mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第28章
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and the 〃long prayer〃 for victory to the nation's armies。 As the prayer
closes a white…robed stranger enters； moves up the aisle； and takes the
preacher's place； then； after some moments of impressive silence； he
begins：
〃I come from the Throne…bearing a message from Almighty God！。。。。。
He has heard the prayer of His servant； your shepherd； & will grant
it if such shall be your desire after I His messenger shall have
explained to you its importthat is to say its full import。 For it
is like unto many of the prayers of men in that it asks for more
than he who utters it is aware ofexcept he pause & think。
〃God's servant & yours has prayed his prayer。 Has he paused & taken
thought？ Is it one prayer？ No； it is twoone uttered； the other
not。 Both have reached the ear of Him who heareth all
supplications； the spoken & the unspoken 。 。 。 。
〃You have heard your servant's prayerthe uttered part of it。 I am
commissioned of God to put into words the other part of itthat
part which the pastorand also you in your heartsfervently
prayed； silently。 And ignorantly & unthinkingly？ God grant that it
was so！ You heard these words： 'Grant us the victory； O Lord our
God！' That is sufficient。 The whole of the uttered prayer is
completed into those pregnant words。
〃Upon the listening spirit of God the Father fell also the unspoken
part of the prayer。 He commandeth me to put it into words。 Listen！
〃O Lord our Father； our young patriots； idols of our hearts； go
forth to battlebe Thou near them！ With themin spiritwe
also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to
smite the foe。
〃O Lord our God； help us to tear their soldiers to bloody
shreds with our shells； help us to cover their smiling fields
with the pale forms of their patriot dead； help us to drown the
thunder of the guns with the wounded； writhing in pain； help us
to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire； help
us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with
unavailing grief； help us to turn them out roofless with their
little children to wander unfriended through wastes of their
desolated land in rags & hunger & thirst； sport of the sun…
flames of summer & the icy winds of winter； broken in spirit；
worn with travail； imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave &
denied itfor our sakes； who adore Thee； Lord； blast their
hopes； blight their lives； protract their bitter pilgrimage；
make heavy their steps； water their way with their tears； stain
the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet！ We ask of
one who is the Spirit of love & who is the ever…faithful refuge
& friend of all that are sore beset； & seek His aid with humble
& contrite hearts。 Grant our prayer； O Lord； & Thine shall be
the praise & honor & glory now & ever； Amen。〃
（After a pause。） 〃Ye have prayed it； if ye still desire it；
speak！the messenger of the Most High waits。〃
。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。
It was believed； afterward； that the man was a lunatic； because
there was no sense in what he said。
To Dan Beard； who dropped in to see him； Clemens read the 〃War Prayer；〃
stating that he had read it to his daughter Jean； and others； who had
told him he must not print it； for it would be regarded as sacrilege。
〃Still youare going to publish it； are you not？〃
Clemens； pacing up and down the room in his dressing…gown and slippers；
shook his head。
〃No；〃 he said； 〃I have told the whole truth in that； and only dead men
can tell the truth in this world。 It can be published after I am dead。〃
He did not care to invite the public verdict that he was a lunatic； or
even a fanatic with a mission to destroy the illusions and traditions and
conclusions of mankind。 To Twichell he wrote； playfully but sincerely：
Am I honest？ I give you my word of honor （privately） I am not。 For
seven years I have suppressed a book which my conscience tells me I ought
to publish。 I hold it a duty to publish it。 There are other difficult
duties which I am equal to； but I am not equal to that one。 Yes； even I
am dishonest。 Not in many ways； but in some。 Forty…one； I think it is。
We are certainly all honest in one or several waysevery man in the
worldthough I have a reason to think I am the only one whose blacklist
runs so light。 Sometimes I feel lonely enough in this lofty solitude。
It was his Gospel he referred to as his unpublished book； his doctrine of
Selfishness； and of Man the irresponsible Machine。 To Twichell he
pretended to favor war； which he declared； to his mind； was one of the
very best methods known of diminishing the human race。
What a life it is！this one！ Everything we try to do； somebody intrudes
& obstructs it。 After years of thought & labor I have arrived within one
little bit of a step of perfecting my invention for exhausting the oxygen
in the globe's air during a stretch of two minutes； & of course along
comes an obstructor who is inventing something to protect human life。
Damn such a world anyway。
He generally wrote Twichell when he had things to say that were outside
of the pale of print。 He was sure of an attentive audience of one； and
the audience； whether it agreed with him or not； would at least
understand him and be honored by his confidence。 In one letter of that
year he said：
I have written you to…day； not to do you a service； but to do myself one。
There was bile in me。 I had to empty it or lose my day to…morrow。 If I
tried to empty it into the North American Reviewoh； well； I couldn't
afford the risk。 No； the certainty！ The certainty that I wouldn't be
satisfied with the result； so I would burn it； & try again to…morrow；
burn that and try again the next day。 It happens so nearly every time。
I have a family to support； & I can't afford this kind of dissipation。
Last winter when I was sick I wrote a magazine article three times before
I got it to suit me。 I Put 500 worth of work on it every day for ten
days； & at last when I got it to suit me it contained but 3；000 words…
900。 I burned it & said I would reform。
And I have reformed。 I have to work my bile off whenever it gets to
where I can't stand it； but I can work it off on you economically；
because I don't have to make it suit me。 It may not suit you； but that
isn't any matter； I'm not writing it for that。 I have used you as an
equilibriumrestorer more than once in my time； & shall continue； I
guess。 I would like to use Mr。 Rogers； & he is plenty good…natured
enough； but it wouldn't be fair to keep him rescuing me from my leather…
headed business snarls & make him read interminable bile…irruptions
besides； I can't use Howells； he is busy & old & lazy； & won't stand it；
I dasn't use Clara； there's things I have to say which she wouldn't put
up witha very dear little ashcat； but has claws。 And soyou're It。
＇See the preface to the 〃Autobiography of Mark Twain〃： 'I am writing
from the grave。 On these terms only can a man be approximately
frank。 He cannot be straitly and unqualifiedly frank either in the
grave or out of it。' D。W。＇
CCXXXV
A SUMMER IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
He took for the summer a house at Dublin； New Hampshire； the home of
Henry Copley Greene； Lone Tree Hill； on the Monadnock slope。 It was in a
lovely locality； and for neighbors there were artists； literary people；
and those of kindred pursuits； among them a number of old friends。
Colonel Higginson had a place near by； and Abbott H。 Thayer； the painter；
and George de Forest Brush； and the Raphael Pumpelly family； and many
more。
Colonel Higginson wrote Clemens a letter of welcome as soon as the news
got out that he was going to Dublin； and Clemens； answering； said：
I early learned that you would be my neighbor in the summer & I
rejoiced； recognizing in you & you
