my mark twain-第2节

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and　talked　and　talked；　of　everything　in　the　heavens　and　on　the　earth；
and　the　waters　under　the　earth。　　After　two　days　of　this　talk　I　would　come
away　hollow；　realizing　myself　best　in　the　image　of　one　of　those　locust…
shells　which　you　find　sticking　to　the　bark　of　trees　at　the　end　of　summer。
Once；　after　some　such　bout　of　brains；　we　went　down　to　New　York　together；
and　sat　facing　each　other　in　the　Pullman　smoker　without　passing　a
syllable　till　we　had　occasion　to　say；　〃Well；　we're　there。〃　　Then；　with
our　installation　in　a　now　vanished　hotel　（the　old　Brunswick；　to　be
specific）；　the　talk　began　again　with　the　inspiration　of　the　novel
environment；　and　went　on　and　on。　　We　wished　to　be　asleep；　but　we　could
not　stop；　and　he　lounged　through　the　rooms　in　the　long　nightgown　which　he
always　wore　in　preference　to　the　pajamas　which　he　despised；　and　told　the
story　of　his　life；　the　inexhaustible；　the　fairy；　the　Arabian　Nights
story；　which　I　could　never　tire　of　even　when　it　began　to　be　told　over
again。　　Or　at　times　he　would　reason　high

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Of　Providence；　foreknowledge；　will　and　fate；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fixed　fate；　free　will；　foreknowledge　absolute；〃

walking　up　and　down；　and　halting　now　and　then；　with　a　fine　toss　and　slant
of　his　shaggy　head；　as　some　bold　thought　or　splendid　joke　struck　him。

He　was　in　those　days　a　constant　attendant　at　the　church　of　his　great
friend；　the　Rev。　Joseph　H。　Twichell；　and　at　least　tacitly　far　from　the
entire　negation　he　came　to　at　last。　　I　should　say　he　had　hardly　yet
examined　the　grounds　of　his　passive　acceptance　of　his　wife's　belief；
for　it　was　hers　and　not　his；　and　he　held　it　unscanned　in　the　beautiful
and　tender　loyalty　to　her　which　was　the　most　moving　quality　of　his　most
faithful　soul。　　I　make　bold　to　speak　of　the　love　between　them；　because
without　it　I　could　not　make　him　known　to　others　as　he　was　known　to　me。
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　was　in　a　way　the　loveliest　person　I　have　ever　seen；　the　gentlest；　the
kindest；　without　a　touch　of　weakness；　she　united　wonderful　tact　with
wonderful　truth；　and　Clemens　not　only　accepted　her　rule　implicitly；　but
he　rejoiced；　he　gloried　in　it。　　I　am　not　sure　that　he　noticed　all　her
goodness　in　the　actions　that　made　it　a　heavenly　vision　to　others；　he　so
had　the　habit　of　her　goodness；　but　if　there　was　any　forlorn　and　helpless
creature　in　the　room　Mrs。　Clemens　was　somehow　promptly　at　his　side　or
hers；　she　was　always　seeking　occasion　of　kindness　to　those　in　her
household　or　out　of　it；　she　loved　to　let　her　heart　go　beyond　the　reach　of
her　hand；　and　imagined　the　whole　hard　and　suffering　world　with　compassion
for　its　structural　as　well　as　incidental　wrongs。　　I　suppose　she　had　her
ladyhood　limitations；　her　female　fears　of　etiquette　and　convention；　but
she　did　not　let　them　hamper　the　wild　and　splendid　generosity　with　which
Clemens　rebelled　against　the　social　stupidities　and　cruelties。　　She　had
been　a　lifelong　invalid　when　he　met　her；　and　he　liked　to　tell　the
beautiful　story　of　their　courtship　to　each　new　friend　whom　he　found
capable　of　feeling　its　beauty　or　worthy　of　hearing　it。　　Naturally；　her
father　had　hesitated　to　give　her　into　the　keeping　of　the　young　strange
Westerner；　who　had　risen　up　out　of　the　unknown　with　his　giant　reputation
of　burlesque　humorist；　and　demanded　guaranties；　demanded　proofs。　　〃He
asked　me；〃　Clemens　would　say；　〃if　I　couldn't　give　him　the　names　of　people
who　knew　me　in　California；　and　when　it　was　time　to　hear　from　them　I　heard
from　him。　　'Well；　Mr。　Clemens；'　he　said；　'nobody　seems　to　have　a　very
good　word　for　you。'　　I　hadn't　referred　him　to　people　that　I　thought　were
going　to　whitewash　me。　　I　thought　it　was　all　up　with　me；　but　I　was
disappointed。　　'So　I　guess　I　shall　have　to　back　you　myself。'〃

