mark twain, a biography, 1866-1875-第50节

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CI

CONCLUDING　〃TOM　SAWYER〃MARK　TWAIN's　〃EDITORS〃

Meantime　the　〃inspiration　tank；〃　as　Clemens　sometimes　called　it；　had
filled　up　again。　　He　had　received　from　somewhere　new　afflatus　for　the
story　of　Tom　and　Huck；　and　was　working　on　it　steadily。　　The　family
remained　in　Hartford；　and　early　in　July；　under　full　head　of　steam；　he
brought　the　story　to　a　close。　　On　the　5th　he　wrote　Howells：

　　　　　I　have　finished　the　story　and　didn't　take　the　chap　beyond　boyhood。
　　　　　I　believe　it　would　be　fatal　to　do　it　in　any　shape　but
　　　　　autobiographically；　like　Gil　Blas。　　I　perhaps　made　a　mistake　in　not
　　　　　writing　it　in　the　first　person。　　If　I　went　on　now；　and　took　him　into
　　　　　manhood；　he　would　just　lie；　like　all　the　one…horse　men　in
　　　　　literature；　and　the　reader　would　conceive　a　hearty　contempt　for　him。
　　　　　It　is　not　a　boy's　book　at　all。　　It　will　only　be　read　by　adults。　　It
　　　　　is　only　written　for　adults。

He　would　like　to　see　the　story　in　the　Atlantic；　he　said；　but　doubted　the
wisdom　of　serialization。

〃By　and　by　I　shall　take　a　boy　of　twelve　and　run　him　through　life　（in　the
first　person）；　but　not　Tam　Sawyer；　he　would　not　make　a　good　character　for
it。〃　　From　which　we　get　the　first　glimpse　of　Huck's　later　adventures。

Of　course　he　wanted　Howells　to　look　at　the　story。　　It　was　a　tremendous
favor　to　ask；　he　said；　and　added；　〃But　I　know　of　no　other　person　whose
judgment　I　could　venture　to　take；　fully　and　entirely。　　Don't　hesitate　to
say　no；　for　I　know　how　your　time　is　taxed；　and　I　would　have　honest　need
to　blush　if　you　said　yes。〃

〃Send　on　your　MS。；〃　wrote　Howells。　　〃You've　no　idea　what　I　may　ask　you　to
do　for　me　some　day。〃

But　Clemens；　conscience…stricken；　〃blushed　and　weakened；〃　as　he　said。
When　Howells　insisted；　he　wrote：

　　　　　But　I　will　gladly　send　it　to　you　if　you　will　do　as　follows：
　　　　　dramatize　it；　if　you　perceive　that　you　can；　and　take；　for　your
　　　　　remuneration；　half　of　the　first　6；000　which　I　receive　for　its
　　　　　representation　on　the　stage。　　You　could　alter　the　plot　entirely　if
　　　　　you　chose。　　I　could　help　in　the　work　most　cheerfully　after　you　had
　　　　　arranged　the　plot。　　I　have　my　eye　upon　two　young　girls　who　can　play
　　　　　Tom　and　Huck。

Howells　in　his　reply　urged。　　Clemens　to　do　the　playwriting　himself。　　He
could　never　find　time；　he　said；　and　he　doubted　whether　he　could　enter
into　the　spirit　of　another　man's　story。　　Clemens　did　begin　a
dramatization　then　or　a　little　later；　but　it　was　not　completed。　　Mrs。
Clemens；　to　whom　he　had　read　the　story　as　it　proceeded；　was　as　anxious　as
her　husband　for　Howells's　opinion；　for　it　was　the　first　extended　piece　of
fiction　Mark　Twain　had　undertaken　alone。　　He　carried　the　manuscript　over
to　Boston　himself；　and　whatever　their　doubts　may　have　been；　Howells's
subsequent　letter　set　them　at　rest。　　He　wrote　that　he　had　sat　up　till　one
in　the　morning　to　get　to　the　end　of　it；　simply　because　it　was　impossible
to　leave　off。

