mark twain, a biography, 1866-1875-第8节

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　　　　　odd　manners。

It　requires　only　a　few　days　on　shipboard　for　acquaintances　to　form；　and
presently　a　little　afternoon　group　was　gathering　to　hear　Mark　Twain　read
his　letters。　　Mrs。　Fairbanks　was　there；　of　course；　also　Mr。　and　Mrs。　S。
L。　Severance；　likewise　of　Cleveland；　and　Moses　S。　Beach；　of　the　Sun；　with
his　daughter　Emma；　a　girl　of　seventeen。　　Dan　Slote　was　likely　to　be
there；　too；　and　Jack；　and　the　Doctor；　and　Charles　J。　Langdon；　of　Elmira；
New　York；　a　boy　of　eighteen；　who　had　conceived　a　deep　admiration　for　the
brilliant　writer。　　They　were　fortunate　ones　who　first　gathered　to　hear
those　daring；　wonderful　letters。

But　the　benefit　was　a　mutual　one。　He　furnished　a　priceless　entertainment；
and　he　derived　something　equally　priceless　in　returnthe　test　of
immediate　audience　and　the　boon　of　criticism。　　Mrs。　Fairbanks　especially
was　frankly　sincere。　　Mr。　Severance　wrote　afterward：

　　　　　One　afternoon　I　saw　him　tearing　up　a　bunch　of　the　soft；　white　paper…
　　　　　copy　paper；　I　guess　the　newspapers　call　it…on　which　he　had　written
　　　　　something；　and　throwing　the　fragments　into　the　Mediterranean。　　I
　　　　　inquired　of　him　why　he　cast　away　the　fruits　of　his　labors　in　that
　　　　　manner。

〃Well；〃　he　drawled；　〃Mrs。　Fairbanks　thinks　it　oughtn't　to　be　printed；
and；　like　as　not；　she　is　right。〃

And　Emma　Beach　（Mrs。　Abbott　Thayer）　remembers　hearing　him　say：

〃Well；　Mrs。　Fairbanks　has　just　destroyed　another　four　hours'　work　for
me。〃

Sometimes　he　played　chess　with　Emma　Beach；　who　thought　him　a　great　hero
because；　once　when　a　crowd　of　men　were　tormenting　a　young　lad；　a
passenger；　Mark　Twain　took　the　boy's　part　and　made　them　desist。

〃I　am　sure　I　was　right；　too；〃　she　declares；　〃heroism　came　natural　to
him。〃

Mr。　Severance　recalls　another　incident　which；　as　he　says；　was　trivial
enough；　but　not　easy　to　forget：

We　were　having　a　little　celebration　over　the　birthday　anniversary　of　Mrs。
Duncan；　wife　of　our　captain。　　Mark　Twain　got　up　and　made　a　little　speech；
in　which　he　said　Mrs。　Duncan　was　really　older　than　Methuselah　because　she
knew　a　lot　of　things　that　Methuselah　never　heard　of。　　Then　he　mentioned　a
number　of　more　or　less　modern　inventions；　and　wound　up　by　saying；　〃What
did　Methuselah　know　about　a　barbed…wire　fence？〃

Except　Following　the　Equator；　The　Innocents　Abroad　comes　nearer　to　being
history　than　any　other　of　Mark　Twain's　travel…books。　　The　notes　for　it
were　made　on　the　spot；　and　there　was　plenty　of　fact；　plenty　of　fresh；　new
experience；　plenty　of　incident　to　set　down。　　His　idea　of　descriptive
travel　in　those　days　was　to　tell　the　story　as　it　happened；　also；　perhaps；
he　had　not　then　acquired　the　courage　of　his　inventions。　　We　may　believe
that　the　adventures　with　Jack；　Dan；　and　the　Doctor　are　elaborated　here
and　there；　but　even　those　happened　substantially　as　recorded。　　There　is
little　to　add；　then；　to　the　story　of　that　halcyon　trip；　and　not　much　to
elucidate。

