AdepartmentintheSt。NicholasMagazineofferedaprizeforacaricaturedrawingofsomewell—knownman。Therewereoneortwoofcertainprominentpoliticiansandcapitalists，andtherewasliterallyawheelbarrowloadofMarkTwain。Whenhewasinformedofthishewrote：
\"Notributecouldhavepleasedmemorethanthat——thefriendshipofthechildren。\"
Tributescametohiminmanyforms。InhisnativeStateitwasproposedtoformaMarkTwainAssociation，withheadquartersatHannibal，withtheimmediatepurposeofhavingaweeksetapartattheSt。LouisWorld’sFair，tobecalledtheMarkTwainweek，withaspecialMarkTwainday，onwhichanationalliteraryconventionwouldbeheld。Butwhenhisconsentwasasked，andhisco—operationinvited，hewrotecharacteristically：
Itisindeedahighcomplimentwhichyouofferme，innaminganassociationaftermeandinproposingthesettingapartofaMarkTwaindayatthegreatSt。LouisFair，butsuchcomplimentsarenotproperfortheliving；theyareproperandsafeforthedeadonly。Ivaluetheimpulsewhichmovesyoutotendermethesehonors。Ivalueitashighlyasanyonecan，andamgratefulforit，butIshouldstandinasortofterrorofthehonorsthemselves。Solongasweremainalivewearenotsafefromdoingthingswhich，howeverrighteouslyandhonorablyintended，canwreckourreputeandextinguishourfriendships。
IhopethatnosocietywillbenamedformewhileIamstillalive，forI
mightatsometimeorotherdosomethingwhichwouldcauseitsmemberstoregrethavingdonemethathonor。AfterIshallhavejoinedthedeadI
shallfollowthecustomofthosepeople，andbeguiltyofnoconductthatcanwoundanyfriend；butuntilthattimeshallcomeIshallbeadoubtfulquantity，liketherestofourrace。
Thecommittee，stillhopingforhisconsent，againappealedtohim。Butagainhewrote：
WhileIamdeeplytouchedbythedesireofmyfriendsofHannibaltoconferthesegreathonorsuponmeImuststillforbeartoacceptthem。
Spontaneousandunpremeditatedhonors，likethosewhichcametomeatHannibal，Columbia，St。Louis，andatthevillagestationsalldowntheline，arebeyondallpriceandareatreasureforlifeinthememory，fortheyareafreegiftoutoftheheartandtheycomewithoutsolicitation；
butIamaMissourian，andsoIshrinkfromdistinctionswhichhavetobearrangedbeforehandandwithmyprivity，forIthenbecomeapartytomyownexalting。Iamhumanlyfondofhonorsthathappen，butcharyofthosethatcomebycanvassandintention。
Somewhatlaterhesuggestedadifferentfeatureforthefair；onethatwasnotpractical，perhaps，butwhichcertainlywouldhavearousedinterest——thatistosay，anold—fashionedsix—daysteamboat—racefromNewOrleanstoSt。Louis，withtheold—fashionedaccessories，suchastorch—baskets，forecastlecrowdsofnegrosingers，withanegroonthesafety—valve。InhislettertoPresidentFrancishesaid：
Astoparticulars，Ithinkthattheraceshouldbeagenuinereproductionoftheold—timerace，notjustanimitationofit，andthatitshouldcoverthewholecourse。IthinktheboatsshouldbeginthetripatNewOrleans，andsidebysidenotanintervalbetween，andenditatNorthSt。Louis，amileortwoabovetheBigMound。
InasubsequentlettertoGovernorFrancishewrote：
IthasbeenadearwishofminetoexhibitmyselfatthegreatFair&getaprize，butcircumstancesbeyondmycontrolhaveinterfered……
Isupposeyouwillgetaprize，becauseyouhavecreatedthemostprodigiousFairtheplanethaseverseen。Verywell，youhaveindeedearnedit，andwithitthegratitudeoftheStateandthenation。
Newspapermenusedeveryinducementtogetinterviewsfromhim。Theyinvitedhimtonameapriceforanytimehecouldgivethem，longorshort。Onereporterofferedhimfivehundreddollarsforatwo—hourtalk。Anotherproposedtopayhimonehundreddollarsaweekforaquarterofadayeachweek，allowinghimtodiscussanysubjecthepleased。Onewroteaskinghimtwoquestions：thefirst，\"YourfavoritemethodofescapingfromIndians\"；thesecond，\"YourfavoritemethodofescapingcapturebytheIndianswhentheywereinpursuitofyou。\"Theyinquiredastohisfavoritecopy—bookmaxim；astowhatheconsideredmostimportanttoayoungman’ssuccess；hisdefinitionofagentleman。
Theywishedtoknowhisplanforthesettlementoflabortroubles。Buttheydidnotawakenhisinterest，orhiscupidity。Tooneapplicanthewrote：
No，therearetemptationsagainstwhichwearefire—proof。Yourpropositionisonewhichcomestomewithconsiderablefrequency，butitnevertemptsme。Thepriceisn’ttheobjection；youofferplenty。Itisthenatureoftheworkthatistheobjection——akindofworkwhichI
couldnotdowellenoughtosatisfyme。Tomultiplythepricebytwentywouldnotenablemetodotheworktomysatisfaction，&byconsequencewouldmakenoimpressionuponme。
OnceheallowedhimselftobeinterviewedfortheHerald，whenfromMr。
Rogers’syachthehadwatchedSirThomasLipton’sShamrockgodowntodefeat；butthiswasasubjectwhichappealedtohim——akindofhotweathersubject——andhecouldbeaslight—mindedaboutitashechose。
CCXXXIX
THELASTSUMMERATELMIRA
TheClemenseswerepreparingtotakeupresidenceinFlorence，Italy。
TheHartfordhousehadbeensoldinMay，endingforevertheassociationwiththecitythathadsolongbeenapartoftheirlives。TheTarrytownplace，whichtheyhadneveroccupied，theyalsoagreedtosell，foritwasthebeliefnowthatMrs。Clemens’shealthwouldnevergreatlyprosperthere。Howellssays，oratleastimplies，thattheyexpectedtheirremovaltoFlorencetobefinal。Hetellsus，too，ofonesunnyafternoonwhenheandClemenssatonthegrassbeforethemansionatRiverdale，afterMrs。Clemenshadsomewhatimproved，andhowthey\"lookeduptowardabalconywherebyandbythatlovelypresencemadeitselfvisible，asifithadstoopedtherefromacloud。Ahandfraillywavedahandkerchief；Clemensranoverthelawntowardit，callingtenderly。\"ItwasagreetingtoHowellsthelasthewouldeverreceivefromher。
Mrs。ClemenswasabletomakeatriptoElmirabytheendofJune，andonthe1stofJulyMr。RogersbroughtClemensandhiswifedowntheriveronhisyachttotheLackawannapier，andtheyreachedQuarryFarmthatevening。Sheimprovedinthequietudeandrestfulnessofthatbelovedplace。ThreeweekslaterClemenswrotetoTwichell：
Livyiscomingalong：eatswell，sleepssome，ismostlyverygay，notveryoftendepressed；spendsalldayontheporch，sleepsthereapartofthenight；makesexcursionsincarriage&inwheel—chair；&，inthematterofsuperintendingeverything&everybody，hasresumedbusinessattheoldstand。
Duringthreepeacefulmonthsshespentmostofherdaysrecliningonthewideveranda，surroundedbythosedearesttoher，andlookingoutonthedreamlikelandscape——thelong，grassyslope，thedrowsycity，andthedistanthills——gettingstrengthforthefarjourneybysea。Clemensdidsomewriting，occupyingtheoldoctagonalstudy——shutinnowandovergrownwithvines——whereduringthethirtyyearssinceitwasbuiltsomanyofhisstorieshadbeenwritten。’ADog’sTale’——thatpatheticanti—vivisectionstory——appearstohavebeenthelastmanuscriptevercompletedinthespotconsecratedbyHuckandTom，andbyTomCantythePauperandthelittlewanderingPrince。
ItwasOctober5thwhentheyleftElmira。TwodaysearlierClemenshadwritteninhisnote—book：
TodayIplacedflowersonSusy’sgrave——forthelasttimeprobably——
&readwords：
\"Good—night，dearheart，good—night。\"
