mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第42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！


of　God；　a　command　of　God；　and　that　whatsoever　is　done　in　obedience　to
that　law　is　blameless。　　Man；　in　his　evolution；　inherited　the　whole　sum　of
these　numerous　traits；　and　with　each　trait　its　share　of　the　law　of　God。　
He　widely　differs　from　them　in　this：　that　he　possesses　not　a　single
characteristic　that　is　equally　prominent　in　each　member　of　his　race。　　You
can　say　the　housefly　is　limitlessly　brave；　and　in　saying　it　you　describe
the　whole　house…fly　tribe；　you　can　say　the　rabbit　is　limitlessly　timid；
and　by　the　phrase　you　describe　the　whole　rabbit　tribe；　you　can　say　the
spider　and　the　tiger　are　limitlessly　murderous；　and　by　that　phrase　you
describe　the　whole　spider　and　tiger　tribes；　you　can　say　the　lamb　is
limitlessly　innocent　and　sweet　and　gentle；　and　by　that　phrase　you
describe　all　the　lambs。　　There　is　hardly　a　creature　that　you　cannot
definitely　and　satisfactorily　describe　by　one　single　traitexcept　man。　
Men　are　not　all　cowards　like　the　rabbit；　nor　all　brave　like　the　house…
fly；　nor　all　sweet　and　innocent　and　gentle　like　the　lamb；　nor　all
murderous　like　the　spider　and　the　tiger　and　the　wasp；　nor　all　thieves
like　the　fox　and　the　bluejay；　nor　all　vain　like　the　peacock；　nor　all
frisky　like　the　monkey。　　These　things　are　all　in　him　somewhere；　and　they
develop　according　to　the　proportion　of　each　he　received　in　his　allotment：
We　describe　a　man　by　his　vicious　traits　and　condemn　him；　or　by　his　fine
traits　and　gifts；　and　praise　him　and　accord　him　high　merit　for　their
possession。　　It　is　comical。　　He　did　not　invent　these　things；　he　did　not
stock　himself　with　them。　　God　conferred　them　upon　him　in　the　first
instant　of　creation。　　They　constitute　the　law；　and　he　could　not　escape
obedience　to　the　decree　any　more　than　Paige　could　have　built　the　type…
setter　he　invented；　or　the　Pratt　&　Whitney　machinists　could　have　invented
the　machine　which　they　built。〃

He　liked　to　stride　up　and　down；　smoking　as　he　talked；　and　generally　his
words　were　slowly　measured；　with　varying　pauses　between　them。　　He　halted
in　the　midst　of　his　march；　and　without　a　suggestion　of　a　smile　added：

〃What　an　amusing　creature　the　human　being　is！〃

It　is　absolutely　impossible；　of　course；　to　preserve　the　atmosphere　and
personality　of　such　talks　as　thisthe　delicacies　of　his　speech　and
manner　which　carried　an　ineffable　charm。　　It　was　difficult；　indeed；　to
record　the　substance。　　I　did　not　know　shorthand；　and　I　should　not　have
taken　notes　at　such　times　in　any　case；　but　I　had　trained　myself　in
similar　work　to　preserve；　with　a　fair　degree　of　accuracy；　the　form　of
phrase；　and　to　some　extent　its　wording；　if　I　could　get　hold　of　pencil　and
paper　soon　enough　afterward。　　In　time　I　acquired　a　sort　of　phonographic
faculty；　though　it　always　seemed　to　me　that　the　bouquet；　the　subtleness
of　speech；　was　lacking　in　the　result。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　he　would
dictate　next　morning　the　substance　of　these　experimental　reflections；　or
I　would　find　among　his　papers　memoranda　and　fragmentary　manuscripts　where
he　had　set　them　down　himself；　either　before　or　after　he　had　tried　them
verbally。　　In　these　cases　I　have　not　hesitated　to　amend　my　notes　where　it
seemed　to　lend　reality　to　his　utterance；　though；　even　so；　there　is　always
lackingand　must　bethe　wonder　of　his　personality。




CCXLV

IN　THE　DAY'S　ROUND

A　number　of　dictations　of　this　period　were　about　Susy；　her　childhood；　and
the　biography　she　had　written　of　him；　most　of　which　he　included　in　his
chapters。　　More　than　once　after　such　dictations　he　reproached　himself
bitterly　for　the　misfortunes　of　his　house。　　He　consoled　himself　a　little
by　saying　that　Susy　had　died　at　the　right　time；　in　the　flower　of　youth
and　happiness；　but　he　blamed　himself　for　the　lack　of　those　things　which
might　have　made　her　childhood　still　more　bright。　　Once　he　spoke　of　the
biography　she　had　begun；　and　added：

