unless　she　made　full　apology　to　him　and　brought
back　assurance　of　its　acceptance。　　I　felt　able　to　give　this；　and；　of
course；　he　eagerly　approved；　I　think　he　telegraphed　his　approval。
Another　time；　some　years　afterward；　we　sat　down　together　in　places　near
the　end　of　a　car；　and　a　brakeman　came　in　looking　for　his　official　note…
book。　　Clemens　found　that　he　had　sat　down　upon　it；　and　handed　it　to　him；
the　man　scolded　him　very　abusively；　and　came　back　again　and　again；　still
scolding　him　for　having　no　more　sense　than　to　sit　down　on　a　note…book。
The　patience　of　Clemens　in　bearing　it　was　so　angelic　that　I　saw　fit　to
comment；　〃I　suppose　you　will　report　this　fellow。〃　　〃Yes；〃　he　answered；
slowly　and　sadly。　　〃　That's　what　I　should　have　done　once。　　But　now　I
remember　that　he　gets　twenty　dollars　a　month。〃

Nothing　could　have　been　wiser；　nothing　tenderer；　and　his　humanity　was
not　for　humanity　alone。　　He　abhorred　the　dull　and　savage　joy　of　the
sportsman　in　a　lucky　shot；　an　unerring　aim；　and　once　when　I　met　him　in
the　country　he　had　just　been　sickened　by　the　success　of　a　gunner　in
bringing　down　a　blackbird；　and　he　described　the　poor；　stricken；　glossy
thing；　how　it　lay　throbbing　its　life　out　on　the　grass；　with　such　pity　as
he　might　have　given　a　wounded　child。　　I　find　this　a　fit　place　to　say　that
his　mind　and　soul　were　with　those　who　do　the　hard　work　of　the　world；　in
fear　of　those　who　give　them　a　chance　for　their　livelihoods　and　underpay
them　all　they　can。　　He　never　went　so　far　in　socialism　as　I　have　gone；　if
he　went　that　way　at　all；　but　he　was　fascinated　with　Looking　Backward　and
had　Bellamy　to　visit　him；　and　from　the　first　he　had　a　luminous　vision　of
organized　labor　as　the　only　present　help　for　working…men。　　He　would　show
that　side　with　such　clearness　and　such　force　that　you　could　not　say
anything　in　hopeful　contradiction；　he　saw　with　that　relentless　insight　of
his　that　with　Unions　was　the　working…man's　only　present　hope　of　standing
up　like　a　man　against　money　and　the　power　of　it。　　There　was　a　time　when　I
was　afraid　that　his　eves　were　a　little　holden　from　the　truth；　but　in　the
very　last　talk　I　heard　from　him　I　found　that　I　was　wrong；　and　that　this
great　humorist　was　as　great　a　humanist　as　ever。　　I　wish　that　all　the
work…folk　could　know　this；　and　could　know　him　their　friend　in　life　as　he
was　in　literature；　as　he　was　in　such　a　glorious　gospel　of　equality　as　the
'Connecticut　Yankee　in　King　Arthur's　Court。'




XII。

Whether　I　will　or　no　I　must　let　things　come　into　my　story　thoughtwise；　as
he　would　have　let　them；　for　I　cannot　remember　them　in　their　order。　　One
night；　while　we　were　giving　a　party；　he　suddenly　stormed　in　with　a　friend
of　his　and　mine；　Mr。　Twichell；　and　immediately　began　to　eat　and　drink　of
our　supper；　for　they　had　come　straight　to　our　house　from　walking　to
Boston；　or　so　great　a　part　of　the　way　as　to　be　a…hungered　and　a…thirst。
I　can　see　him　now　as　he　stood　up　in　the　midst　of　our　friends；　with　his
head　thrown　back；　and　in　his　hand　a　dish　of　those　escalloped　oysters
without　which　no　party　in　Cambridge　was　really　a　party；　exulting　in　the
tale　of　his　adventure；　which　had　abounded　in　the　most　original　characters
and　amusing　incidents　at　every　mile　of　their　progress。　　They　had　broken
their　journey　with　a　night's　rest；　and　they　had　helped　themselves
lavishly　out　by　rail　in　the　last　half；　but　still　it　had　been　a　mighty
walk　to　do　in　two　days。　　Clemens　was　a　great　walker；　in　those　years；　and
was　always　telling　of　his　tramps　with　Mr。　Twichell　to　Talcott's　Tower；
ten　miles　out　of　Hartford。　　As　he　walked　of　course　he　talked；　and　of
course　he　smoked。　　Whenever　he　had　been　a　few　days　with　us；　the　whole
house　had　to　be　aired；　for　he　smoked　all　over　it　from　breakfast　to
bedtime。　　He　always　went　to　bed　with　a　cigar　in　his　mouth；　and　sometimes；
mindful　of　my　fire　insurance；　I　went　up　and　took　it　away；　still　burning；
after　he　had　fallen　asleep。　　I　do　not　know　how　much　a　man　may　smoke　and
live；　but　apparently　he　smoked　as　much　as　a　man　could；　for　he　smoked
incessantly。

He　did　not　care　much　to　meet　people；　as　I　fancied；　and　we　were　greedy　of
him　for　ourselves；　he　was　precious　to　us；　and　I　would　not　have　exposed
him　to　the　critical　edge　of　that　Cambridge　acquaintance　which　might　not
have　appreciated　him　at；　say；　his　transatlantic　value。　　In　America　his
popularity　was　as　instant　as　it　was　vast。　　But　it　must　be　acknowledged
that　for　a　much　long