Whether　this　made　him　faithfuler　to　the　trust　put　in　him　I　cannot　say；
but　probably　not；　it　was　always　in　him　to　be　faithful　to　any　trust；　and
in　proportion　as　a　trust　of　his　own　was　betrayed　he　was　ruthlessly　and
implacably　resentful。　　But　I　wish　now　to　speak　of　the　happiness　of　that
household　in　Hartford　which　responded　so　perfectly　to　the　ideals　of　the
mother　when　the　three　daughters；　so　lovely　and　so　gifted；　were　yet　little
children。　　There　had　been　a　boy；　and　〃　Yes；　I　killed　him；〃　Clemens　once
said；　with　the　unsparing　self…blame　in　which　he　would　wreak　an　unavailing
regret。　　He　meant　that　he　had　taken　the　child　out　imprudently；　and　the
child　had　taken　the　cold　which　he　died　of；　but　it　was　by　no　means　certain
this　was　through　its　father's　imprudence。　　I　never　heard　him　speak　of　his
son　except　that　once；　but　no　doubt　in　his　deep　heart　his　loss　was
irreparably　present。　　He　was　a　very　tender　father　and　delighted　in　the
minds　of　his　children；　but　he　was　wise　enough　to　leave　their　training
altogether　to　the　wisdom　of　their　mother。　　He　left　them　to　that　in
everything；　keeping　for　himself　the　pleasure　of　teaching　them　little
scenes　of　drama；　learning　languages　with　them；　and　leading　them　in
singing。　　They　came　to　the　table　with　their　parents；　and　could　have　set
him　an　example　in　behavior　when；　in　moments　of　intense　excitement；　he
used　to　leave　his　place　and　walk　up　and　down　the　room；　flying　his　napkin
and　talking　and　talking。

It　was　after　his　first　English　sojourn　that　I　used　to　visit　him；　and　he
was　then　full　of　praise　of　everything　English：　the　English　personal
independence　and　public　spirit；　and　hospitality；　and　truth。　　He　liked　to
tell　stories　in　proof　of　their　virtues；　but　he　was　not　blind　to　the
defects　of　their　virtues：　their　submissive　acceptance　of　caste；　their
callousness　with　strangers；　their　bluntness　with　one　another。　　Mrs。
Clemens　had　been　in　a　way　to　suffer　socially　more　than　he；　and　she
praised　the　English　less。　　She　had　sat　after　dinner　with　ladies　who
snubbed　and　ignored　one　another；　and　left　her　to　find　her　own　amusement
in　the　absence　of　the　attention　with　which　Americans　perhaps　cloy　their
guests；　but　which　she　could　not　help　preferring。　　In　their　successive
sojourns　among　them　I　believe　he　came　to　like　the　English　less　and　she
more；　the　fine　delight　of　his　first　acceptance　among　them　did　not　renew
itself　till　his　Oxford　degree　was　given　him；　then　it　made　his　cup　run
over；　and　he　was　glad　the　whole　world　should　see　it。

His　wife　would　not　chill　the　ardor　of　his　early　Anglomania；　and　in　this；
as　in　everything；　she　wished　to　humor　him　to　the　utmost。　　No　one　could
have　realized　more　than　she　his　essential　fineness；　his　innate　nobleness。
Marriages　are　what　the　parties　to　them　alone　really　know　them　to　be；　but
from　the　outside　I　should　say　that　this　marriage　was　one　of　the　most
perfect。　　It　lasted　in　his　absolute　devotion　to　the　day　of　her　death；
that　delayed　long　in　cruel　suffering；　and　that　left　one　side　of　him　in
lasting　night。　　From　Florence　there　came　to　me　heartbreaking　letters　from
him　about　the　torture　she　was　undergoing；　and　at　last　a　letter　saying　she
was　dead；　with　the　simple…hearted　cry；　〃I　wish　I　was　with　Livy。〃　　I　do
not　know　why　I　have　left　saying　till　now　that　she　was　a　very　beautiful
woman；　classically　regular　in　features；　with　black　hair　smooth　over　her
forehead；　and　with　tenderly　peering；　myopia　eyes；　always　behind　glasses；
and　a　smile　of　angelic　kindness。　　But　this　kindness　went　with　a　sense　of
humor　which　qualified　her　to　appreciate　the　self…lawed　genius　of　a　man
who　will　be　remembered　with　the　great　humorists　of　all　time；　with
Cervantes；　with　Swift；　or　with　any　others　worthy　his　company；　none　of
them　was　his　equal　in　humanity。




IV。

Clemens　had　appointed　himself；　with　the　architect's　connivance；　a
luxurious　study　over　the　library　in　his　new　house；　but　as　his　children
grew　older　this　study；　with　its　carved　and　cushioned　arm…chairs；　was
given　over　to　them　for　a　school…room；　and　he　took　the　room　above　his
stable；　which　had　been　intended　for　his　coachman。　　There　we　used　to　talk
together；　when　we　were　not　walking　and　talking　together；　until　he
discovered　that　he　could　make　a　more　commodious　use　of　the　billiard…room
at　the　top　of　his　house；　for　the　purposes　of　literature　and　friendship。
It　was　pretty　cold　up　there　in　the　early　spring　and　late　fall　weather
with　which　I　chiefly　associate　the　place；　but　by　lighting　up　all　the　gas…
burners　and　kindling　a　reluctant　fire　on　the　hearth　we　could　keep　it　well
above　freezing。　　Clemens　could　also　push　the　balls　about；　and；　without
rivalry　from　me；　who　could　no　more　play　billiards　than　smoke；　could　win
endless　games　of　pool；　while　he　carried　points　of　argument　against
imaginable　differers　in　opinion。　　Here　he　wrote　many　of　his　tales　and
sketches；　and　for　anything　I　know　some　of　his　books。　　I　particularly
remember　his　reading　me　here　his　first　rough　sketch　of　Captain
Stormfield's　Visit　to　Heaven；　with　the　real　name　of　the　captain；　whom　I
knew　already　from　his　many　stories　about　him。

We　had　a　peculiar　pleasure　in　looking　off　from　the　high　windows　on　the
pretty　Hartford　landscape；　and　down　from　them　into　the　tops　of　the　trees
clothing　the　hillside　by　which　his　house　stood。　　We　agreed