mark twain, a biography, 1866-1875-第36节

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with　Greeley　varied；　but　perhaps　there　was　a　germ　of　history　under　it
somewhere；　and　at　any　rate　it　could　have　happened　well　enough；　and　not
have　been　out　of　character　with　either　of　the　men。




LXXXVIII

THE　GILDED　AGE〃

Mark　Twain　did　not　go　on　the　lecture　circuit　that　winter。　　Redpath　had
besought　him　as　usual；　and　even　in　midsummer　had　written：

〃Will　you？　　Won't　you？　　We　have　seven　thousand　to　eight　thousand　dollars
in　engagements　recorded　for　you；〃　and　he　named　a　list　of　towns　ranging
geographically　from　Boston　to　St。　Paul。

But　Clemens　had　no　intention　then　of　ever　lecturing　any　more；　and　again
in　November；　from　London；　he　announced　（to　Redpath）：

〃When　I　yell　again　for　less　than　500　I'll　be　pretty　hungry；　but　I
haven't　any　intention　of　yelling　at　any　price。〃

Redpath　pursued　him；　and　in　January　proposed　400　for　a　single　night　in
Philadelphia；　but　without　result。　　He　did　lecture　two　nights　in　Steinway
Hall　for　the　Mercantile　Library　Association；　on　the　basis　of　half
profits；　netting　1；300　for　the　two　nights　as　his　share；　and　he　lectured
one　night　in　Hartford；　at　a　profit　Of　1；500；　for　charity。　　Father
Hawley；　of　Hartford；　had　announced　that　his　missionary　work　was　suffering
for　lack　of　funds。　　Some　of　his　people　were　actually　without　food；　he
said；　their　children　crying　with　hunger。　　No　one　ever　responded　to　an
appeal　like　that　quicker　than　Samuel　Clemens。　　He　offered　to　deliver　a
lecture　free；　and　to　bear　an　equal　proportion　of　whatever　expenses　were
incurred　by　the　committee　of　eight　who　agreed　to　join　in　forwarding　the
project。　　He　gave　the　Sandwich　Island　lecture；　and　at　the　close　of　it　a
large　card　was　handed　him　with　the　figures　of　the　receipts　printed　upon
it。　　It　was　held　up　to　view；　and　the　house　broke　into　a　storm　of　cheers。

He　did　very　little　writing　during　the　early　weeks　following　his　return。
Early　in　the　year　（January　3　and　6；　1873）　he　contributed　two　Sandwich
Island　letters　to　the　Tribune；　in　which；　in　his　own　peculiar　fashion；　he
urged　annexation。

〃We　must　annex　those　people；〃　he　declared；　and　proceeded　to　specify　the
blessings　we　could　give　them；　such　as　〃　leather…headed　juries；　the
insanity　law；　and　the　Tweed　Ring。〃

　　　　　We　can　confer　Woodhull　and　Clafin　on　them；　and　George　Francis　Train。
　　　　　We　can　give　them　lecturers！　　I　will　go　myself。

　　　　　We　can　make　that　little　bunch　of　sleepy　islands　the　hottest　corner
　　　　　on　earth；　and　array　it　in　the　moral　splendor　of　our　high　and　holy
　　　　　civilization。　　Annexation　is　what　the　poor　islanders　need！

　　　　　〃Shall　we；　to　men　benighted；　the　lamp　of　life　deny？〃

His　success　in　England　became　an　incentive　to　certain　American
institutions　to　recognize　his　gifts　at　home。　　Early　in　the　year　he　was
dined　as　the　guest　of　the　Lotos　Club　of　New　York；　and　a　week　or　two　later
elected　to　its　membership。　　This　was　but　a　beginning。　　Some　new
membership　or　honor　was　offered　every　little　while；　and　so　many　banquets
that　he　finally　invented　a　set　form　for　declining　them。　　He　was　not　yet
recognized　as　the　foremost　American　man　of　letters；　but　undoubtedly　he
had　become　the　most　popular；　and　Edwin　Whipple；　writing　at　this　time；　or
but　little　later；　said：

