mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第41章

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there　came　one　day　a　very　gentle…spoken　woman　who　had　promised　that　she
would　stay　but　a　moment；　and　say　no　more　than　a　few　words；　if　only　she
might　sit　face　to　face　with　the　great　man。　　It　was　in　the　morning　hour
before　the　dictations；　and　he　received　her；　quite　correctly　clad　in　his
beautiful　dressing…robe　and　propped　against　his　pillows。　　She　kept　her
contract　to　the　letter；　but　when　she　rose　to　go　she　said；　in　a　voice　of
deepest　reverence：

〃May　I　kiss　your　hand？〃

It　was　a　delicate　situation；　and　might　easily　have　been　made　ludicrous。　
Denial　would　have　hurt　her。　　As　it　was；　he　lifted　his　hand；　a　small；
exquisite　hand　it　was；　with　the　gentle　dignity　and　poise　of　a　king；　and
she　touched　her　lips　to　it　with　what　was　certainly　adoration。　　Then；　as
she　went；　she　said：

〃How　God　must　love　you！〃

〃I　hope　so；〃　he　said；　softly；　and　he　did　not　even　smile；　but　after　she
had　gone　he　could　not　help　saying；　in　a　quaint；　half…pathetic　voice
〃I　guess　she　hasn't　heard　of　our　strained　relations。〃

Sitting　in　that　royal　bed；　clad　in　that　rich　fashion；　he　easily　conveyed
the　impression　of　royalty；　and　watching　him　through　those　marvelous
mornings　he　seemed　never　less　than　a　king；　as　indeed　he　wasthe　king　of
a　realm　without　national　boundaries。　　Some　of　those　nearest　to　him　fell
naturally　into　the　habit　of　referring　to　him　as　〃the　King；〃　and　in　time
the　title　crept　out　of　the　immediate　household　and　was　taken　up　by　others
who　loved　him。

He　had　been　more　than　once　photographed　in　his　bed；　but　it　was　by　those
who　had　come　and　gone　in　a　brief　time；　with　little　chance　to　study　his
natural　attitudes。　　I　had　acquired　some　knowledge　of　the　camera；　and　I
obtained　his　permission　to　let　me　photograph　hima　permission　he　seldom
denied　to　any　one。　　We　had　no　dictations　on　Saturdays；　and　I　took　the
pictures　on　one　of　these　holiday　mornings。　　He　was　so　patient　and
tractable；　and　so　natural　in　every　attitude；　that　it　was　a　delight　to
make　the　negatives。　　I　was　afraid　he　would　become　impatient；　and　made
fewer　exposures　than　I　might　otherwise　have　done。　　I　think　he　expected
very　little　from　this　amateur　performance；　but；　by　that　happy　element　of
accident　which　plays　so　large　a　part　in　photographic　success；　the　results
were　better　than　I　had　hoped　for。　　When　I　brought　him　the　prints；　a　few
days　later；　he　expressed　pleasure　and　asked；　〃Why　didn't　you　make　more？〃

Among　them　was　one　in　an　attitude　which　had　grown　so　familiar　to　us；　that
of　leaning　over　to　get　his　pipe　from　the　smoking…table；　and　this　seemed
to　give　him　particular　satisfaction。　　It　being　a　holiday；　he　had　not
donned　his　dressing…gown；　which　on　the　whole　was　well　for　the
photographic　result。　　He　spoke　of　other　pictures　that　had　been　made　of
him；　especially　denouncing　one　photograph；　taken　some　twenty　years　before
by　Sarony；　a　picture；　as　he　said；　of　a　gorilla　in　an　overcoat；　which　the
papers　and　magazines　had　insisted　on　using　ever　since。

〃Sarony　was　as　enthusiastic　about　wild　animals　as　he　was　about
photography；　and　when　Du　Chaillu　brought　over　the　first　gorilla　he　sent
for　me　to　look　at　it　and　see　if　our　genealogy　was　straight。　　I　said　it
was；　and　Sarony　was　so　excited　that　I　had　recognized　the　resemblance
between　us；　that　he　wanted　to　make　it　more　complete；　so　he　borrowed　my
overcoat　and　put　it　on　the　gorilla　and　photographed　it；　and　spread　that
picture　out　over　the　world　as　mine。　　It　turns　up　every　week　in　some
newspaper　or　magazine；　but　it's　not　my　favorite；　I　have　tried　to　get　it
suppressed。〃

