the americanization of edward bok-第39章

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〃'If　he　had　dared　to　say　that　thing　in　my　presence；'　said　the　paltry　blusterer；　with　valor　on　his　tongue　and　pallor　on　his　lips；　'blood　would　have　flowed。'

〃So　painfully　aware　is　the　novelist　that　naked　talk　in　print　conveys　no　meaning；　that　he　loads；　and　often　overloads；　almost　every　utterance　of　his　characters　with　explanations　and　interpretations。　It　is　a　loud　confession　that　print　is　a　poor　vehicle　for　'talk；'　it　is　a　recognition　that　uninterpreted　talk　in　print　would　result　in　confusion　to　the　reader；　not　instruction。

〃Now；　in　your　interview　you　have　certainly　been　most　accurate；　you　have　set　down　the　sentences　I　uttered　as　I　said　them。　But　you　have　not　a　word　of　explanation；　what　my　manner　was　at　several　points　is　not　indicated。　Therefore；　no　reader　can　possibly　know　where　I　was　in　earnest　and　where　I　was　joking；　or　whether　I　was　joking　altogether　or　in　earnest　altogether。　Such　a　report　of　a　conversation　has　no　value。　It　can　convey　many　meanings　to　the　reader；　but　never　the　right　one。　To　add　interpretations　which　would　convey　the　right　meaning　is　a　something　which　would　requirewhat？　An　art　so　high　and　fine　and　difficult　that　no　possessor　of　it　would　ever　be　allowed　to　waste　it　on　interviews。

〃No；　spare　the　reader　and　spare　me；　leave　the　whole　interview　out；　it　is　rubbish。　I　wouldn't　talk　in　my　sleep　if　I　couldn't　talk　better　than　that。

〃If　you　wish　to　print　anything；　print　this　letter；　it　may　have　some　value；　for　it　may　explain　to　a　reader　here　and　there　why　it　is　that　in　interviews　as　a　rule　men　seem　to　talk　like　anybody　but　themselves。

〃Sincerely　yours；

〃MARK　TWAIN。〃

The　Harpers　had　asked　Bok　to　write　a　book　descriptive　of　his　autograph…letter　collection；　and　he　had　consented。　The　propitious　moment；　however；　never　came　in　his　busy　life。　One　day　he　mentioned　the　fact　to　Doctor　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes　and　the　poet　said：　〃Let　me　write　the　introduction　for　it。〃　Bok；　of　course；　eagerly　accepted；　and　within　a　few　days　he　received　the　following；　which；　with　the　book；　never　reached　publication：

〃How　many　autograph　writers　have　had　occasion　to　say　with　the　Scotch　trespasser　climbing　his　neighbor's　wall；　when　asked　where　he　was　going　Bok　again！'

〃Edward　Bok　has　persevered　like　the　widow　in　scripture；　and　the　most　obdurate　subjects　of　his　quest　have　found　it　for　their　interest　to　give　in；　lest　by　his　continual　coming　he　should　weary　them。　We　forgive　him；　almost　admire　him　for　his　pertinacity；　only　let　him　have　no　imitators。　The　tax　he　has　levied　must　not　be　imposed　a　second　time。

〃An　autograph　of　a　distinguished　personage　means　more　to　an　imaginative　person　than　a　prosaic　looker…on　dreams　of。　Along　these　lines　ran　the　consciousness　and　the　guiding　will　of　Napoleon；　or　Washington；　of　Milton　or　Goethe。

〃His　breath　warmed　the　sheet　of　paper　which　you　have　before　you。　The　microscope　will　show　you　the　trail　of　flattened　particles　left　by　the　tesselated　epidermis　of　his　hand　as　it　swept　along　the　manuscript。　Nay；　if　we　had　but　the　right　developing　fluid　to　flow　over　it；　the　surface　of　the　sheet　would　offer　you　his　photograph　as　the　light　pictured　it　at　the　instant　of　writing。

〃Look　at　Mr。　Bok's　collection　with　such　thoughts；　。。。and　you　will　cease　to　wonder　at　his　pertinacity　and　applaud　the　conquests　of　his　enthusiasm。

〃Oliver　Wendell　Holmes。〃

Whenever　biographers　of　the　New　England　school　of　writers　have　come　to　write　of　John　Greenleaf　Whittier；　they　have　been　puzzled　as　to　the　scanty　number　of　letters　and　private　papers　left　by　the　poet。　This　letter；　written　to　Bok；　in　comment　upon　a　report　that　the　poet　had　burned　all　his　letters；　is　illuminating：

〃Dear　Friend：

〃The　report　concerning　the　burning　of　my　letters　is　only　true　so　far　as　this：　some　years　ago　I　destroyed　a　large　collection　of　letters　I　had　received　not　from　any　regard　to　my　own　reputation；　but　from　the　fear　that　to　leave　them　liable　to　publicity　might　be　injurious　or　unpleasant　to　the　writers　or　their　friends。　They　covered　much　of　the　anti…slavery　period　and　the　War　of　the　Rebellion；　and　many　of　them　I　knew　were　strictly　private　and　confidential。　I　was　not　able　at　the　time　to　look　over　the　MS。　and　thought　it　safest　to　make　a　bonfire　of　it　all。　I　have　always　regarded　a　private　and　confidential　letter　as　sacred　and　its　publicity　in　any　shape　a　shameful　breach　of　trust；　unless　authorized　by　the　writer。　I　only　wish　my　own　letters　to　thousands　of　correspondents　may　be　as　carefully　disposed　of。