It　is　altogether　the　best　boy　story　I　ever　read。　　It　will　be　an　immense
success；　but　I　think　you　ought　to　treat　it　explicitly　as　a　boy's　story；
grown…ups　will　enjoy　it　just　as　much　if　you　do；　and　if　you　should　put　it
forth　as　a　story　of　boys'　character　from　the　grown…up　point　of　view　you
give　the　wrong　key　to　it。

Viewed　in　the　light　of　later　events；　there　has　never　been　any　better
literary　opinion　than　thatnone　that　has　been　more　fully　justified。

Clemens　was　delighted。　　He　wrote　concerning　a　point　here　and　there；　one
inquiry　referring　to　the　use　of　a　certain　strong　word。　　Howells's　reply
left　no　doubt：

　　　　　I'd　have　that　swearing　out　in　an　instant。　　I　suppose　I　didn't　notice
　　　　　it　because　the　location　was　so　familiar　to　my　Western　sense；　and　so
　　　　　exactly　the　thing　Huck　would　say；　but　it　won't　do　for　children。

It　was　in　the　last　chapter；　where　Huck　relates　to　Tom　the　sorrows　of
reform　and　tells　how　they　comb　him　〃all　to　thunder。〃　　In　the　original；
〃They　comb　me　all　to　hell；〃　says　Huck；　which　statement；　one　must　agree；
is　more　effective；　more　the　thing　Huck　would　be　likely　to　say。

Clemens's　acknowledgment　of　the　correction　was　characteristic：

　　　　　Mrs。　Clemens　received　the　mail　this　morning；　and　the　next　minute　she
　　　　　lit　into　the　study　with　danger　in　her　eye　and　this　demand　on　her
　　　　　tongue；　〃Where　is　the　profanity　Mr。　Howells　speaks　of？〃　　Then　I　had
　　　　　to　miserably　confess　that　I　had　left　it　out　when　reading　the　MS。　to
　　　　　her。　　Nothing　but　almost　inspired　lying　got　me　out　of　this　scrape
　　　　　with　my　scalp。　　Does　your　wife　give　you　rats；　like　that；　when　you　go
　　　　　a　little　one…sided？

The　Clemens　family　did　not；　go　to　Elmira　that　year。　　The　children's
health　seemed　to　require　the　sea…shore；　and　in　August　they　went　to
Bateman's　Point；　Rhode　Island；　where　Clemens　most　of　the　time　played
tenpins　in　an　alley　that　had　gone　to　ruin。　　The　balls　would　not　stay　on
the　track；　the　pins　stood　at　inebriate　angles。　　It　reminded　him　of　the
old　billiard…tables　of　Western　mining…camps；　and　furnished　the　same
uncertainty　of　play。　　It　was　his　delight；　after　he　had　become　accustomed
to　the　eccentricities　of　the　alley；　to　invite　in　a　stranger　and　watch　his
suffering　and　his　frantic　effort　to　score。




CII

SKETCHES　NEW　AND　OLD〃

The　long…delayed　book　of　Sketches；　contracted　for　five　years　before；　was
issued　that　autumn。　　〃The　Jumping　Frog；〃　which　he　had　bought　from　Webb；
was　included　in　the　volume；　also　the　French　translation　which　Madame
Blanc　（Th。　　Bentzon）　had　made　for　the　Revue　des　deux　mondes；　with　Mark
Twain's　retranslation　back　into　English；　a　most　astonishing　performance
in　its　literal　rendition　of　the　French　idiom。　　One　example　will　suffice
here。　　It　is　where　the　stranger　says　to　Smiley；　〃I　don't　see　no　p'ints
about　that　frog　that's　any　better'n　any　other　frog。〃

Says　the　French；　retranslated：

〃Eh　bien！　I　no　saw　not　that　that　frog　had　nothing　of　better　than　each
frog〃　（Je　ne　vois　pas　que　cette　grenouille　ait　mieux　qu'aucune
grenouille）。　　（If　that　isn't　grammar　gone　to　seed　then　I　count　myself　no
judge。M。　T。）