TheydidnotreturntoRiverdale，butwenttotheHotelGrosvenorfortheinterveningweeks。TheyhadengagedpassageforItalyonthePrincessIrene，whichwouldsailonthe24th。ItwasduringtheperiodoftheirwaitingthatClemensconcludedhisfinalHarpercontract。Onthatday，inhisnote—book，hewrote：
THEPROPHECY
In1895Cheirothepalmistexaminedmyhand&saidthatinmy68thyear1903Iwouldbecomesuddenlyrich。Iwasabankrupt&$94，000indebtatthetimethroughthefailureofCharlesL。Webster&Co。Twoyearslater——inLondon——Cheirorepeatedthislong—distanceprediction，&addedthatthericheswouldcomefromaquiteunexpectedsource。Iamsuperstitious。Ikeptthepredictioninmind&oftenthoughtofit。
Whenatlastitcametrue，October22，1903，therewasbutamonth&9
daystospare。
ThecontractsignedthatdayconcentratesallmybooksinHarper’shands&nowatlasttheyarevaluable；infacttheyareafortune。Theyguaranteeme$25，000ayearfor5years，andtheywillyieldtwiceasmuchasthat。——[Inearliernote—booksandlettersClemensmorethanoncereferstothisprophecyandwondersifitistoberealized。TheHarpercontract，whichbroughtallofhisbooksintothehandsofonepublishernegotiatedforhimbyMr。Rogers，proved，infact，afortune。Thebooksyieldedalwaysmorethantheguarantee；sometimestwicethatamount，ashehadforeseen。]
DuringtheconclusionofthiscontractClemensmadefrequentvisitstoFairhavenontheKanawha。JoeGoodmancamefromthePacifictopayhimagood—byvisitduringthisperiod。GoodmanhadtranslatedtheMayaninscriptions，andhisworkhadreceivedofficialrecognitionandpublicationbytheBritishMuseum。ItwasafineachievementforamaninlaterlifeandClemensadmireditimmensely。GoodmanandClemensenjoyedeachotherintheoldwayatquietresortswheretheycouldtalkovertheoldtales。Anothervisitorofthatsummerwasthesonofanoldfriend，aHannibalprinternamedDaulton。YoungDaultoncamewithmanuscriptsseekingahearingofthemagazineeditors，soClemenswrotealetterwhichwouldinsurethatfavor：
INTRODUCINGMR。GEO。DAULTON：
TOGILDER，ALDEN，HARVEY，McCLURE，WALKER，PAGE，BOK，COLLIER，andsuchothermembersofthesacredguildasprivilegemetocallthemfriends—
these：
AlthoughIhavenopersonalknowledgeofthebearerofthis，Ihavewhatisbetter：Hecomesrecommendedtomebyhisownfather——athingnotlikelytohappeninanyofyourfamilies，Ireckon。Iaskyou，asafavortome，towaiveprejudice&superstitionforthisonce&examinehisworkwithaneyetoitsliterarymerit，insteadoftothechastityofitsspelling。IwishtoGodyoucaredlessforthatparticular。
Isetorsattypealongsideofhisfather，inHannibal，morethan50
yearsago，whennonebutthepureinheartwereinthatbusiness。Atruemanhewas；andifIcanbeofanyservicetohisson——andtoyouatthesametime，letmehope——Iamhereheartilytotry。
Yoursbythesanctionsoftime&deserving，Sincerely，S。L。CLEMENS。
AmongthekindlywordswhichcametoMarkTwainbeforeleavingAmericawasthisonewhichRudyardKiplinghadwrittentohispublisher，FrankDoubleday：
IlovetothinkofthegreatandgodlikeClemens。Heisthebiggestmanyouhaveonyoursideofthewaterbyadamnsight，anddon’tyouforgetit。Cervanteswasarelationofhis。
ItcuriouslyhappenedthatClemensatthesamemomentwaswritingtoDoubledayaboutKipling：
Ihavebeenreading\"TheBellBuoy\"and\"TheOldMan\"overandoveragain—mycustomwithKipling’swork——andsavinguptherestforotherleisurelyandluxuriousmeals。Abell—buoyisadeeplyimpressivefellow—being。InthesemanyrecenttripsupanddowntheSoundintheKanawhahehastalkedtomenightlysometimesinhispatheticandmelancholyway，sometimeswithhisstrenuousandurgentnote，andIgothismeaning——nowIhavehiswords！NoonebutKiplingcoulddothisstrongandvividthing。SomedayIhopetohearthepoemchantedorsung—withthebell—buoybreakinginoutofthedistance。
P。S。——Yourletterhasarrived。Itmakesmeproudandglad——whatKiplingsays。IhopeFatewillfetchhimtoFlorencewhilewearethere。Iwouldratherseehimthananyotherman。
CCXXX
THERETURNTOFLORENCE
>Fromthenote—book：
Saturday，October24，1903。SailedinthePrincessIreneforGenoaat11。Flowers&fruitfromMrs。Rogers&Mrs。Coe。WehavewithusKatieLearyinourdomesticservice23years&MissMargaretSherrytrainednurse。
Twodayslaterhewrote：
Heavystormallnight。Only3stewardesses。Oursserved60mealsinroomsthismorning。
Onthe27th：
Livyisenduringthevoyagemarvelouslywell。AswellasClara&
Jean，Ithink，&farbetterthanthetrainednurse。
Shehasbeenoutondeckanhour。
November2。DueatGibraltar10daysfromNewYork。3daystoNaples，then2daytoGenoa。
Atsupperthebandplayed\"CavalleriaRusticana，\"whichisforeverassociatedinmymindwithSusy。Iloveitbetterthananyother，butitbreaksmyheart。
Itwasthe\"Intermezzo\"hereferredto，whichhadbeenSusy’sfavoritemusic，andwheneverhehearditherememberedalwaysoneparticularopera—nightlongago，andSusy’sfacerosebeforehim。
TheywereinNaplesonthe5th；thencetoGenoa，andtoFlorence，wherepresentlytheywereinstalledintheVillaRealediQuarto，afineoldItalianpalacebuiltbyCosimomorethanfourcenturiesago。InlatertimesithasbeenoccupiedandalteredbyroyalfamiliesofWurtembergandRussia。NowitwasthepropertyoftheCountessMassiglia，fromwhomClemenshadleasedit。
TheyhadhopedtosecuretheVillaPapiniano，underFiesole，nearProfessorFiske，butnegotiationsforithadfallenthrough。TheVillaQuarto，asitisusuallycalled，wasamorepretentiousplaceandasbeautifullylocated，standingasitdoesinanancientgardenlookingoutoverFlorencetowardVallombrosaandtheChiantihills。Yetnowintheretrospect，itseemshardlytohavebeentheretreatforaninvalid。Itsgardenwassupernaturallybeautiful，allthatoneexpectsthatagardenofItalyshouldbe——suchagardenasMaxfieldParrishmightdream；butitsbeautywasthatwhichcomesofantiquity——theaccumulationofdeadyears。Itsfunerealcypresses，itscrumblingwallsandarches，itsclingingivyandmolderingmarbles，andaclockthatlongagoforgotthehours，gaveitamortuarylook。InawayitsuggestedArnoldBocklin’s\"Todteninsel，\"anditmightwellhaveservedastheallegoricalsettingforagatewaytothebourneofsilence。
Thehouseitself，oneofthemostpicturesqueoftheoldFlorentinesuburbanpalaces，washistoricallyinteresting，ratherthancheerful。
Therooms，innumbermorethansixty，thoughrichlyfurnished，werevastandbarnlike，andtherewerenumbersofthemwhollyunusedandneverentered。TherewasadearthofthemodernimprovementswhichAmericanshavelearnedtoregardasanecessity，andtheplumbing，suchasitwas，wasnotalwaysinorder。Theplacewasapproachedbynarrowstreets，alongwhichthemoreuninvitingaspectsofItalywerenotinfrequent。
Youthandhealthandromancemighteasilyhavereveledintheplace；butitseemsnownottohavebeenthebestchoiceforthatfrailinvalid，towhomcheerandbrightnessandfreshnessandthelovelierthingsofhopemeantalwayssomuch。——[VillaQuartohasrecentlybeenpurchasedbySignorP。deRitterLahony，andthoroughlyrestoredandrefreshedandbeautifiedwithoutthesacrificeofanyofitsromanticfeatures。
]——NeitherwastheclimateofFlorenceallthattheyhadhopedfor。
Theirformersunnywinterhadmisledthem。Traditiontothecontrary，Italy——oratleastTuscany——isnotoneperpetualdreamofsunlight。Itisapttobedampandcloudy；itislikelytobecold。WritingtoMacAlister，Clemenssaid：
