mark twain, a biography, 1866-1875-第52节

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CIV

MARK　TWAIN　AND　HIS　WIFE

Clemens　and　his　wife　traveled　to　Boston　for　one　of　those　happy　fore…
gatherings　with　the　Howellses；　which　continued；　at　one　end　of　the　journey
or　another；　for　so　many　years。　　There　was　a　luncheon　with　Longfellow　at
Craigie　House；　and；　on　the　return　to　Hartford；　Clemens　reported　to
Howells　how　Mrs。　Clemens　had　thrived　on　the　happiness　of　the　visit。　　Also
he　confesses　his　punishment　for　the　usual　crimes：

　　　　　I　〃caught　it〃　for　letting　Mrs。　Howells　bother　and　bother　about　her
　　　　　coffee；　when　it　was　a　〃good　deal　better　than　we　get　at　home。〃　　I
　　　　　〃caught　it〃　for　interrupting　Mrs。　C。　at　the　last　moment　and　losing
　　　　　her　the　opportunity　to　urge　you　not　to　forget　to　send　her　that　MS。
　　　　　when　the　printers　are　done　with　it。　　I　〃caught　it〃　once　more　for
　　　　　personating　that　drunken　Colonel　James。　　I　〃caught　it〃　for
　　　　　mentioning　that　Mr。　Longfellow's　picture　was　slightly　damaged；　and
　　　　　when；　after　a　lull　in　the　storm；　I　confessed；　shamefacedly；　that　I
　　　　　had　privately　suggested　to　you　that　we　hadn't　any　frames；　and　that
　　　　　if　you　wouldn't　mind　hinting　to　Mr。　Houghton；　etc。；　etc。；　etc。；　the
　　　　　madam　was　simply　speechless　for　the　space　of　a　minute。　　Then　she
　　　　　said：

　　　　　〃How　could　you；　Youth！　　The　idea　of　sending　Mr。　Howells；　with　his
　　　　　sensitive　nature；　upon　such　a　repulsive　er〃

　　　　　〃Oh；　Howells　won't　mind　it！　　You　don't　know　Howells。　　Howells　is　a
　　　　　man　who〃

　　　　　She　was　gone。　　But　George　was　the　first　person　she　stumbled　on　in
　　　　　the　hall；　so　she　took　it　out　of　George。　　I　am　glad　of　that；　because
　　　　　it　saved　the　babies。

Clemens　used　to　admit；　at　a　later　day；　that　his　education　did　not　advance
by　leaps　and　bounds；　but　gradually；　very　gradually；　and　it　used　to　give
him　a　pathetic　relief　in　those　after…years；　when　that　sweet　presence　had
gone　out　of　his　life；　to　tell　the　way　of　it；　to　confess　over…fully；
perhaps；　what　a　responsibility　he　had　been　to　her。

He　used　to　tell　how；　for　a　long　time；　he　concealed　his　profanity　from
her；　how　one　morning；　when　he　thought　the　door　was　shut　between　their
bedroom　and　the　bathroom；　he　was　in　there　dressing　and　shaving；
accompanying　these　trying　things　with　language　intended　only　for　the
strictest　privacy；　how　presently；　when　he　discovered　a　button　off　the
shirt　he　intended　to　put　on；　he　hurled　it　through　the　window　into　the
yard　with　appropriate　remarks；　followed　it　with　another　shirt　that　was　in
the　same　condition；　and　added　certain　collars　and　neckties　and　bath…room
requisites；　decorating　the　shrubbery　outside；　where　the　people　were　going
by　to　church；　how　in　this　extreme　moment　he　heard　a　slight　cough　and
turned　to　find　that　the　door　was　open！　　There　was　only　one　door　to　the
bath…room；　and　he　knew　he　had　to　pass　her。　　He　felt　pale　and　sick；　and
sat　down　for　a　few　moments　to　consider。　　He　decided　to　assume　that　she
was　asleep；　and　to　walk　out　and　through　the　room；　head　up；　as　if　he　had
nothing　on　his　conscience。　　He　attempted　it；　but　without　success。　　Half…
way　across　the　room　he　heard　a　voice　suddenly　repeat　his　last　terrific
remark。　　He　turned　to　see　her　sitting　up　in　bed；　regarding　him　with　a
look　as　withering　as　she　could　find　in　her　gentle　soul。　　The　humor　of　it
struck　him。

〃Livy；〃　he　said；　〃did　it　sound　like　that？〃

〃Of　course　it　did；〃　she　said；　〃only　worse。　　I　wanted　you　to　hear　just　how
it　sounded。〃

〃Livy；〃　he　said；　〃it　would　pain　me　to　think　that　when　I　swear　it　sounds
like　that。　　You　got　the　words　right；　Livy；　but　you　don't　know　the　tune。〃

Yet　he　never　willingly　gave　her　pain；　and　he　adored　her　and　gloried　in
her　dominion；　his　life　long。　　Howells　speaks　of　his　beautiful　and　tender
loyalty　to　her　as　the　〃most　moving　quality　of　his　most　faithful　soul。〃

It　was　a　greater　part　of　him　than　the　love　of　most　men　for　their　wives；
and　she　merited　all　the　worship　he　could　give　her；　all　the　devotion；　all
the　implicit　obedience；　by　her　surpassing　force　and　beauty　of　character。

She　guarded　his　work　sacredly；　and　reviewing　the　manuscripts　which　he　was
induced　to　discard；　and　certain　edited　manuscripts；　one　gets　a　partial
idea　of　what　the　reading　world　owes　to　Olivia　Clemens。　　Of　the　discarded。
manuscripts　（he　seems　seldom　to　have　destroyed　them）　there　are　a
multitude；　and　among　them　all　scarcely　one　that　is　not　a　proof　of　her
sanity　and　high　regard　for　his　literary　honor。　　They　are　amusingsome　of
them；　they　are　interestingsome　of　them；　they　are　strong　and　virile
some　of　them；　but　they　are　unworthymost　of　them；　though　a　number　remain
unfinished　because　theme　or　interest　failed。