〃Possible　that　you　not　it　saw　not；〃　said　Smiley；　〃possible　that　you　you
comprehend　frogs；　possible　that　you　not　you　there　comprehend　nothing；
possible　that　you　had　of　the　experience；　and　possible　that　you　not　be　but
an　amateur。　　Of　all　manner　（de　toute　maniere）　I　bet　forty　dollars　that
she　batter　in　jumping；　no　matter　which　frog　of　the　county　of　Calaveras。〃

He　included　a　number　of　sketches　originally　published　with　the　Frog；　also
a　selection　from　the　〃Memoranda〃　and　Buffalo　Express　contributions；　and
he　put　in　the　story　of　Auntie　Cord；　with　some　matter　which　had　never
hitherto　appeared。　　True　Williams　illustrated　the　book；　but　either　it
furnished　him　no　inspiration　or　he　was　allowed　too　much　of　another　sort；
for　the　pictures　do　not　compare　with　his　earlier　work。

Among　the　new　matter　in　the　book　were…〃Some　Fables　for　Good　Old　Boys　and
Girls；〃　in　which　certain　wood　creatures　are　supposed　to　make　a　scientific
excursion　into　a　place　at　some　time　occupied　by　men。　　It　is　the　most
pretentious　feature　of　the　book；　and　in　its　way　about　as　good　as　any。
Like　Gulliver's　Travels；　its　object　was　satire；　but　its　result　is　also
interest。

Clemens　was　very　anxious　that　Howells　should　be　first　to　review　this
volume。　　He　had　a　superstition　that　Howells's　verdicts　were　echoed　by　the
lesser　reviewers；　and　that　a　book　was　made　or　damned　accordingly；　a
belief　hardly　warranted；　for　the　review　has　seldom　been　written　that
meant　to　any　book　the　difference　between　success　and　failure。　　Howells's
review　of　Sketches　may　be　offered　as　a　case　in　point。　　It　was　highly
commendatory；　much　more　so　than　the　notice　of　the　'Innocents'　had　been；
or　even　that　of　'Roughing　It'；　also　more　extensive　than　the　latter。　　Yet
after　the　initial　sale　of　some　twenty　thousand　copies；　mainly　on　the
strength　of　the　author's　reputation；　the　book　made　a　comparatively　poor
showing；　and　soon　lagged　far　behind　its　predecessors。

We　cannot　judge；　of　course；　the　taste　of　that　day；　but　it　appears　now　an
unattractive；　incoherent　volume。　　The　pictures　were　absurdly　bad；　the
sketches　were　of　unequal　merit。　　Many　of　them　are　amusing；　some　of　them
delightful；　but　most　of　them　seem　ephemeral。　　If　we　except　〃The　Jumping
Frog；〃　and　possibly　〃A　True　Story〃　（and　the　latter　was　altogether　out　of
place　in　the　collection）；　there　is　no　reason　to　suppose　that　any　of　its
contents　will　escape　oblivion。　　The　greater　number　of　the　sketches；　as
Mark　Twain　himself　presently　realized　and　declared；　would　better　have
been　allowed　to　die。

Howells　did；　however；　take　occasion　to　point　out　in　his　review；　or　at
least　to　suggest；　the　more　serious　side　of　Mark　Twain。　　He　particularly
called　attention　to　〃A　True　Story；〃　which　the　reviewers；　at　the　time　of
its　publication　in　the　Atlantic；　had　treated　lightly；　fearing　a　lurking
joke　in　it；　or　it　may　be　they　had　not　read　it；　for　reviewers　are　busy
people。　　Howells　spoke　of　it　as　the　choicest　piece　of　work　in　the　volume；
and　of　its　〃perfect　fidelity　to　the　tragic　fact。〃　　He　urged　the　reader　to
turn　to　it　again；　and　to　read　it　as　a　〃simple　dramatic　report　of
reality；〃　such　as　had　been　equaled　by　no　other　American　writer。

It　was　i