Florentinesunshine？Blessyou，thereisn’tany。Wehaveheavyfogseverymorning&rainallday。Thishouseisnotmerelylarge，itisvast——thereforeIthinkitmustalwayslackthehomefeeling。
Hisdissatisfactioninitbeganthusearly，anditgrewasonethingafteranotherwentwrong。Withitall，however，Mrs。Clemensseemedtogainalittle，andwasgladtoseecompany——areasonableamountofcompany——tobrightenhersurroundings。
Clemensbegantoworkandwroteastoryortwo，andthoselivelyarticlesabouttheItalianlanguage。
ToTwichellhereportedprogress：
Ihaveahandsomesuccessinonewayhere。IleftNewYorkunderasortofhalf—promisetofurnishtotheHarpermagazines30，000wordsthisyear。Magaziningisdifficultworkbecauseeverythirdpagerepresentstwopagesthatyouhaveputinthefireyouarenearlysuretostartwrongtwice，&sowhenyouhavefinishedanarticle&
arewillingtoletitgotoprintitrepresentsonly10centsawordinsteadof30。
ButthistimeIhadthecurious&unprecedentedlucktostartrightineachcase。Iturnedout37，000wordsin25workingdays；&
thereasonIthinkIstartedrighteverytimeis，thatnotonlyhaveIapprovedandacceptedtheseveralarticles，butthecourtoflastresortLivyhasdonethesame。
Onmanyofthebetween—daysIdidsomework，butonlyofanidle&
notnecessarilynecessarysort，sinceitwillnotseeprintuntilI
amdead。Ishallcontinuethisanhourperday，buttherestoftheyearIexpecttoputinonacoupleoflongbookshalf—
completedones。Nomoremagazineworkhangingovermyhead。
Thissecluded&silentsolitude，thisclean，softair，&thisenchantingviewofFlorence，thegreatvalley&snow—mountainsthatframeit，aretherightconditionsforwork。Theyareapersistentinspiration。To—dayisverylovely；whentheafternoonarrivestherewillbeanewpictureeveryhourtilldark，&eachofthemdivine——orprogressingfromdivinetodiviner&divinest。OnthissecondfloorClara’sroomcommandsthefinest；shekeepsawindowtenfeethighwideopenallthetime&framesitinthat。Igoinfromtimetotimeeveryday&tradesassforalook。Thecentraldetailisadistant&statelysnow—humpthatrisesabove&behindblack—forestedhills，&itsslopingvastbuttresses，velvety&sun—
polished，withpurpleshadowsbetween，makethesortofpictureweknewthattimewewalkedinSwitzerlandinthedaysofouryouth。
>Fromthisletter，whichisofJanuary7，1904，wegatherthattheweatherhadgreatlyimproved，andwithitMrs。Clemens’shealth，notwithstandingshehadanalarmingattackinDecember。Oneofthestorieshehadfinishedwas\"The$30，000Bequest。\"Theworkmentioned，whichwouldnotseeprintuntilafterhisdeath，wasacontinuationofthoseautobiographicalchapterswhichforyearshehadbeensettingdownasthemoodseizedhim。
Heexperimentedwithdictation，whichhehadtriedlongbeforewithRedpath，andforatimenowfounditquitetohisliking。Hedictatedsomeofhiscopyrightmemories，andsomeanecdotesandepisodes；buthisamanuensiswroteonlylonghand，whichperhapshamperedhim，forhetiredofitbyandbyandthedictationswerediscontinued。
AmongthesenotesthereisoneelaboratedescriptionoftheVilladiQuarto，dictatedattheendofthewinter，bywhichtimewearenotsurprisedtofindhehadbecomemuchattachedtotheplace。TheItalianspringwasintheair，anditwashishabittogrowfondofhissurroundings。Someatmosphericparagraphsoftheseimpressionsinviteushere：
Weareintheextremesouthendofthehouse，ifthereisanysuchthingasasouthendtoahouse，whoseorientationcannotbedeterminedbyme，becauseIamincompetentinallcaseswhereanobjectdoesnotpointdirectlynorth&south。Thisoneslantsacrossbetween，&isthereforeaconfusion。ThislittleprivateparlorisinoneofthetwocornersofwhatIcallthesouthendofthehouse。Thesunrisesinsuchawaythatallthemorningitispouringitslightthroughthe33glassdoorsorwindowswhichpiercethesideofthehousewhichlooksupontheterrace&garden；therestofthedaythelightfloodsthissouthendofthehouse，asI
callit；atnoonthesunisdirectlyaboveFlorenceyonderinthedistanceintheplain，directlyacrossthosearchitecturalfeatureswhichhavebeensofamiliartotheworldinpicturesforsomecenturies，theDuomo，theCampanile，theTomboftheMedici，&thebeautifultowerofthePalazzoVecchio；inthispositionitbeginstorevealthesecretsofthedeliciousbluemountainsthatcirclearoundintothewest，foritslightdiscovers，uncovers，&exposesawhitesnowstormofvillas&citiesthatyoucannottrainyourselftohaveconfidencein，theyappear&disappearsomysteriously，asiftheymightnotbevillas&citiesatall，buttheghostsofperishedonesoftheremote&dimEtruscantimes；&lateintheafternoonthesunsetsdownbehindthosemountainssomewhere，atnoparticulartime&atnoparticularplace，sofarasIcansee。
AgainattheendofMarchhewrote：
Nowthatwehavelivedinthishousefourandahalfmonthsmyprejudiceshavefallenawayonebyone&theplacehasbecomeveryhomeliketome。UndercertainconditionsIshouldliketogoonlivinginitindefinitely。IshouldwishtheCountesstomoveoutofItaly，outofEurope，outoftheplanet。Ishouldwantherbondedtoretiretoherplaceinthenextworld&informmewhichofthetwoitwas，sothatIcouldarrangeformyownhereafter。
Complicationswiththeirlandladyhadbegunearly，andintime，nexttoMrs。Clemens’shealth，towhichitboresuchanintimateandvitalrelation，theindifferenceoftheCountessMassigliatotheirneedsbecamethesupremeandabsorbingconcernoflifeatthevilla，andledtocontinuedandalmostcontinuoushouse—hunting。
Dayswhentheweatherpermitted，Clemensdroveoverthehillslookingforavillawhichhecouldleaseorbuy——onewithconveniencesandjusttherightelevationandsurroundings。Therewereplentyofvillas；butsomeofthemwerebadlysituatedastoaltitudeorview；somewerefallingtodecay，andthesearchwasratheradiscouragingone。Stillitwasnotabandoned，andthereportsoftheseexcursionsfurnishednewinterestandnewhopealwaystotheinvalidathome。
\"Evenifwefindit，\"hewroteHowells，\"IamafraiditwillbemonthsbeforewecanmoveMrs。Clemens。Ofcourseitwill。Butitcomfortsustoletonthatwethinkotherwise，andthesepretensionshelptokeephopealiveinher。\"
Shehadherbaddaysandhergooddays，dayswhenitwasbelievedshehadpassedtheturning—pointandwastravelingthewaytorecovery；butthegooddayswerealwaysalittlelesshopeful，thebaddaysalittlemorediscouraging。OnFebruary22dClemenswroteinhisnote—book：
AtmidnightLivy’spulsewentto192&therewasacollapse。Greatalarm。Subcutaneousinjectionofbrandysavedher。
AndtoMacAlistertowardtheendofMarch：
Wearehavingquiteperfectweathernow&arehopingthatitwillbringeffectsforMrs。Clemens。
Butafewdayslaterheaddedthathewaswatchingthedrivingrainthroughthewindows，andthatitwasbadweatherfortheinvalid。\"Butitwillnotlast，\"hesaid。
Theinvalidimprovedthen，andtherewasaconcertinFlorenceatwhichClaraClemenssang。Clemensinhisnote—booksays：
April8。Clara’sconcertwasatriumph。Livywokeup&sentforhertotellherallaboutit，nearmidnight。
Butadayortwolatershewasworseagain——thenbetter。Theheartsinthathouseholdwereaspendulums，swingingalwaysbetweenhopeanddespair。
OnefamiliarwiththeClemenshistorymightwellhavebeenfilledwithforebodings。AlreadyinJanuaryamemberofthefamily，MollieClemens，Orion’swife，died，newswhichwaskeptfromMrs。Clemens，aswasthedeathofAldrich’sson，andthatofSirHenryM。Stanley，bothofwhichoccurredthatspring。