Mark　Twain　was　likely　to　write　not　wisely　but　too　much；　piling　up
hundreds　of　manuscript　pages　only　because　his　brain　was　thronging　as　with
a　myriad　of　fireflies；　a　swarm　of　darting；　flashing　ideas　demanding
release。　　As　often　as　not　he　began　writing　with　only　a　nebulous　idea　of
what　he　proposed　to　do。　　He　would　start　with　a　few　characters　and
situations；　trusting　in　Providence　to　supply　material　as　needed。　　So　he
was　likely　to　run　ashore　any　time。　　As　for　those　other　attemptsstories
〃unavailable〃　for　one　reason　or　anotherhe　was　just　as　apt　to　begin
those　as　the　better　sort；　for　somehow　he　could　never　tell　the　difference。
That　is　one　of　the　hall…marks　of　geniusthe　thing　which　sharply
differentiates　genius　from　talent。　　Genius　is　likely　to　rate　a　literary
disaster　as　its　best　work。　　Talent　rarely　makes　that　mistake。

Among　the　abandoned　literary　undertakings　of　these　early　years　of
authorship　there　is　the　beginning　of　what　was　doubtless　intended　to
become　a　book；　〃The　Second　Advent；〃　a　story　which　opens　with　a　very
doubtful　miraculous　conception　in　Arkansas；　and　leads　only　to　grotesquery
and　literary　disorder。　　There　is　another；　〃　The　Autobiography　of　a　Damn
Fool；〃　a　burlesque　on　family　history；　hopelessly　impossible；　yet　he　began
it　with　vast　enthusiasm　and；　until　he　allowed　her　to　see　the　manuscript；
thought　it　especially　good。　　〃Livy　wouldn't　have　it；〃　he　said；　〃so　I　gave
it　up。〃　　There　is　another；　〃The　Mysterious　Chamber；〃　strong　and　fine　in
conception；　vividly　and　intensely　interesting；　the　story　of　a　young　lover
who　is　accidentally　locked　behind　a　secret　door　in　an　old　castle　and
cannot　announce　himself。　　He　wanders　at　last　down　into　subterranean
passages　beneath　the　castle；　and　he　lives　in　this　isolation　for　twenty
years。　　The　question　of　sustenance　was　the　weak　point　in　the　story。
Clemens　could　invent　no　way　of　providing　it；　except　by　means　of　a　waste
or　conduit　from　the　kitchen　into　which　scraps　of　meat；　bread；　and　other
items　of　garbage　were　thrown。　　This　he　thought　sufficient；　but　Mrs。
Clemens　did　not　highly　regard　such　a　literary　device。　　Clemens　could
think　of　no　good　way　to　improve　upon　it；　so　this　effort　too　was　consigned
to　the　penal　colony；　a　set　of　pigeonholes　kept　in　his　study。　　To　Howells
and　others；　when　they　came　along；　he　would　read　the　discarded　yarns；　and
they　were　delightful　enough　for　such　a　purpose；　as　delightful　as　the
sketches　which　every　artist　has；　turned　face　to　the　wall。

〃Captain　Stormfield〃　lay　under　the　ban　for　many　a　year；　though　never
entirely　abandoned。　　This　manuscript　was　even　recommended　for　publication
by　Howells；　who　has　since　admitted　that　it　would　not　have　done　then；　and
indeed；　in　its　original；　primitive　nakedness　it　would　hardly　have　done
even　in　this　day　of　wider　toleration。

It　should　be　said　here　that　there　is　not　the　least　evidence　（and　the
manuscripts　are　full　of　evidence）　that　Mrs。　Clemens　was　ever　super…
sensitive；　or　narrow；　or　unliterary　in　her　restraints。　　She　became　his
public；　as　it　were；　and　no　man　ever　had　a　more　open…minded；　clear…headed
public　than　that。　　For　Mark　Twain's　reputation　it　would　have　been　better
had　she　exercised　her　editorial　prerogative　even　more　activelyif；　in
her　love　for　him　and　her　jealousy　of　his　reputation；　she　had　been　even
more　severe。　　She　did　all　that　lay　in　her　strength；　from　the　beginning　to
the　end；　and　if　we　dwell　upon　this　phase　of　their　life　together　it　is
because　it　is　so　large　a　part　of　Mark　Twain's　literary　story。　　On　her
birthday　in　the　year　we　are　now　closing　（1875）　he　wrote　her　a　letter
which　conveys　an　acknowledgment　of　his　debt。

LIVY　DARLING；Six　years　have　gone　by　since　I　made　my　first　great　success
in　life　and　won　you；　and　thirty　years　have　passed　since　Providence　made
preparation　for　that　happy　success　by　sending　you　into　the　world。　　Every
day　we　live　together　adds　to　the　security　of　my　confidence　that　we　can
never　any　more　wish　to　be　separated　than　we　can　imagine　a　regret　that　we
were　ever　joined。　　You　are　dearer　to　me　to…day；　my　child；　than　you　were
upon　the　last　anniversary　of　this　birthday；　you　were　dearer　then　than　you
were　a　year　before；　you　have　grown　more　and　more　dear　from　the　first　of
those　anniversaries；　and　I　do　not　doubt　that　this　precious　progression
will　continue　on　to　the　end。

Let　us　look　forward　to　the　coming　anniversaries；　with　their　age　and　their
gray　hairs；　without　fear　and　without　depression；　trusting　and　believing
that　the　love　we　bear　each　other　will　be