〃Oh；　I　wish　I　had　paid　more　attention　to　that　little　girl's　work！　　If　I
had　only　encouraged　her　now　and　then；　what　it　would　have　meant　to　her；
and　what　a　beautiful　thing　it　would　have　been　to　have　had　her　story　of　me
told　in　her　own　way；　year　after　year！　　If　I　had　shown　her　that　I　cared；
she　might　have　gone　on　with　it。　　We　are　always　too　busy　for　our　children；
we　never　give　them　the　time　nor　the　interest　they　deserve。　　We　lavish
gifts　upon　them；　but　the　most　precious　gift…our　personal　association；
which　means　so　much　to　them…we　give　grudgingly　and　throw　it　away　on　those
who　care　for　it　so　little。〃　　Then；　after　a　moment　of　silence：　〃But　we　are
repaid　for　it　at　last。　　There　comes　a　time　when　we　want　their　company　and
their　interest。　　We　want　it　more　than　anything　in　the　world；　and　we　are
likely　to　be　starved　for　it；　just　as　they　were　starved　so　long　ago。　
There　is　no　appreciation　of　my　books　that　is　so　precious　to　me　as
appreciation　from　my　children。　　Theirs　is　the　praise　we　want；　and　the
praise　we　are　least　likely　to　get。〃

His　moods　of　remorse　seemed　to　overwhelm　him　at　times。　　He　spoke　of
Henry's　death　and　little　Langdon's；　and　charged　himself　with　both。
He　declared　that　for　years　he　had　filled　Mrs。　Clemens's　life　with
privations；　that　the　sorrow　of　Susy's　death　had　hastened　her　own　end。　
How　darkly　he　painted　it！　　One　saw　the　jester；　who　for　forty　years　had
been　making　the　world　laugh；　performing　always　before　a　background　of
tragedy。

But　such　moods　were　evanescent。　　He　was　oftener　gay　than　somber。　　One
morning　before　we　settled　down　to　work　he　related　with　apparent　joy　how
he　had　made　a　failure　of　story…telling　at　a　party　the　night　before。　　An
artist　had　told　him　a　yarn；　he　said；　which　he　had　considered　the　most
amusing　thing　in　the　world。　　But　he　had　not　been　satisfied　with　it；　and
had　attempted　to　improve　on　it　at　the　party。　　He　had　told　it　with　what　he
considered　the　nicest　elaboration　of　detail　and　artistic　effect；　and　when
he　had　concluded　and　expected　applause；　only　a　sickening　silence　had
followed。

〃A　crowd　like　that　can　make　a　good　deal　of　silence　when　they　combine；〃　he
said；　〃and　it　probably　lasted　as　long　as　ten　seconds；　because　it　seemed
an　hour　and　a　half。　　Then　a　lady　said；　with　evident　feeling；　'Lord；　how
pathetic！'　For　a　moment　I　was　stupefied。　　Then　the　fountains　of　my　great
deeps　were　broken　up；　and　I　rained　laughter　for　forty　days　and　forty
nights　during　as　much　as　three　minutes。　　By　that　time　I　realized　it　was
my　fault。　　I　had　overdone　the　thing。　　I　started　in　to　deceive　them　with
elaborate　burlesque　pathos；　in　order　to　magnify　the　humorous　explosion　at
the　end；　but　I　had　constructed　such　a　fog　of　pathos　that　when　I　got　to
the　humor　you　couldn't　find　it。〃

He　was　likely　to　begin　the　morning　with　some　such　incident　which　perhaps
he　did　not　think　worth　while　to　include　in　his　dictations；　and　sometimes
he　interrupted　his　dictations　to　relate　something　aside；　or　to　outline
some　plan　or　scheme　which　his　thought　had　suggested。

Once；　when　he　was　telling　of　a　magazine　he　had　proposed　to　start；　the
Back　Number；　which　was；　to　contain　reprints　of　exciting　events　from
historynewspaper　gleaningseye…witness　narrations；　which　he　said　never
lost　their　freshness　of　interesthe　suddenly　interrupted　himself　to
propose　that　we　start　such　a　magazine　in　the　near　futurehe　to　be　its
publisher　and　I　its　editor。　　I　think　I　assented；　and　the　dictation
proceeded；　but　the　scheme　disappeared　permanently。

He　usually　had　a　number　of　clippings　or　slips　among　the　many　books　on　the
bed　beside　him　from　which　he　proposed　to　dictate　each　day；　but　he　seldom
could　find　the　one　most　needed。　　Once；　after　a　feverishly　impatient
search　for　a　few　moments；　he　invited　Miss　Hobby　to　leave　the　room
temporarily；　so；　as　he　said；　that　he　might　swear。　　He　got　up　and　we　began
to　explore　the　bed；　his　profanity　increasing　amazingly　with　each　moment。　
It　was　an　enormously　large　bed；　and　he　began　to　disparage　the　size　of　it。

〃One　could　lose　a　dog　in　this　bed；〃　he　declared。

Finally　I　suggested　that　he　turn　over　the　clipping　which　he　had　in　his
hand。　　He　did　so；　and　it　proved　to　be　the　one　he　wanted。　　Its　discovery
was　followed　by　a　period　of　explosions；　only　half　suppressed　as　to
volume。　　Then　he　said：

〃There　ought　to　be　a　room　in　this　house　to　swear　in。　　It's　dangerous　to
have　to