Indeed，deathharvestedfreelythatyearamongtheClemensfriendships。
ClemenswroteTwichell：
Yourshasjustthismomentarrived—justasIwasfinishinganotetopoorLadyStanley。Ibelievethelastcountry—housevisitwepaidinEnglandwastoStanley’s。Lord！howmyfriends&acquaintancesfallaboutmenowinmygray—headeddays！Vereshchagin，Mommsen，Dvorak，Lenbach，&Jokai，allsorecently，&nowStanley。IhaveknownStanley37years。Goodness，whoisthereIhaven’tknown？
CCXXXI
THECLOSEOFABEAUTIFULLIFE
InoneofhisnotesneartheendofAprilClemenswritesthatoncemore，asatRiverdale，hehasbeenexcludedfromMrs。Clemens’sroomexceptforthebriefestmomentatatime。ButonMay12th，toR。W。Gilder，hereported：
FortwodaysnowwehavenotbeenanxiousaboutMrs。Clemensunberufen。After20monthsofbedriddensolitude&bodilymiserysheallofasuddenceasestobeapallid，shrunkenshadow，&looksbright&young&pretty。Sheremainswhatshealwayswas，themostwonderfulcreatureoffortitude，patience，endurance，andrecuperativepowerthateverwas。Butah，dear！itwon’tlast；
thisfiendishmaladywillplaynewtreacheriesuponher，andIshallgobacktomyprayersagain——unutterablefromanypulpit！
May13，A。M。Ihavejustpaidoneofmypairofpermitted2—minutevisitsperdaytothesick—room。AndfoundwhatIhavelearnedtoexpect——retrogression。
Therewasadaywhenshewasbroughtoutontheterraceinawheel—chairtoseethewonderoftheearlyItaliansummer。Shehadbeenaprisonersolongthatshewasalmostovercomewiththedelightofitall——themoreso，perhaps，inthefeelingthatshemightsosoonbeleavingit。
ItwasonSunday，the5thofJune，thattheendcame。ClemensandJeanhaddrivenouttomakesomecalls，andhadstoppedatavilla，whichpromisedtofulfilmostoftherequirements。Theycamehomefullofenthusiasmconcerningit，andClemens，inhismind，haddecidedonthepurchase。InthecorridorClarasaid：
\"Sheisbetterto—daythanshehasbeenforthreemonths。\"
Thenquickly，underherbreath，\"Unberufen，\"whichtheothers，too，addedhastily——superstitiously。
Mrs。Clemenswas，infact，brightandcheerful，andanxioustohearallaboutthenewpropertywhichwastobecometheirhome。Sheurgedhimtositbyherduringthedinner—hourandtellherthedetails；butonce，whenthesenseofherfrailtiescameuponher，shesaidtheymustnotmindifshecouldnotgoverysoon，butbecontentwheretheywere。Heremainedfromhalfpastsevenuntileight——aforbiddenprivilege，butpermittedbecauseshewassoanimated，feelingsowell。Theirtalkwasasithadbeenintheolddays，andonceduringithereproachedhimself，ashehadsooftendone，andaskedforgivenessforthetearshehadbroughtintoherlife。Whenhewassummonedtogoatlasthechidedhimselfforremainingsolong；butshesaidtherewasnoharm，andkissedhim，saying：\"Youwillcomeback，\"andheanswered，\"Yes，tosaygoodnight，\"meaningathalfpastnine，aswasthepermittedcustom。Hestoodamomentatthedoorthrowingkissestoher，andshereturningthem，herfacebrightwithsmiles。
Hewassohopefulandhappythatitamountedtoexaltation。Hewenttohisroomatfirst，thenhewasmovedtodoathingwhichhehadseldomdonesinceSusydied。Hewenttothepianoup—stairsandsangtheoldjubileesongsthatSusyhadlikedtohearhimsing。Jeancameinpresently，listening。Shehadnotdonethisbefore，thathecouldremember。Hesang\"SwingLow，SweetChariot，\"and\"MyLordHeCallsMe。\"
HenoticedJeanthenandstopped，butsheaskedhimtogoon。
Mrs。Clemens，inherroom，heardthedistantmusic，andsaidtoherattendant：
\"Heissingingagood—nightcaroltome。\"
Themusicceasedpresently，andthenamomentlatersheaskedtobeliftedup。Almostinthatinstantlifeslippedawaywithoutasound。
Clemens，comingtosaygoodnight，sawalittlegroupaboutherbed，ClaraandJeanstandingasifdazed。Hewentandbentoverandlookedintoherface，surprisedthatshedidnotgreethim。Hedidnotsuspectwhathadhappeneduntilheheardoneofthedaughtersask：
\"Katie，isittrue？Oh，Katie，isittrue？\"
Herealizedthenthatshewasgone。
Inhisnote—bookthatnighthewrote：
Ataquarterpast9thiseveningshethatwasthelifeofmylifepassedtotherelief&thepeaceofdeathafterasmonthsofunjust&unearnedsuffering。Ifirstsawhernear37yearsago，&nowI
havelookeduponherfaceforthelasttime。Oh，sounexpected！……
Iwasfullofremorseforthingsdone&saidinthese34yearsofmarriedlifethathurtLivy’sheart。
Heenviedherlyingthere，sofreefromitall，withthegreatpeaceuponherface。HewrotetoHowellsandtoTwichell，andtoMrs。Crane，thosenearestanddearestones。ToTwichellhesaid：
Howsweetshewasindeath，howyoung，howbeautiful，howlikeherdeargirlishselfofthirtyyearsago，notagrayhairshowing！
Thisrejuvenescencewasnoticeablewithintwohoursafterherdeath；
&whenIwentdownagain2。3oitwascomplete。Inallthatnight&allthatdayshenevernoticedmycaressinghand——itseemedstrange。
ToHowellsherecalledtheclosingscene：
Ibentoverher&lookedinherface&IthinkIspoke——Iwassurprised&troubledthatshedidnotnoticeme。Thenweunderstood&ourheartsbroke。Howpoorweareto—day！
ButhowthankfulIamthatherpersecutionsareended！IwouldnotcallherbackifIcould。
To—day，treasuredinherworn，oldTestament，Ifoundadear&
gentleletterfromyoudatedFarRockaway，September13，1896，aboutourpoorSusy’sdeath。Iamtired&old；IwishIwerewithLivy。
Andinafewdays：
ItwouldbreakLivy’shearttoseeClara。Weexcuseourselffromallthefriendsthatcall——though，ofcourse，onlyintimatescome。Intimates——
buttheyarenottheold，oldfriends，thefriendsoftheold，oldtimeswhenwelaughed。Shallweeverlaughagain？IfIcouldonlyseeadogthatIknewintheoldtimes&couldputmyarmsaroundhisneckandtellhimall，everything，&easemyheart！
CCXXXII
THESADJOURNEYHOME
Atidalwaveofsympathypouredin。Nobleandcommoner，friendandstranger——humanityofeverystation——senttheirmessagesofcondolencetothefriendofmankind。Thecablegramscamefirst——bundlesofthemfromeverycorneroftheworld——thentheletters，asteadyinflow。Howells，Twichell，Aldrich——thoseoldestfriendswhohadthemselveslearnedthemeaningofgrief——spokesuchfewandfutilewordsasthelanguagecansupplytoallayaheart’smourning，eachrecallingtherarityandbeautyofthelifethathadslippedaway。Twichellandhiswifewrote：
DEAR，DEARMARK，——Thereisnothingwecansay。Whatistheretosay？
Buthereweare——withyoualleveryhourandeveryminute——filledwithunutterablethoughts；unutterableaffectionforthedeadandfortheliving。
HARMONYANDJOE。
Howellsinhislettersaid：
Shehallowedwhatshetouchedfarbeyondpriests……Whatareyougoingtodo，youpoorsoul？
Ahundredletterscrowdinforexpressionhere，butmustbedenied——not，however，thebeamofhopeoutofHelenKeller’silluminednight：
Dotrytoreachthroughgriefandfeelthepressureofherhand，asIreachthroughdarknessandfeelthesmileonmyfriends’lipsandthelightintheireyesthoughmineareclosed。
Theywereadriftagainwithoutplansforthefuture。TheywouldreturntoAmericatolayMrs。ClemenstorestbySusyandlittleLangdon，butbeyondthattheycouldnotsee。ThentheyrememberedaquietspotinMassachusetts，Tyringham，nearLee，wheretheGilderslived，andso，onJune7th，hewrote：