The　old　note…books　give　a　light　here　and　there　that　is　interesting。　　It
is　curious　to　be　looking　through　them　now；　trying　to　realize　that　these
penciled　memoranda　were　the　fresh；　first　impressions　that　would　presently
grow　into　the　world's　most　delightful　book　of　travel；　that　they　were　set
down　in　the　very　midst　of　that　care…free　little　company　that　frolicked
through　Italy；　climbed　wearily　the　arid　Syrian　hills。　　They　are　all　dead
now；　but　to　us　they　are　as　alive　and　young　to…day　as　when　they　followed
the　footprints　of　the　Son　of　Man　through　Palestine；　and　stood　at　last
before　the　Sphinx；　impressed　and　awed　by　its　〃five　thousand　slow…
revolving　years。〃

Some　of　the　items　consist　of　no　more　than　a　few　terse；　suggestive　words
serious；　humorous；　sometimes　profane。　　Others　are　statistical；
descriptive；　elaborated。　　Also　there　are　drawings〃not　copied；〃　he　marks
them；　with　a　pride　not　always　justified　by　the　result。　　The　earlier　notes
are　mainly　comments　on　the　〃pilgrims；〃　the　freak　pilgrims：　〃the　Frenchy…
looking　woman　who　owns　a　dog　and　keeps　up　an　interminable　biography　of
him　to　the　passengers〃；　the　〃long…legged；　simple；　wide…mouthed；　horse…
laughing　young　fellow　who　once　made　a　sea　voyage　to　Fortress　Monroe；　and
quotes　eternally　from　his　experiences〃；　also；　there　is　reference　to
another　young　man；　〃good；　accommodating；　pleasant　but　fearfully　green。〃
This　young　person　would　become　the　〃Interrogation　Point；〃　in　due　time；
and　have　his　picture　on　page　71　（old　edition）；　while　opposite　him；　on
page　70；　would　appear　the　〃oracle；〃　identified　as　one　Doctor　Andrews；　who
（the　note…book　says）　had　the　habit　of　〃smelling　in　guide…books　for
knowledge　and　then　trying　to　play　it　for　old　information　that　has　been
festering　in　his　brain。〃　　Sometimes　there　are　abstract　notes　such　as：

How　lucky　Adam　was。　　He　knew　when　he　said　a　good　thing　that　no　one　had
ever　said　it　before。

Of　the　〃character〃　notes；　the　most　important　and　elaborated　is　that　which
presents　the　〃Poet　Lariat。〃　　This　is　the　entry；　somewhat　epitomized：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BLOODGOOD　H。　　CUTTER

　　　　　He　is　fifty　years　old；　and　small　of　his　age。　　He　dresses　in
　　　　　homespun；　and　is　a　simple…minded；　honest；　old…fashioned　farmer；　with
　　　　　a　strange　proclivity　for　writing　rhymes。　　He　writes　them　on　all
　　　　　possible　subjects；　and　gets　them　printed　on　slips　of　paper；　with　his
　　　　　portrait　at　the　head。　　These　he　will　give　to　any　man　who　comes
　　　　　along；　whether　he　has　anything　against　him　or　not　。　　。　　。　　。

　　　　　Dan　said：

　　　　　〃It　must　be　a　great　happiness　to　you　to　sit　down　at　the　close　of　day
　　　　　and　put　its　events　all　down　in　rhymes　and　poetry；　like　Byron　and
　　　　　Shakespeare　and　those　fellows。〃

　　　　　〃Oh　yes；　it　isit　isWhy；　many's　the　time　I've　had　to　get　up　in
　　　　　the　night　when　it　comes　on　me：

　　　　　　　　　　Whether　we're　on　the　sea　or　the　land
　　　　　　　　　　We've　all　got　to　go　at　the　word　of　command

　　　　　Hey！　　how's　that？〃

A　curious　character　was　Cuttera　Long　Island　farmer　with　the　obsession
of　rhyme。　　In　his　old　age；　in　an　interview；　he　said：

〃Mark　was　generally　writing　and　he　was　glum。　　He　would　write　what　we　were
doing；　and　I　would　write　poetry；　and　Mark　would　say：