〃Mark　Twain　is　regarded　chiefly　as　a　humorist；　but　the　exercise　of　his
real　talents　would　rank　him　with　the　ablest　of　our　authors　in　the　past
fifty　years。〃　　So　he　was　beginning　to　be　〃discovered〃　in　high　places。

It　was　during　this　winter　that　the　Clemens　household　enjoyed　its　first
real　home　life　in　Hartford；　its　first　real　home　life　anywhere　since　those
earliest　days　of　marriage。　　The　Hooker　mansion　was　a　comfortable　place。
The　little　family　had　comparatively　good　health。　　Their　old　friends　were
stanch　and　lavishly　warm…hearted；　and　they　had　added　many　new　ones。
Their　fireside　was　a　delightful　nucleus　around　which　gathered　those　they
cared　for　most；　the　Twichells；　the　Warner　families；　the　Trumbullsall
certain　of　a　welcome　there。　　George　Warner；　only　a　little　while　ago；
remembering；　said：

〃The　Clemens　house　was　the　only　one　I　have　ever　known　where　there　was
never　any　preoccupation　in　the　evenings；　and　where　visitors　were　always
welcome。　　Clemens　was　the　best　kind　of　a　host；　his　evenings　after　dinner
were　an　unending　flow　of　stories。〃

Friends　living　near　by　usually　came　and　went　at　will；　often　without　the
ceremony　of　knocking　or　formal　leave…taking。　　They　were　more　like　one
great　family　in　that　neighborhood；　with　a　community　of　interests；　a　unity
of　ideals。　　The　Warner　families　and　the　Clemenses　were　particularly
intimate；　and　out　of　their　association　grew　Mark　Twain's　next　important
literary　undertaking；　his　collaboration　with　Charles　Dudley　Warner　in
'The　Gilded　Age'。

A　number　of　more　or　less　absurd　stories　have　been　printed　about　the
origin　of　this　book。　　It　was　a　very　simple　matter；　a　perfectly　natural
development。

At　the　dinner…table　one　night；　with　the　Warners　present；　criticisms　of
recent　novels　were　offered；　with　the　usual　freedom　and　severity　of
dinner…table　talk。　　The　husbands　were　inclined　to　treat　rather　lightly
the　novels　in　which　their　wives　were　finding　entertainment。　　The　wives
naturally　retorted　that　the　proper　thing　for　the　husbands　to　do　was　to
furnish　the　American　people　with　better　ones。　　This　was　regarded　in　the
nature　of　a　challenge；　and　as　such　was　acceptedmutually　accepted：　that
is　to　say；　in　partnership。　　On　the　spur　of　the　moment　Clemens　and　Warner
agreed　that　they　would　do　a　novel　together；　that　they　would　begin　it
immediately。　　This　is　the　whole　story　of　the　book's　origin；　so　far；　at
least；　as　the　collaboration　is　concerned。　　Clemens；　in　fact；　had　the
beginning　of　a　story　in　his　mind；　but　had　been　unwilling　to　undertake　an
extended　work　of　fiction　alone。　　He　welcomed　only　too　eagerly；　therefore；
the　proposition　of　joint　authorship。　　His　purpose　was　to　write　a　tale
around　that　lovable　character　of　his　youth；　his　mother's　cousin；　James
Lamptonto　let　that　gentle　visionary　stand　as　the　central　figure　against
a　proper　background。　　The　idea　appealed　to　Warner；　and　there　was　no　delay
in　the　beginning。　　Clemens　immediately　set　to　work　and　completed　399
pages　of　the　manuscript；　the　first　eleven　chapters　of　the　book；　before
the　early　flush　of　enthusiasm　waned。