DEARGILDERFAMILY，——Ihavebeenworryingandworryingtoknowwhattodo；atlastIwenttothegirlswithanidea——toasktheGilderstogetusshelterneartheirsummerhome。Itwasthefirsttimetheyhavenotshakentheirheads。Soto—morrowIwillcabletoyouandshallhopetobeintime。
Anhouragothebestheartthateverbeatformeandminewascarriedsilentoutofthishouse，andIamasonewhowandersandhaslosthisway。Shewhoisgonewasourhead，shewasourhands。
Wearenowtryingtomakeplans——we：wewhohavenevermadeaplanbefore，noreverneededto。Ifshecouldspeaktousshewouldmakeitallsimpleandeasywithaword，&ourperplexitieswouldvanishaway。Ifshehadknownshewasneartodeathshewouldhavetolduswheretogoandwhattodo，butshewasnotsuspecting，neitherwerewe。Shewasallourrichesandsheisgone；shewasourbreath，shewasourlife，andnowwearenothing。
Wesendyouourlove—andwithittheloveofyouthatwasinherheartwhenshedied。
S。L。CLEMENS。
TheyarrangedtosailonthePrinceOscaronthe29thofJune。Therewasanearliersteamer，butitwasthePrincessIrene，whichhadbroughtthem，andtheyfelttheywouldnotmakethereturnvoyageonthatvessel。
Duringtheperiodofwaitingacuriousthinghappened。Clemensonedaygotupinachairinhisroomonthesecondfloortopulldownthehighwindow—sash。Itdidnotmoveeasilyandhishandslipped。Itwasonlybythemerestchancethathesavedhimselffromfallingtothegroundfarbelow。Hementionsthisinhisnote—book，andonce，speakingofittoFrederickDuneka，hesaid：
\"HadIfallenitwouldprobablyhavekilledme，andinmybereavedcircumstancestheworldwouldhavebeenconvincedthatitwassuicide。
Itwasoneofthosecuriouscoincidenceswhicharealwayshappeningandbeingmisunderstood。\"
Thehomewardvoyageanditssorrowfulconclusionarepatheticallyconveyedinhisnotes：
June29，1904。Sailedlastnightat10。Thebugle—calltobreakfast。Irecognizedthenotesandwasdistressed。WhenIheardthemlastLivyheardthemwithme；nowtheyfalluponherearunheeded。
Inmylifetherehavebeen68Junes——buthowvague&colorless67ofthemarecontrastedwiththedeepblacknessofthisone！
July1，1904。IcannotreproduceLivy’sfaceinmymind’seye——I
wasneverinmylifeabletoreproduceaface。Itisacuriousinfirmity——&nowatlastIrealizeitisacalamity。
July2，1904。Inthese34yearswehavemademanyvoyagestogether，Livydear——&nowwearemakingourlast；youdownbelow&lonely；I
abovewiththecrowd&lonely。
July3，1904。Ship—time，8A。M。In13hours&aquarteritwillbe4weekssinceLivydied。
Thirty—oneyearsagowemadeourfirstvoyagetogether——&thisisourlastoneincompany。Susywasayearoldthen。Shediedat24
&hadbeeninhergrave8years。
July10，1904。To—nightitwillbe5weeks。Buttomeitremainsyesterday——asithasfromthefirst。Butthisfuneralmarch——howsad&longitis！
Twodaysmorewillendthesecondstageofit。
July14，1904ELMIRA。FuneralprivateinthehouseofLivy’syoungmaidenhood。Whereshestoodasabride34yearsagotherehercoffinrested；&overitthesamevoicethathadmadeherawifethencommittedherdepartedspirittoGodnow。
ItwasJosephTwichellwhorenderedthatlastservice。Mr。Beecherwaslongsincedead。Itwasasimple，touchingutterance，closingwiththistenderwordoffarewell：
RobertBrowning，whenhewasnearingtheendofhisearthlydays，saidthatdeathwasthethingthatwedidnotbelievein。Nordowebelieveinit。Wewhojourneyedthroughthebygoneyearsincompanionshipwiththebrightspiritnowwithdrawnaregrowingold。
Thewaybehindislong；thewaybeforeisshort。Theendcannotbefaroff。Butwhatofthat？Canwenotsay，eachone：
\"Solongthatpowerhathblessedme，sureitstillWillleadmeon；
O’ermoorandfen；o’ercragandtorrent，tillThenightisgone；
Andwiththemorn，theirangelfacessmile，WhichIhavelovedlongsince，andlostawhile！\"
Andsogood—by。Good—by，dearheart！Strong，tender，andtrue。
Good—byuntilforusthemorningbreakandtheseshadowsflyaway。
Dr。Eastman，whohadsucceededMr。Beecher，closedtheservicewithaprayer，andsothelastofficewecanrenderinthislifeforthosewelovewasfinished。
Clemensorderedthatasimplemarkershouldbeplacedatthegrave，bearing，besidesthename，therecordofbirthanddeath，followedbytheGermanline：
’Gottseidirgnadig，OmeineWonne’！
CCXXXIII
BEGINNINGANOTHERHOME
TherewasanextracottageontheGilderplaceatTyringham，andthistheyoccupiedfortherestofthatsadsummer。Clemens，inhisnote—
book，haspreservedsomeofitsaspectsandincidents。
July24，1904。Rain——rain——rain。Cold。Webuiltafireinmyroom。
Thenclawedthelogsout&threwwater，rememberingtherewasabroodofswallowsinthechimney。Thetragedywasaverted。
July31。LEE，MASSACHUSETTSBERKSHIREHILLS。Lastnighttheyoungpeopleoutonamoonlightride。TrolleyfrightenedJean’shorse——
collision——horsekilled。RodmanGilderpickedJeanup，unconscious；shewastakentothedoctor，perthecar。Face，nose，side，backcontused；
tendonofleftanklebroken。
August10。NEWYORK。Clamheresick——neverwellsinceJune5。JeanisatthesummerhomeintheBerkshireHillscrippled。
ThenextentryrecordsthethirddeathintheClemensfamilywithinaperiodofeightmonths——thatofMrs。Moffett，whohadbeenPamelaClemens。Clemenswrites：
September1。DiedatGreenwich，Connecticut，mysister，PamelaMoffett，agedabout73。
DeathdatesthisyearJanuary14，June5，September1。
ThatfalltheytookahouseinNewYorkCity，onthecornerofNinthStreetandFifthAvenue，No。21，remainingforatimeattheGrosvenorwhilethenewhomewasbeingsetinorder。ThehomefurniturewasbroughtfromHartford，unwrapped，andestablishedinthelightofstrangeenvironment。Clemenswrote：
Wehavenotseenitforthirteenyears。KatieLeary，ouroldhousekeeper，whohasbeeninourservicemorethantwenty—fouryears，criedwhenshetoldmeaboutitto—day。Shesaid，\"Ihadforgottenitwassobeautiful，anditbroughtMrs。Clemensrightbacktome——inthatoldtimewhenshewassoyoungandlovely。\"
ClaraClemenshadnotrecoveredfromthestrainofhermother’slongillnessandtheshockofherdeath，andshewasorderedintoretirementwiththecareofatrainednurse。Thelifeat21FifthAvenue，therefore，beganwithonlytworemainingmembersofthebrokenfamily——
ClemensandJean。
ClemenshadundertakentodiverthimselfwithworkatTyringham，thoughwithoutmuchsuccess。Hewasnotwell；hewasrestlessanddisturbed；
hisheartbleakwithagreatloneliness。HepreparedanarticleonCopyrightforthe’NorthAmericanReview’，——[PublishedJan。，7905。A
dialoguepresentationofcopyrightconditions，addressedtoThorwaldStolberg，RegisterofCopyrights，Washington，D。C。OneofthebestofMarkTwain’spapersonthesubject。]——andhebegan，oratleastcontemplated，thatbeautifulfancy，’Eve’sDiary’，whichinthewidestandmostreverentialsense，fromthefirstwordtothelast，conveyshislove，hisworship，andhistendernessfortheonehehadlaidaway。
Adam’ssinglecommentattheend，\"Wheresoevershewas，therewasEden，\"
washisowncomment，andisperhapsthemosttenderlybeautifullineheeverwrote。Thesetwobooks，Adam’sDiaryandEve’s——amusingandsometimesabsurdastheyare，andsofarremovedfromtheliteral——areasautobiographicasanythinghehasdone，andoneofthemaslovelyinitstruth。LikethefirstMakerofmen，MarkTwaincreatedAdaminhisownimage；andhisrareEveisnolessthecompanionwithwhom，halfalifetimebefore，hehadbegunthemarriagejourney。Onlyherethelikenessceases。NoSerpenteverenteredtheirEden。Andtheyneverleftit；ittraveledwiththemsolongastheyremainedtogether。