〃'For　Heaven's　sake；　Cutter；　keep　your　poems　to　yourself。'

〃Yes；　Mark　was　pretty　glum；　and　he　was　generally　writing。〃

Poor　old　Poet　Lariatdead　now　with　so　many　others　of　that　happy　crew。
We　may　believe　that　Mark　learned　to　be　〃glum〃　when　he　saw　the　Lariat
approaching　with　his　sheaf　of　rhymes。　　We　may　believe；　too；　that　he　was
〃generally　writing。〃　　He　contributed　fifty…three　letters　to　the　Alta
during　that　five　months　and　six　to　the　Tribune。　　They　would　average　about
two　columns　nonpareil　each；　which　is　to　say　four　thousand　words；　or
something　like　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　words　in　all。　　To　turn　out
an　average　of　fifteen　hundred　words　a　day；　with　continuous　sight…seeing
besides；　one　must　be　generally　writing　during　any　odd　intervals；　those
who　are　wont　to　regard　Mark　Twain　as　lazy　may　consider　these　statistics。
That　he　detested　manual　labor　is　true　enough；　but　at　the　work　for　which
he　was　fitted　and　intended　it　may　be　set　down　here　upon　authority　（and
despite　his　own　frequent　assertions　to　the　contrary）　that　to　his　last
year　he　was　the　most　industrious　of　men。




LXI

THE　INNOCENTS　ABROAD

It　was　Dan；　Jack；　and　the　Doctor　who　with　Mark　Twain　wandered　down
through　Italy　and　left　moral　footprints　that　remain　to　this　day。　　The
Italian　guides　are　wary　about　showing　pieces　of　the　True　Cross；　fragments
of　the　Crown　of　Thorns；　and　the　bones　of　saints　since　then。　　They　show
them；　it　is　true；　but　with　a　smile；　the　name　of　Mark　Twain　is　a　touch…
stone　to　test　their　statements。　　Not　a　guide　in　Italy　but　has　heard　the
tale　of　that　iconoclastic　crew；　and　of　the　book　which　turned　their
marvels　into　myths；　their　relics　into　bywords。

It　was　Doctor　Jackson；　Colonel　Denny；　Doctor　Birch；　and　Samuel　Clemens
who　evaded　the　quarantine　and　made　the　perilous　night　trip　to　Athens　and
looked　upon　the　Parthenon　and　the　sleeping　city　by　moonlight。　　It　is　all
set　down　in　the　notes；　and　the　account　varies　little　from　that　given　in
the　book；　only　he　does　not　tell　us　that　Captain　Duncan　and　the
quartermaster；　Pratt；　connived　at　the　escapade；　or　how　the　latter　watched
the　shore　in　anxious　suspense　until　he　heard　the　whistle　which　was　their
signal　to　be　taken　aboard。　　It　would　have　meant　six　months'　imprisonment
if　they　had　been　captured；　for　there　was　no　discretion　in　the　Greek　law。

It　was　T。　D。　Crocker；　A。　N。　Sanford；　Col。　Peter　Kinney；　and　William
Gibson　who　were　delegated　to　draft　the　address　to　the　Emperor　of　Russia
at　Yalta；　with　Samuel　L。　　Clemens　as　chairman　of　that　committee。　　The
chairman　wrote　the　address；　the　opening　sentence　of　which　he　grew　so
weary　of　hearing：

　　　　　We　are　a　handful　of　private　citizens　of　America；　traveling　simply
　　　　　for　recreation；　and　unostentatiously；　as　becomes　our　unofficial
　　　　　state。

The　address　is　all　set　down　in　the　notes；　and　there　also　exists　the　first
rough　draft；　with　the　emendations　in　his　own　hand。　　He　deplores　the　time
it　required：

　　　　　That　job　is　over。　　Writing　addresses　to　emperors　is　not　my　strong
　　　　　suit。　　However；　if　it　is　not　as　good　as　it　might　be　it　doesn't
　　　　　sig