〃You　may　use　this　letter　as　you　think　wise　and　best。

〃Very　truly　thy　friend；

〃John　G。　Whittier。〃

Once　in　a　while　a　bit　of　untold　history　crept　into　a　letter　sent　to　Bok；　as　for　example　in　the　letter；　referred　to　in　a　previous　chapter　from　General　Jubal　A。　Early；　the　Confederate　general；　in　which　he　gave　an　explanation；　never　before　fully　given；　of　his　reasons　for　the　burning　of　Chambersburg；　Pennsylvania：

〃The　town　of　Chambersburg　was　burned　on　the　same　day　on　which　the　demand　on　it　was　made　by　McCausland　and　refused。　It　was　ascertained　that　a　force　of　the　enemy's　cavalry　was　approaching；　and　there　was　no　time　for　delay。　Moreover；　the　refusal　was　peremptory；　and　there　was　no　reason　for　delay　unless　the　demand　was　a　mere　idle　threat。

〃I　had　no　knowledge　of　what　amount　of　money　there　might　be　in　Chambersburg。　I　knew　that　it　was　a　town　of　some　twelve　thousand　inhabitants。　The　town　of　Frederick；　in　Maryland；　which　was　a　much　smaller　town　than　Chambersburg；　had　in　June　very　promptly　responded　to　my　demand　on　it　for　200；000；　some　of　the　inhabitants；　who　were　friendly　to　me；　expressing　a　regret　that　I　had　not　made　it　500；000。　There　were　one　or　more　National　Banks　at　Chambersburg；　and　the　town　ought　to　have　been　able　to　raise　the　sum　I　demanded。　I　never　heard　that　the　refusal　was　based　on　the　inability　to　pay　such　a　sum；　and　there　was　no　offer　to　pay　any　sum。　The　value　of　the　houses　destroyed　by　Hunter；　with　their　contents；　was　fully　100；000　in　gold；　and　at　the　time　I　made　the　demand　the　price　of　gold　in　greenbacks　had　very　nearly　reached　3。00　and　was　going　up　rapidly。　Hence　it　was　that　I　required　the　500；000　in　greenbacks；　if　the　gold　was　not　paid；　to　provide　against　any　further　depreciation　of　the　paper　money。

〃I　would　have　been　fully　justified　by　the　laws　of　retaliation　in　war　in　burning　the　town　without　giving　the　inhabitants　the　opportunity　of　redeeming　it。

〃J。　A。　Early。〃

Bok　wrote　to　Eugene　Field；　once；　asking　him　why　in　all　his　verse　he　had　never　written　any　love…songs；　and　suggesting　that　the　story　of　Jacob　and　Rachel　would　have　made　a　theme　for　a　beautiful　love…poem。　Field's　reply　is　interesting　and　characteristic；　and　throws　a　light　on　an　omission　in　his　works　at　which　many　have　wondered：

〃Dear　Bok：

〃I'll　see　what　I　can　do　with　the　suggestion　as　to　Jacob　and　Rachel。　Several　have　asked　me　why　I　have　never　written　any　love…songs。　That　is　hard　to　answer。　I　presume　it　is　because　I　married　so　young。　I　was　married　at　twenty…three；　and　did　not　begin　to　write　until　I　was　twenty…nine。　Most　of　my　lullabies　are；　in　a　sense；　love…songs；　so　is　'To　a　Usurper；'　'A　Valentine；'　'The　Little　Bit　of　a　Woman；'　'Lovers'　Lane；'　etc。；　but　not　the　kind　commonly　called　love…songs。　I　am　sending　you　herewith　my　first　love…song；　and　even　into　it　has　crept　a　cadence　that　makes　it　a　love…song　of　maturity　rather　than　of　youth。　I　do　not　know　that　you　will　care　to　have　it；　but　it　will　interest　you　as　the　first。。。。

〃Ever　sincerely　yours；

〃Eugene　Field。〃

During　the　last　years　of　his　life；　Bok　tried　to　interest　Benjamin　Harrison；　former　President　of　the　United　States；　in　golf；　since　his　physician　had　ordered　〃moderate　outdoor　exercise。〃　Bok　offered　to　equip　him　with　the　necessary　clubs　and　balls。　When　he　received　the　balls；　the　ex…president　wrote：

〃Thanks。　But　does　not　a　bottle　of　liniment　go　with　each　ball？〃

When　William　Howard　Taft　became　President　of　the　United　States；　the　impression　was　given　out　that　journalists　would　not　be　so　welcome　at　the　White　House　as　they　had　been　during　the　administration　of　President　Roosevelt。　Mr。　Taft；　writing　to　Bok　about　another　matter；　asked　why　he　had　not　called　and　talked　it　over　while　in　Washington。　Bok　explained　the　impression　that　was　current；　whereupon　came　the　answer；　swift　and　definite！