IntheChristmasHarperfor1904waspublished\"SaintJoanofArc\"——thesamebeingtheJoanintroductionpreparedinLondonfiveyearsbefore。
Joan’sproposedbeatificationhadstirredanewinterestinthemartyredgirl，andthismostbeautifularticlebecameasortofkey—noteofthepublicheart。ThosewhoreaditwerelikelytogobackandreadtheRecollections，andanewappreciationgrewforthatmasterpiece。Inhislaterandwideracceptancebyhisownland，andbytheworldatlarge，thebookcametoberegardedwithafreshunderstanding。Letterscamefromscoresofreaders，asifitwereanewlyissuedvolume。A
distinguishededucatorwrote：
IwouldratherhavewrittenyourhistoryofJoanofArcthananyotherpieceofliteratureinanylanguage。
Andthissentimentgrew。Thedemandforthebookincreased，andhascontinuedtoincrease，steadilyandrapidly。Inthelongandlastanalysisthegoodmustprevail。AdaywillcomewhentherewillbeasmanyreadersofJoanasofanyotherofMarkTwain’sworks。
[ThegrowingappreciationofJoanisshownbythereportofsalesforthethreeyearsfollowing1904。ThesalesforthatyearinAmericawere1，726；for1905，2，445for1906，5，381；for1907，6，574。AtthispointitpassedPudd’nheadWilson，theYankee，TheGildedAge，LifeontheMississippi，overtooktheTrampAbroad，andmorethandoubledTheAmericanClaimant。OnlyTheInnocentsAbroad，HuckleberryFinn，TomSawyer，andRoughingItstillrangedaheadofit，intheordernamed。
CCXXXIV
LIFEAT21FIFTHAVENUE
Thehouseat21FifthAvenue，builtbythearchitectwhohaddesignedGraceChurch，hadadistinctlyecclesiasticalsuggestionaboutitswindows，andwasoffineandstatelyproportionswithin。Itwasaproperresidenceforavenerableauthorandasage，andwiththehandsomeHartfordfurnishingsdistributedthroughit，madeadistinctlysuitablesettingforMarkTwain。Butitwaslonelyforhim。Itlackedsoul。Headded，presently，agreatAEolianOrchestrelle，withavarietyofmusicforhisdifferentmoods。Hebelievedthathewouldplayithimselfwhenheneededthecomfortofharmony，andthatJean，whohadnotreceivedmusicaltraining，orhissecretarycouldalsoplaytohim。Hehadapassionformusic，oratleastformelodyandstatelyrhythmicmeasures，thoughhisearwasnotattunedtowhataretermedthemoreclassicalcompositions。ForWagner，forinstance，hecaredlittle，thoughinalettertoMrs。Cranehesaid：
Certainlynothingintheworldissosolemnandimpressiveandsodivinelybeautifulas\"Tannhauser。\"Itoughttobeusedasareligiousservice。
Beethoven’ssonatasandsymphoniesalsomovedhimdeeply。Once，writingtoJean，heasked：
Whatisyourfavoritepieceofmusic，dear？MineisBeethoven’sFifthSymphony。Ihavefoundthatoutwithinadayortwo。
Itwasthemajesticmovementandmelodiesofthesecondpartthathefoundmostsatisfying；butheoftenerinclinedtothestilltendererthemesofChopin’snocturnesandoneofSchubert’simpromptus，whilethe\"Lorelei\"andthe\"Erlking\"andtheScottishairsneverweariedhim。
Musicthusbecameachiefconsolationduringtheselonelydays——richorganharmoniesthatfilledtheemptinessofhisheartandbeguiledfromdull，materialsurroundingsbackintoworldsanddreamsthathehadknownandlaidaway。
Hewentoutverylittlethatwinter——usuallytothehomesofoldandintimatefriends。OnceheattendedasmalldinnergivenhimbyGeorgeSmalleyattheMetropolitanClub；butitwasaprivateaffair，withonlygoodfriendspresent。Still，itformedthebeginningofhisreturntosociallife，anditwasnotinhisnaturetoretirefromthebrightnessofhumansociety，ortosubmergehimselfinmourning。Asthemonthsworeonheappearedhereandthere，andtookonsomethingofhisold—timehabit。Thenhisannualbronchitisappeared，andhewasconfinedagooddealtohishome，wherehewroteorplannednewreformsandenterprises。
Theimprovementofrailwayservice，throughwhichfewerpersonsshouldbemaimedanddestroyedeachyear，interestedhim。Heestimatedthattherailroadsandelectriclineskilledandwoundedmorethanallofthewarscombined，andheaccumulatedstatisticsandpreparedarticlesonthesubject，thoughheappearstohaveofferedlittleofsuchmatterforpublication。Once，however，whenhissympathywasawakenedbythevictimofafrightfultrolleyandtraincollisioninNewark，NewJersey，hewrotealetterwhichpromptlyfounditswayintoprint。
DEARMISSMADELINE，Yourgood&admiring&affectionatebrotherhastoldmeofyoursorrowfulshareinthetrolleydisasterwhichbroughtunaccustomedtearstomillionsofeyes&fierceresentmentagainstthosewhosecriminalindifferencetotheirresponsibilitiescausedit，&thereminderhasbroughtbacktomeapangoutofthatbygonetime。IwishIcouldtakeyousound&wholeoutofyourbed&breakthelegsofthoseofficials&puttheminit——tostaythere。
ForinmyspiritIammerciful，andwouldnotbreaktheirnecks&
backsalso，assomewouldwhohavenofeeling。
Itisyourbrotherwhopermitsmetowritethisline——&soitisnotanintrusion，yousee。
Mayyougetwell—&soon！
Sincerelyyours，S。L。CLEMENS。
AverylittlelaterhewaswritinganotherletteronasimilarsubjecttoSt。ClairMcKelway，whohadnarrowlyescapedinjuryinarailwayaccident。
DEARMcKELWAY，Yourinnumerablefriendsaregrateful，mostgrateful。
AsIunderstandthetelegrams，theengineersofyourtrainhadneverseenalocomotivebefore……Thegovernment’sofficialreport，showingthatourrailwayskilledtwelvehundredpersonslastyear&injuredsixtythousand，convincesmethatunderpresentconditionsoneProvidenceisnotenoughproperly&efficientlytotakecareofourrailroadbusiness。ButitischaracteristicallyAmerican——alwaystryingtogetalongshort—handed&savewages。
AmassacreofJewsinMoscowrenewedhisanimosityforsemi—barbaricRussia。AskedforaChristmassentiment，hewrote：
Itismywarm&world—embracingChristmashopethatallofusthatdeserveitmayfinallybegatheredtogetherinaheavenofrest&
peace，&theotherspermittedtoretireintotheclutchesofSatan，ortheEmperorofRussia，accordingtopreference——iftheyhaveapreference。
Anarticle，\"TheTsar’sSoliloquy，\"writtenatthistime，waspublishedintheNorthAmericanReviewforMarch1905。Hewrotemuchmore，butmostoftheothermatterheputaside。Onasubjectlikethathealwaysdiscardedthreetimesasmuchashepublished，anditwasusuallyaboutthreetimesasterrificasthatwhichfounditswayintotype。\"TheSoliloquy，\"however，issevereenough。ItrepresentstheTsarascontemplatinghimselfwithouthisclothes，andreflectingonwhatapoorhumanspecimenhepresents：
Isitthisthat140，000，000Russianskissthedustbeforeandworship？——manifestlynot！NoonecouldworshipthisspectaclewhichisMe。Thenwhoisit，whatisit，thattheyworship？Privately，noneknowsbetterthanI：itismyclothes！WithoutmyclothesI
shouldbeasdestituteofauthorityasanyothernakedperson。Noonecouldtellmefromaparsonandbarbertutor。ThenwhoistherealEmperorofRussia！Myclothes！Thereisnoother。
