mark twain, a biography, 1866-1875-第28节

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　　　　　of　the　occasion。

　　　　　The　〃Memoranda〃　will　cease　permanently　with　this　issue　of　the
　　　　　magazine。　　To　be　a　pirate　on　a　low　salary；　and　with　no　share　in　the
　　　　　profits　of　the　business；　used　to　be　my　idea　of　an　uncomfortable
　　　　　occupation；　but　I　have　other　views　now。　　To　be　a　monthly　humorist　in
　　　　　a　cheerless　time　is　drearier。

Without　doubt　he　felt　a　glad　relief　in　being　rid　of　this　recurrent；
imperative　demand。　　He　wrote　to　Orion　that　he　had　told　the　Galaxy　people
he　would　not　write　another　article；　long　or　short；　for　less　than　500；
and　preferred　not　to　do　it　at　all。

The　Galaxy　department　and　the　work　on　the　Express　were　Mark　Twain's
farewell　to　journalism；　for　the　〃Memoranda〃　was　essentially　journalistic；
almost　as　much　so；　and　as　liberally；　as　his　old…time　Enterprise　position。
Apparently　he　wrote　with　absolute　freedom；　unhampered　by　editorial　policy
or　restriction。　　The　result　was　not　always　pleasant；　and　it　was　not
always　refined。　　We　may　be　certain　that　it　was　because　of　Mrs。　Clemens's
heavy　burdens　that　year；　and　her　consequent　inability　to　exert　a
beneficent　censorship；　that　more　than　onemore　than　a　dozenof　the
〃Memoranda〃　contributions　were　permitted　to　see　the　light　of　print。

As　a　whole；　the　literary　result　of　Mark　Twain's　Buffalo　period　does　not
reach　the　high　standard　of　The　Innocents　Abroad。　　It　was　a　retrogression
in　some　measure　a　return　to　his　earlier　form。　　It　had　been　done　under
pressure；　under　heavy　stress　of　mind；　as　he　said。　　Also　there　was　another
reason；　neither　the　subject　treated　nor　the　environment　of　labor　had
afforded　that　lofty　inspiration　which　glorified　every　step　of　the　Quaker
City　journey。　　Buffalo　was　a　progressive　citya　beautiful　city；　as
American　cities　gobut　it　was　hardly　an　inspiring　city　for　literature；
and　a　dull；　dingy　newspaper　office　was　far；　very　far；　from　the　pleasant
decks　of　the　Quaker　City；　the　camp…fires　of　Syria；　the　blue　sky　and　sea
of　the　Medit&ranean。




LXXXII

THE　WRITING　OF　〃ROUGHING　IT〃

The　third　book　published　by　Mark　Twain　was　not　the　Western　book　he　was
preparing　for　Bliss。　It　was　a　small　volume；　issued　by　Sheldon　&　Co。；
entitled　Mark　Twain's　Autobiography　（Burlesque）　and　First　Romance。　　The
Romance　was　the　〃Awful；　Terrible　Medieval　Romance〃　which　had　appeared　in
the　Express　at　the　beginning　of　1870。　　The　burlesque　autobiography　had
not　previously　appeared。　　The　two　made　a　thin　little　book；　which；　in
addition　to　its　literary　features；　had　running　through　it　a　series　of
full…page；　irrelevant　pictures…cartoons　of　the　Erie　Railroad　Ring；
presented　as　illustrations　of　a　slightly　modified　version　of　〃The　House
That　Jack　Built。〃　　The　〃House〃　was　the　Erie　headquarters；　the　purpose
being　to　illustrate　the　swindling　methods　of　the　Ring。　　The　faces　of　Jay
Gould；　James　Fisk；　Jr。；　John　T。　Hoffman；　and　others　of　the　combination；
are　chiefly　conspicuous。　　The　publication　was　not　important；　from　any
standpoint。　　Literary　burlesque　is　rarely　important；　and　it　was　far　from
Mark　Twain's　best　form　of　expression。　　A　year　or　two　later　he　realized
the　mistake　of　this　book；　bought　in　the　plates　and　destroyed　them。

