mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第19章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
L。 Indeed that won't doyou'll be ever so much too late for
your lesson。
CL。 No； the lesson…time has been put an hour later。
L。 （satisfied； then suddenly）。 But； Clara； that train and the late
lesson together will make you late to Mrs。 Hapgood's luncheon。
CL。 No； the train leaves fifteen minutes earlier than it used to。
L。 （satisfied）。 Tell Mrs。 Hapgood； etc。； etc。； etc。 （which Clara
promises to do）。 Clara； dear； after the luncheonI hate to put
this on youbut could you do two or three little shopping…errands
for me？
CL。 Oh； it won't trouble me a bit…I can do it。 （Takes a list of
the things she is to buy…a list which she will presently hand to
another。）
At 3 or 4 P。M。 Clara takes the things brought from New York；
studies over her part a little； then goes to her mother's room。
LIVY。 It's very good of you； dear。 Of course； if I had known it
was going to be so snowy and drizzly and sloppy I wouldn't have
asked you to buy them。 Did you get wet？
CL。 Oh； nothing to hurt。
L。 You took a cab both ways？
CL。 Not from the station to the lesson…the weather was good enough
till that was over。
L。 Well； now； tell me everything Mrs。 Hapgood said。
Clara tells her a long yarn…avoiding novelties and surprises and
anything likely to inspire questions difficult to answer； and of
course detailing the menu； for if it had been the feeding of the
5；000 Livy would have insisted on knowing what kind of bread it was
and how the fishes were served。 By and by； while talking of
something else：
LIVY。 Clams！in the end of December。 Are you sure it was clams？
CL。 I didn't say cl… I meant Blue Points。
L。 （tranquilized）。 It seemed odd。 What is Jean doing？
CL。 She said she was going to do a little typewriting。
L。 Has she been out to…day？
CL。 Only a moment； right after luncheon。 She was determined to go
out again； but
L。 How did you know she was out？
CL。 （saving herself in time）。 Katie told me。 She was determined
to go out again in the rain and snow； but I persuaded her to stay
in。
L。 （with moving and grateful admiration）。 Clara； you are
wonderful！ the wise watch you keep over Jean； and the influence you
have over her； it's so lovely of you； and I tied here and can't take
care of her myself。 （And she goes on with these undeserved praises
till Clara is expiring with shame。）
To Twichell：
I am to see Livy a moment every afternoon until she has another bad
night； and I stand in dread； for with all my practice I realize that
in a sudden emergency I am but a poor； clumsy liar； whereas a fine
alert and capable emergency liar is the only sort that is worth
anything in a sick…chamber。
Now； Joe； just see what reputation can do。 All Clara's life she has
told Livy the truth and now the reward comes； Clara lies to her
three and a half hours every day； and Livy takes it all at par；
whereas even when I tell her a truth it isn't worth much without
corroboration 。 。 。 。
Soon my brief visit is due。 I've just been up listening at Livy's
door。
5 P。M。 A great disappointment。 I was sitting outside Livy's door
waiting。 Clara came out a minute ago and said L ivy is not so well；
and the nurse can't let me see her to…day。
That pathetic drama was to continue in some degree for many a long month。
All that winter and spring Mrs。 Clemens kept but a frail hold on life。
Clemens wrote little； and refused invitations everywhere he could。 He
spent his time largely in waiting for the two…minute period each day when
he could stand at the bed…foot and say a few words to the invalid； and he
confined his writing mainly to the comforting； affectionate messages
which he was allowed to push under her door。 He was always waiting there
long before the moment he was permitted to enter。 Her illness and her
helplessness made manifest what Howells has fittingly characterized as
his 〃beautiful and tender loyalty to her； which was the most moving
quality of his most faithful soul。〃
CCXXVII
THE SECOND RIVERDALE WINTER
Most of Mark Twain's stories have been dramatized at one time or another；
and with more or less success。 He had two plays going that winter； one
of them the little 〃Death Disk；〃 whichin story form had appeared a year
before in Harper's Magazine。 It was put on at the Carnegie Lyceum with
considerable effect； but it was not of sufficient importance to warrant a
long continuance。
Another play of that year was a dramatization of Huckleberry Finn； by Lee
Arthur。 This was played with a good deal of success in Baltimore；
Philadelphia； and elsewhere； the receipts ranging from three hundred to
twenty…one hundred dollars per night； according to the weather and
locality。 Why the play was discontinued is not altogether apparent；
certainly many a dramatic enterprise has gone further； faring worse。
Huck in book form also had been having adventures a little earlier； in
being tabooed on account of his morals by certain librarians of Denver
and Omaha。 It was years since Huck had been in trouble of that sort； and
he acquired a good deal of newspaper notoriety in consequence。
Certain entries in Mark Twain's note…book reveal somewhat of his life and
thought at this period。 We find such entries as this：
Saturday； January 3； 1903。 The offspring of riches： Pride； vanity；
ostentation； arrogance； tyranny。
Sunday； January 4； 1903。 The offspring of poverty： Greed；
sordidness； envy； hate； malice； cruelty； meanness； lying； shirking；
cheating； stealing； murder。
Monday； February 2； 1903。 33d wedding anniversary。 I was allowed
to see Livy 5 minutes this morning in honor of the day。 She makes
but little progress toward recovery； still there is certainly some；
we are sure。
Sunday； March 1； 1903。 We may not doubt that society in heaven
consists mainly of undesirable persons。
Thursday； March 19； 1903。 Susy's birthday。 She would be 31 now。
The family illnesses； which presently included an allotment for himself；
his old bronchitis； made him rage more than ever at the imperfections of
the species which could be subject to such a variety of ills。 Once he
wrote：
Man was made at the end of the week's work when God was tired。
And again：
Adam； man's benefactorhe gave him all that he has ever received
that was worth havingdeath。
The Riverdale home was in reality little more than a hospital that
spring。 Jean had scarcely recovered her physical strength when she was
attacked by measles； and Clara also fell a victim to the infection。
Fortunately Mrs。 Clemens's health had somewhat improved。
It was during this period that Clemens formulated his eclectic
therapeutic doctrine。 Writing to Twichell April 4； 1903； he said：
Livy does make a little progress these past 3 or 4 days； progress
which is visible to even the untrained eye。 The physicians are
doing good work for her； but my notion is； that no art of healing is
the best for all ills。 I should distribute the ailments around：
surgery cases to the surgeon； lupus to the actinic…ray specialist；
nervous prostration to the Christian Scientist； most ills to the
allopath & the homeopath； & （in my own particular case） rheumatism；
gout； & bronchial attack to the osteopathist。
He had plenty of time to think and to read during those weeks of
confinement； and to rage； and to write when he felt the need of that
expression； though he appears to have completed not much for print beyond
his reply to Mrs。 Eddy； already mentioned； and his burlesque；
〃Instructions in Art；〃 with pictures by himself； published in the
Metropolitan for April and May。
Howells called his attention to some military outrages in the
Philippines； citing a case where a certain lieutenant had tortured one of
his men； a mild offender； to death out of pure deviltry； and had been
trie