Theemperorcontinuesthisfancy，andreflectsonthefiercecrueltiesthataredoneinhisname。ItwasawitheringsatireonRussianimperialism，anditstirredawideresponse。ThisencouragedClemenstosomethingevenmorepretentiousandeffectiveinthesameline。Hewrote\"KingLeopold’sSoliloquy，\"thereflectionsofthefiendishsovereignwhohadmaimedandslaughteredfifteenmillionsofAfricansubjectsinhisgreed——gentle，harmlessblacks—men，women，andlittlechildrenwhomhehadbutcheredandmutilatedinhisCongorubber—fields。SeldominthehistoryoftheworldhavetherebeensuchatrociouspracticesasthoseofKingLeopoldintheCongo，andClemenssparednothinginhispictureofthem。Thearticlewasregardedasnotquitesuitableformagazinepublication，anditwasgiventotheCongoReformAssociationandissuedasabookletfordistribution，withnoreturntotheauthor，whowouldgladlyhavewrittenahundredtimesasmuchifhecouldhavesavedthatunhappyraceandhavesentLeopoldtotheelectricchair。——[Thebookwasprice—markedtwenty—fivecents，butthereturnsfromsuchasweresoldwenttothecause。Thousandsofthemweredistributedfree。TheCongo，adomainfourtimesaslargeastheGermanempire，hadbeenmadethewardofBelgiumataconventioninBerlinbytheagreementoffourteennations，AmericaandthirteenEuropeanstates。Leopoldpromptlyseizedthecountryforhispersonaladvantageandthenationsapparentlyfoundthemselvespowerlesstodeposehim。Nomoreterribleblunderwasevercommittedbyanassemblageofcivilizedpeople。]
VariousplansandmovementswereundertakenforCongoreform，andClemensworkedandwrotelettersandgavehisvoiceandhisinfluenceandexhaustedhisrage，atlast，asoneafteranotherofthehalf—organizedandaltogetherfutileundertakingsshowednoresults。Hisinterestdidnotdie，butitbecameinactive。Eventuallyhedeclared：\"IhavesaidallIcansayonthatterriblesubject。IamheartandsoulinanymovementthatwillrescuetheCongoandhangLeopold，butIcannotwriteanymore。\"
Hisfireswerelikelytoburnthemselvesout，theyragedsofiercely。
HisfinalparagraphonthesubjectwasaproposedepitaphforLeopoldwhentimeshouldhaveclaimedhim。Itran：
HereunderthisgildedtombliesrottingthebodyofonethesmellofwhosenamewillstilloffendthenostrilsofmenagesuponagesafteralltheCaesarsandWashingtons&Napoleonsshallhaveceasedtobepraisedorblamed&beenforgotten——LeopoldofBelgium。
ClemenshadnotyetlostinterestintheAmericanpolicyinthePhilippines，andinhisletterstoTwichellhedidnothesitatetocriticizetilePresident’sattitudeinthisandrelatedmatters。Once，inamomentofirritation，hewrote：
DEARJOE，——IknewIhadinmesomewhereadefinitefeelingaboutthePresident。IfIcouldonlyfindthewordstodefineitwith！Heretheyare，toahair——fromLeonardJerome：
\"FortwentyyearsIhavelovedRoosevelttheman，andhatedRooseveltthestatesmanandpolitician。\"
It’smightygood。Everytimeintwenty—fiveyearsthatIhavemetRooseveltthemanawaveofwelcomehasstreakedthroughmewiththehand—grip；butwheneverasaruleImeetRooseveltthestatesman&
politicianIfindhimdestituteofmorals¬respect—worthy。Itisplainthatwherehispoliticalself&partyselfareconcernedhehasnothingresemblingaconscience；thatunderthoseinspirationsheisnaivelyindifferenttotherestraintsofduty&evenunawareofthem；readytokicktheConstitutionintothebackyardwheneveritgetsinhisway……
ButRooseveltisexcusable——Irecognizeit&oughttoconcedeit。
Weareallinsane，eachinhisownway，&withinsanitygoesirresponsibility。Theodorethemanissane；infairnessweoughttokeepinmindthatTheodore，asstatesman&politician，isinsane&
irresponsible。
Hewroteagreatdealmorefromtimetotimeonthissubject；butthatisthegistofhisconclusions，andwhetherjustifiedbytime，orotherwise，itexpressestodaythedeductionofaverylargenumberofpeople。Itissetdownhere，becauseitisapartofMarkTwain’shistory，andalsobecausealittlewhileafterhisdeaththerehappenedtocreepintoprintanincompleteandmisleadingnotesinceoftenreprinted，whichheoncemadeinamomentofanger，whenhewasinalessjudicialframeofmind。
Itseemsproperthataman’shonestsentimentsshouldberecordedconcerningthenation’sservants。
Clemenswroteanarticleatthisperiodwhichhecalledthe\"WarPrayer。\"
Itpicturedtheyoungrecruitsabouttomarchawayforwar——theexcitementandthecelebration——thedrum—beatandtheheart—beatofpatriotism——thefinalassemblyinthechurchwheretheministeruttersthattremendousinvocation：
Godtheall—terrible！Thouwhoordainest，Thunder，Thyclarion，andlightning，Thysword！
andthe\"longprayer\"forvictorytothenation’sarmies。Astheprayerclosesawhite—robedstrangerenters，movesuptheaisle，andtakesthepreacher’splace；then，aftersomemomentsofimpressivesilence，hebegins：
\"IcomefromtheThrone—bearingamessagefromAlmightyGod！……
HehasheardtheprayerofHisservant，yourshepherd，&willgrantitifsuchshallbeyourdesireafterIHismessengershallhaveexplainedtoyouitsimport——thatistosayitsfullimport。Foritislikeuntomanyoftheprayersofmeninthatitasksformorethanhewhouttersitisawareof——excepthepause&think。
\"God’sservant&yourshasprayedhisprayer。Hashepaused&takenthought？Isitoneprayer？No，itistwo——oneuttered，theothernot。BothhavereachedtheearofHimwhohearethallsupplications，thespoken&theunspoken……
\"Youhaveheardyourservant’sprayer——theutteredpartofit。IamcommissionedofGodtoputintowordstheotherpartofit——thatpartwhichthepastor——andalsoyouinyourhearts——ferventlyprayed，silently。Andignorantly&unthinkingly？Godgrantthatitwasso！Youheardthesewords：’Grantusthevictory，OLordourGod！’Thatissufficient。Thewholeoftheutteredprayeriscompletedintothosepregnantwords。
\"UponthelisteningspiritofGodtheFatherfellalsotheunspokenpartoftheprayer。Hecommandethmetoputitintowords。Listen！
\"OLordourFather，ouryoungpatriots，idolsofourhearts，goforthtobattle——beThounearthem！Withthem——inspirit——wealsogoforthfromthesweetpeaceofourbelovedfiresidestosmitethefoe。
\"OLordourGod，helpustoteartheirsoldierstobloodyshredswithourshells；helpustocovertheirsmilingfieldswiththepaleformsoftheirpatriotdead；helpustodrownthethunderofthegunswiththewounded，writhinginpain；helpustolaywastetheirhumblehomeswithahurricaneoffire；helpustowringtheheartsoftheirunoffendingwidowswithunavailinggrief；helpustoturnthemoutrooflesswiththeirlittlechildrentowanderunfriendedthroughwastesoftheirdesolatedlandinrags&hunger&thirst，sportofthesun—
flamesofsummer&theicywindsofwinter，brokeninspirit，wornwithtravail，imploringTheefortherefugeofthegrave&
deniedit——foroursakes，whoadoreThee，Lord，blasttheirhopes，blighttheirlives，protracttheirbitterpilgrimage，makeheavytheirsteps，watertheirwaywiththeirtears，stainthewhitesnowwiththebloodoftheirwoundedfeet！WeaskofonewhoistheSpiritoflove&whoistheever—faithfulrefuge&friendofallthataresorebeset，&seekHisaidwithhumble&contritehearts。Grantourprayer，OLord；&Thineshallbethepraise&honor&glorynow&ever，Amen。\"
Afterapause。\"Yehaveprayedit；ifyestilldesireit，speak！——themessengeroftheMostHighwaits。\"……
Itwasbelieved，afterward，thatthemanwasalunatic，becausetherewasnosenseinwhathesaid。
ToDanBeard，whodroppedintoseehim，Clemensreadthe\"WarPrayer，\"
statingthathehadreadittohisdaughterJean，andothers，whohadtoldhimhemustnotprintit，foritwouldberegardedassacrilege。
\"Stillyou——aregoingtopublishit，areyounot？\"
Clemens，pacingupanddowntheroominhisdressing—gownandslippers，shookhishead。