Meantime　the　new　Western　book　was　at　a　standstill。　　To　Orion；　in　March；
he　wrote：

　　　　　I　am　still　nursing　Livy　night　and　day。　　I　am　nearly　worn　out。　　We
　　　　　shall　go　to　Elmira　ten　days　hence　（if　Livy　can　travel　on　a　mattress
　　　　　then）；　and　stay　there　until　I　finish　the　California　book；　say　three
　　　　　months。　　But　I　can't　begin　work　right　away　when　I　get　there；　must
　　　　　have　a　week's　rest；　for　I　have　been　through　thirty　days'　terrific
　　　　　siege。

He　promised　to　forward　some　of　the　manuscript　soon。

　　　　　Hold　on　four　or　five　days　and　I　will　see　if　I　can　get　a　few　chapters
　　　　　fixed　to　send　to　Bliss　。　　。　　。　　。

　　　　　I　have　offered　this　house　and　the　Express　for　sale；　and　when　we　go
　　　　　to　Elmira　we　leave　here　for　good。　　I　shall　not　select　a　new　home
　　　　　till　the　book　is　finished；　but　we　have　little　doubt　that　Hartford
　　　　　will　be　the　place。

He　disposed　of　his　interest　in　the　Express　in　April；　at　a　sacrifice　of
10；000　on　the　purchase　price。　　Mrs。　Clemens　and　the　baby　were　able　to
travel；　and　without　further　delay　he　took　them　to　Elmira；　to　Quarry　Farm。

Quarry　Farm；　the　home　of　Mrs。　Clemens's　sister；　Mrs。　Theodore　Crane；　is　a
beautiful　hilltop；　with　a　wide　green　slope；　overlooking　the　hazy　city　and
the　Chemung　River；　beyond　which　are　the　distant　hills。　　It　was　bought
quite　incidentally　by　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Langdon；　who；　driving　by　one　evening；
stopped　to　water　the　horses　and　decided　that　it　would　make　a　happy　summer
retreat；　where　the　families　could　combine　their　housekeeping　arrangements
during　vacation　days。　　When　the　place　had　first　been　purchased；　they　had
debated　on　a　name　for　it。　　They　had　tried　several；　among　them　〃Go…as…you…
please　Hall；〃　　〃Crane's　Nest；〃　and　had　finally　agreed　upon　〃Rest　and　Be
Thankful。〃　　But　this　was　only　its　official　name。　　There　was　an　abandoned
quarry　up　the　hill；　a　little　way　from　the　house；　and　the　title　suggested
by　Thomas　K。　Beecher　came　more　naturally　to　the　tongue。　　The　place　became
Quarry　Farm；　and　so　remains。

Clemens　and　his　wife　had　fully　made　up　their　minds　to　live　in　Hartford。
They　had　both　conceived　an　affection　for　the　place；　Clemens　mainly
because　of　Twichell；　while　both　of　them　yearned　for　the　congenial
literary　and　social　atmosphere；　and　the　welcome　which　they　felt　awaited
them。　　Hartford　was　precisely　what　Buffalo　in　that　day　was　nota　home
for　the　literary　man。　　It　held　a　distinguished　group　of　writers；　most　of
whom　the　Clemenses　already　knew。　　Furthermore；　with　Bliss　as　publisher　of
the　Mark　Twain　books；　it　held　their　chief　business　interests。

Their　plans　for　going　were　not　very　definite　as　to　time。　　Clemens　found
that　his　work　went　better　at　the　farm；　and　that　Mrs。　Clemens　and　the
delicate　baby　daily　improved。　　They　decided　to　remain　at　Quarry　Farm　for
the　summer；　their　first　summer　in　that　beautiful　place　which　would　mean
so　much　to　them　in　the　years　to　come。