Warner　came　over　then；　and　Clemens　read　it　aloud　to　him。　　Warner　had　some
plans　for　the　story；　and　took　it　up　at　this　point；　and　continued　it
through　the　next　twelve　chapters；　and　so　they　worked　alternately；　〃in　the
superstition；〃　as　Mark　Twain　long　afterward　declared；　〃that　we　were
writing　one　coherent　yarn；　when　I　suppose；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　we　were
writing　two　incoherent　ones。〃　　＇The　reader　may　be　interested　in　the
division　of　labor。　　Clemens　wrote　chapters　I　to　XI；　also　chapters　XXIV；
XXV；　XXVII；　XXVIII；　XXX；　XXXII；　XXXIII；　XXXIV；　XXXVI；　XXXVII；　XLII；
XLIII；　XLV；　LI；　LII；　LIII；　LVII；　LIX；　LX；　LXI；　LXII；　and　portions　of
chapters　XXXV；　XLIX；　LVI。　　Warner　wrote　chapters　XII　to　XXIII；　also
chapters　XXVI；　XXIX；　XXXI；　XXXVIII；　XXXIX；　XL；　XLI；　XLIV；　XLVI；　XLVII；
XLVITT；　L；　LIV；　LV；　LVIII；　LXIII；　and　portions　of　chapters　XXXV；　XLIX；
and　LVI。　　The　work　was　therefore　very　evenly　divided。

There　was　another　co…worker　on　The　Gilded　Age　before　the　book　was　finally
completed。　　This　was　J。　　Hammond　Trumbull；　who　prepared　the　variegated；
marvelous　cryptographic　chapter　headings：　Trumbull　was　the　most　learned
man　that　ever　lived　in　Hartford。　　He　was　familiar　with　all　literary　and
scientific　data；　and　according　to　Clemens　could　swear　in　twenty…seven
languages。　　It　was　thought　to　be　a　choice　idea　to　get　Trumbull　to　supply
a　lingual　medley　of　quotations　to　precede　the　chapters　in　the　new　book；
the　purpose　being　to　excite　interest　and　possibly　to　amuse　the　readera
purpose　which　to　some　extent　appears　to　have　miscarried。＇

The　book　was　begun　in　February　and　finished　in　April；　so　the　work　did　not
lag。　　The　result；　if　not　highly　artistic；　made　astonishingly　good
reading。　　Warner　had　the　touch　of　romance；　Clemens；　the　gift　of　creating；
or　at　least　of　portraying；　human　realities。　　Most　of　his　characters
reflected　intimate　personalities　of　his　early　life。　　Besides　the
apotheosis　of　James　Lampton　into　the　immortal　Sellers；　Orion　became
Washington　Hawkins；　Squire　Clemens　the　judge；　while　Mark　Twain's　own
personality；　in　a　greater　or　lesser　degree；　is　reflected　in　most　of　his
creations。　　As　for　the　Tennessee　land；　so　long　a　will…o'the…wisp　and　a
bugbear；　it　became　tangible　property　at　last。　　Only　a　year　or　two　before
Clemens　had　written　to　Orion：

　　　　　Oh；　here！　　I　don't　want　to　be　consulted　at　all　about　Tennessee。　　I
　　　　　don't　want　it　even　mentioned　to　me。　　When　I　make　a　suggestion　it　is
　　　　　for　you　to　act　upon　it　or　throw　it　aside；　but　I　beseech　you　never　to
　　　　　ask　my　advice；　opinion；　or　consent　about　that　hated　property。

But　it　came　in　good　play　now。　　It　is　the　important　theme　of　the　story。

Mark　Twain　was　well　qualified　to　construct　his　share　of　the　tale。　　He
knew　his　characters；　their　lives；　and　their　atmospheres　perfectly。
Senator　Dilworthy　（otherwise　Senator　Pomeroy；　of　Kansas；　then　notorious
for　attempted　vote…buying）　was　familiar　enough。　　That　winter　in
Washington　had　acquainted　Clemens　with　the　life