Mark　Twain　made　his　first　investment　in　Redding　that　spring。　　I　had
located　there　the　autumn　before；　and　bought　a　vacant　old　house；　with　a
few　acres　of　land；　at　what　seemed　a　modest　price。　　I　was　naturally
enthusiastic　over　the　bargain；　and　the　beauty　and　salubrity　of　the
situation。　　His　interest　was　aroused；　and　when　he　learned　that　there　was
a　place　adjoining；　equally　reasonable　and　perhaps　even　more　attractive；
he　suggested　immediately　that　I　buy　it　for　him；　and　he　wanted　to　write　a
check　then　for　the　purchase　price；　for　fear　the　opportunity　might　be
lost。　　I　think　there　was　then　no　purpose　in　his　mind　of　building　a
country　home；　but　he　foresaw　that　such　a　site；　at　no　great　distance　from
New　York；　would　become　more　valuable；　and　he　had　plenty　of　idle　means。　
The　purchase　was　made　without　difficultya　tract　of　seventy…five　acres；
to　which　presently　was　added　another　tract　of　one　hundred　and　ten　acres；
and　subsequently　still　other　parcels　of　land；　to　complete　the　ownership
of　the　hilltop；　for　it　was　not　long　until　he　had　conceived　the　idea　of　a
home。　　He　was　getting　weary　of　the　heavy　pressure　of　city　life。　　He
craved　the　retirement　of　solitudeone　not　too　far　from　the　maelstrom；　so
that　he　might　mingle　with　it　now　and　then　when　he　chose。　　The　country
home　would　not　be　begun　for　another　year　yet；　but　the　purpose　of　it　was
already　in　the　air。　　No　one　of　the　family　had　at　this　time　seen　the
location。




CCXLIV

TRAITS　AND　PHILOSOPHIES

I　brought　to　the　dictation　one　morning　the　Omar　Khayyam　card　which
Twichell　had　written　him　so　long　ago；　I　had　found　it　among　the　letters。　
It　furnished　him　a　subject　for　that　morning。　　He　said：

　　　　　How　strange　there　was　a　time　when　I　had　never　heard　of　Omar　Khayyam！　
　　　　　When　that　card　arrived　I　had　already　read　the　dozen　quatrains　or　so
　　　　　in　the　morning　paper；　and　was　still　steeped　in　the　ecstasy　of
　　　　　delight　which　they　occasioned。　　No　poem　had　ever　given　me　so　much
　　　　　pleasure　before；　and　none　has　given　me　so　much　pleasure　since。　　It
　　　　　is　the　only　poem　I　have　ever　carried　about　with　me。　　It　has　not　been
　　　　　from　under　my　hand　all　these　years。

He　had　no　general　fondness　for　poetry；　but　many　poems　appealed　to　him；
and　on　occasion　he　liked　to　read　them　aloud。　　Once；　during　the　dictation；
some　verses　were　sent　up　by　a　young　authoress　who　was　waiting　below　for
his　verdict。　　The　lines　pictured　a　phase　of　negro　life；　and　she　wished　to
know　if　he　thought　them　worthy　of　being　read　at　some　Tuskegee　ceremony。　
He　did　not　fancy　the　idea　of　attending　to　the　matter　just　then　and　said：

〃Tell　her　she　can　read　it。　　She　has　my　permission。　　She　may　commit　any
crime　she　wishes　in　my　name。〃

It　was　urged　that　the　verses　were　of　high　merit　and　the　author　a　very
charming　young　lady。

〃I'm　very　glad；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　am　glad　the　Lord　made　her；　I　hope　He
will　make　some　more　just　like　her。　　I　don't　always　approve　of　His
handiwork；　but　in　this　case　I　do。〃

Then　suddenly　he　added：

〃Well；　let　me　see　itno　time　like　the　present　to　get　rid　of　these
things。〃

He　took　the　manuscript　and　gave　such　a　rendition　of　those　really　fine
verses　as　I　believe　could　not　be　improved　upon。　　We　were　held　breathless
by　his　dramatic　fervor　and　power。　　He　returned　a　message　to　that　young
aspirant　that　must　have　made　her　heart　sing。　　When　the　dictation　had
ended　that　day；　I　mentioned　his　dramatic　gift。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　a　gift；　I　suppose；　like　spelling　and　punctuation
and　smoking。　　I　seem　to　have　inherited　all　those。〃　　Continuing；　he　spoke
of　inherited　traits　in　general。

〃There　was　Paige；〃　he　said；　〃an　ignorant　man　who　could　not　make　a　machine
himself　that　would　stand　up；　nor　draw　the　working　plans　for　one；　but　he
invented　the　eighteen　thousand　details　of　the　most　wonderful　machine　the
world　has　ever　known。　　He　watched　over　the　expert　draftsmen；　and
superintended　the　building　of　that　marvel。　　Pratt　&　Whitney　built　it；　but
it　was　Paige's　machine；　neverthelessthe　child　of　his　marvelous　gift。　
We　don't　create　any　of　our　traits；　we　inherit　all　of　them。　　They　have
come　down　to　us　from　what　we　impudently　call　the　lower　animals。　　Man　is
the　last　expression；　and　combines　every　attribute　of　the　animal　tribes
that　preceded　him。　　One　or　two　conspicuous　traits　distinguish　each　family
of　animals　from　the　others；　and　those　one　or　two　traits　are　found　in
every　member　of　each　family；　and　are　so　prominent　as　to　eternally　and
unchangeably　establish　the　character　of　that　branch　of　the　animal　world。　
In　these　cases　we　concede　that　the　several　temperaments　constitute　a　law
of　God；　a　command　of　God；　and　that　whatsoever　is　done　in　obedience　to
that　law　is　blameless。　　Man；　in　hi