It　was　really　Joe　Goodman；　as　much　as　anything；　that　stirred　a　fresh
enthusiasm　in　the　new　book。　　Goodman　arrived　just　when　the　author's
spirits　were　at　low　ebb。

〃Joe；〃　he　said；　〃　I　guess　I'm　done　for。　　I　don't　appear　to　be　able　to　get
along　at　all　with　my　work；　and　what　I　do　write　does　not　seem　valuable。
I'm　afraid　I'll　never　be　able　to　reach　the　standard　of　'The　Innocents
Abroad'　again。　　Here　is　what　I　have　written；　Joe。　　Read　it；　and　see　if
that　is　your　opinion。〃

Goodman　took　the　manuscript　and　seated　himself　in　a　chair；　while　Clemens
went　over　to　a　table　and　pretended　to　work。　　Goodman　read　page　after
page；　critically；　and　was　presently　absorbed　in　it。　　Clemens　watched　him
furtively；　till　he　could　stand　it　no　longer。　　Then　he　threw　down　his　pen；
exclaiming：

〃I　knew　it！　　I　knew　it！　　I　am　writing　nothing　but　rot。　　You　have　sat
there　all　this　time　reading　without　a　smile；　and　pitying　the　ass　I　am
making　of　myself。　　But　I　am　not　wholly　to　blame。　　I　am　not　strong　enough
to　fight　against　fate。　　I　have　been　trying　to　write　a　funny　book；　with
dead　people　and　sickness　a　verywhere。　　Mr。　Langdon　died　first；　then　a
young　lady　in　our　house；　and　now　Mrs。　Clemens　and　the　baby　have　been　at
the　point　of　death　all　winter！　　Oh；　Joe；　I　wish　to　God　I　could　die
myself！〃

〃Mark；〃　said　Joe；　〃I　was　reading　critically；　not　for　amusement；　and　so
far　as　I　have　read；　and　can　judge；　this　is　one　of　the　best　things　you
have　ever　written。　　I　have　found　it　perfectly　absorbing。　　You　are　doing　a
great　book！〃

Clemens　knew　that　Goodman　never　spoke　except　from　conviction；　and　the
verdict　was　to　him　like　a　message　of　life　handed　down　by　an　archangel。
He　was　a　changed　man　instantly。　　He　was　all　enthusiasm；　full　of　his
subject；　eager　to　go　on。　　He　proposed　to　pay　Goodman　a　salary　to　stay
there　and　keep　him　company　and　furnish　him　with　inspirationthe　Pacific
coast　atmosphere　and　vernacular；　which　he　feared　had　slipped　away　from
him。　　Goodman　declined　the　salary；　but　extended　his　visit　as　long　as　his
plans　would　permit；　and　the　two　had　a　happy　time　together；　recalling　old
Comstock　days。　　Every　morning；　for　a　month　or　more；　they　used　to　tramp
over　the　farm。　　They　fell　into　the　habit　of　visiting　the　old　quarry　and
pawing　over　the　fragments　in　search　of　fossil　specimens。　　Both　of　them
had　a　poetic　interest　in　geology；　its　infinite　remotenesses　and　its
testimonies。　　Without　scientific　knowledge；　they　took　a　deep　pleasure　in
accumulating　a　collection；　which　they　arranged　on　boards　torn　from　an　old
fence；　until　they　had　enough　specimens　to　fill　a　small　museum。　　They
imagined　they　could　distinguish　certain　geological　relations　and
families；　and　would　talk　about　trilobites；　the　Old　Red　Sandstone　period；
and　the　azoic　age；　or　follow　random　speculation　to　far…lying　conclusions；
developing　vague　humors　of　phrase　and　fancy；　having　altogether　a　joyful
good　time。

Another　interest　that　developed　during　Goodman's　stay　was　in　one　Ruloff；
who　was　under　death　sentence　for　a　particularly　atrocious　murder。　　The
papers　were　full　of　Ruloff's　prodigious　learning。　　It　was　said　that　he
had　in　preparation　a　work　showing　the　unity　of　all　languages。　　Goodman
and　C