\"No，\"hesaid，\"Ihavetoldthewholetruthinthat，andonlydeadmencantellthetruthinthisworld。ItcanbepublishedafterIamdead。\"
Hedidnotcaretoinvitethepublicverdictthathewasalunatic，orevenafanaticwithamissiontodestroytheillusionsandtraditionsandconclusionsofmankind。ToTwichellhewrote，playfullybutsincerely：
AmIhonest？IgiveyoumywordofhonorprivatelyIamnot。ForsevenyearsIhavesuppressedabookwhichmyconsciencetellsmeIoughttopublish。Iholditadutytopublishit。ThereareotherdifficultdutieswhichIamequalto，butIamnotequaltothatone。Yes，evenI
amdishonest。Notinmanyways，butinsome。Forty—one，Ithinkitis。
Wearecertainlyallhonestinoneorseveralways——everymanintheworld——thoughIhaveareasontothinkIamtheonlyonewhoseblacklistrunssolight。SometimesIfeellonelyenoughinthisloftysolitude。
ItwashisGospelhereferredtoashisunpublishedbook，hisdoctrineofSelfishness，andofMantheirresponsibleMachine。ToTwichellhepretendedtofavorwar，whichhedeclared，tohismind，wasoneoftheverybestmethodsknownofdiminishingthehumanrace。
Whatalifeitis！——thisone！Everythingwetrytodo，somebodyintrudes&obstructsit。Afteryearsofthought&laborIhavearrivedwithinonelittlebitofastepofperfectingmyinventionforexhaustingtheoxygenintheglobe’sairduringastretchoftwominutes，&ofcoursealongcomesanobstructorwhoisinventingsomethingtoprotecthumanlife。
Damnsuchaworldanyway。
HegenerallywroteTwichellwhenhehadthingstosaythatwereoutsideofthepaleofprint。Hewassureofanattentiveaudienceofone，andtheaudience，whetheritagreedwithhimornot，wouldatleastunderstandhimandbehonoredbyhisconfidence。Inoneletterofthatyearhesaid：
Ihavewrittenyouto—day，nottodoyouaservice，buttodomyselfone。
Therewasbileinme。Ihadtoemptyitorlosemydayto—morrow。IfI
triedtoemptyitintotheNorthAmericanReview——oh，well，Icouldn’taffordtherisk。No，thecertainty！ThecertaintythatIwouldn’tbesatisfiedwiththeresult；soIwouldburnit，&tryagainto—morrow；
burnthatandtryagainthenextday。Ithappenssonearlyeverytime。
Ihaveafamilytosupport，&Ican’taffordthiskindofdissipation。
LastwinterwhenIwassickIwroteamagazinearticlethreetimesbeforeIgotittosuitme。IPut$500worthofworkoniteverydayfortendays，&atlastwhenIgotittosuitmeitcontainedbut3，000words—
$900。Iburnedit&saidIwouldreform。
AndIhavereformed。IhavetoworkmybileoffwheneveritgetstowhereIcan’tstandit，butIcanworkitoffonyoueconomically，becauseIdon’thavetomakeitsuitme。Itmaynotsuityou，butthatisn’tanymatter；I’mnotwritingitforthat。Ihaveusedyouasanequilibrium——restorermorethanonceinmytime，&shallcontinue，I
guess。IwouldliketouseMr。Rogers，&heisplentygood—naturedenough，butitwouldn’tbefairtokeephimrescuingmefrommyleather—
headedbusinesssnarls&makehimreadinterminablebile—irruptionsbesides；Ican’tuseHowells，heisbusy&old&lazy，&won’tstandit；
Idasn’tuseClara，there’sthingsIhavetosaywhichshewouldn’tputupwith——averydearlittleashcat，buthasclaws。Andso——you’reIt。
[Seetheprefacetothe\"AutobiographyofMarkTwain\"：’Iamwritingfromthegrave。Onthesetermsonlycanamanbeapproximatelyfrank。Hecannotbestraitlyandunqualifiedlyfrankeitherinthegraveoroutofit。’D。W。]
CCXXXV
ASUMMERINNEWHAMPSHIRE
HetookforthesummerahouseatDublin，NewHampshire，thehomeofHenryCopleyGreene，LoneTreeHill，ontheMonadnockslope。Itwasinalovelylocality，andforneighborstherewereartists，literarypeople，andthoseofkindredpursuits，amongthemanumberofoldfriends。
ColonelHigginsonhadaplacenearby，andAbbottH。Thayer，thepainter，andGeorgedeForestBrush，andtheRaphaelPumpellyfamily，andmanymore。
ColonelHigginsonwroteClemensaletterofwelcomeassoonasthenewsgotoutthathewasgoingtoDublin；andClemens，answering，said：
Iearlylearnedthatyouwouldbemyneighborinthesummer&I
rejoiced，recognizinginyou&yourfamilyalargeasset。Ihopeforfrequentintercoursebetweenthetwohouseholds。Ishallhavemyyoungestdaughterwithme。Theotheronewillgofromtherest—
cureinthiscitytotherest—cureinNorfolk，Connecticut；&weshallnotseeherbeforeautumn。WehavenotseenhersincethemiddleofOctober。
Jean，theyoungerdaughter，wenttoDublin&sawthehouse&camebackcharmedwithit。IknowtheThayersofold——manifestlythereisnolackofattractionsupthere。Mrs。ThayerandIwereshipmatesinawildexcursionperilouslynear40yearsago。
Aldrichwasherehalfanhourago，likeabreezefromoverthefields，withthefragrancestilluponhisspirit。Iamtiredwantingforthatmantogetold。
TheywenttoDublininMay，andbecameatonceapartofthesummercolonywhichcongregatedthere。Therewasmuchgoingtoandfroamongthedifferenthouses，pleasantafternoonsinthewoods，mountain—climbingforJean，andeverywhereaspiritoffine，unpretentiouscomradeship。
TheCopleyGreenehousewasromanticallysituated，withacharmingoutlook。ClemenswrotetoTwichell：
Welikeithereinthemountains，intheshadowsofMonadnock。Itisawoodysolitude。Wehavenonearneighbors。WehaveneighborsandIcanseetheirhousesscatteredintheforestdistances，forweliveonahill。IamastonishedtofindthatIhaveknown8ofthese14neighborsalongtime；10yearsistheshortest；thensevenbeginningwith25years&runningupto37years’friendship。ItisthemostremarkablethingIeverheardof。
ThisletterwaswritteninJuly，andhestatesinitthathehasturnedoutonehundredthousandwordsofalargemanuscript……Itwasafantastictaleentitled\"3，000YearsamongtheMicrobes，\"asortofscientificrevel——orrevelry——theautobiographyofamicrobethathadbeenonceaman，andthroughafailureinabiologicalexperimenttransformedintoacholeragermwhentheexperimenterwastryingtoturnhimintoabird。HishabitatwasthepersonofadisreputabletrampnamedBlitzowski，ahumancontinentofvastareas，withseethingmicrobicnationsandfantasticlifeproblems。Itwasasatire，ofcourse——
Gulliver’sLilliputoutdone——asortofscientific，socialistic，mathematicaljamboree。
Hetiredofitbeforeitreachedcompletion，thoughnotbeforeithadattainedtheproportionsofabookofsize。Asawholeitwouldhardlyhaveaddedtohisreputation，thoughitisnotwithoutfineandhumorouspassages，andcertainlynotwithoutinterest。Itschiefmissionwastodiverthimmentallythatsummerduring，thosedaysandnightswhenhewouldotherwisehavebeenaloneandbroodinguponhisloneliness。——[Forextractsfrom\"3，000YearsamongtheMicrobes\"seeAppendixV，attheendofthiswork。]
MARKTWAIN’SSUGGESTEDTITLE—PAGEFORHISMICROBEBOOK：
3000YEARS
AMONGTHEMICROBES
ByaMicrobeWITHNOTES
addedbythesameHand7000yearslaterTranslatedfromtheOriginalMicrobicbyMarkTwainHisinabilitytoreproducefacesinhismind’seyehemournedasanincreasingcalamity。Photographswerelifelessthings，andwhenhetriedtoconjureupthefacesofhisdeadtheyseemedtodriftfartheroutofreach；butnowandthenkindlysleepbroughttohimsomethingoutofthattreasure—housewhereallourrealitiesarekeptforusfreshandfair，perhapsforadaywhenwemayclaimthemagain。OncehewrotetoMrs。
Crane：
SUSYDEAR，——Ihavehadalovelydream。Livy，dressedinblack，wassittingupinmybedhereatmyright&lookingasyoung&sweetassheusedtowhenshewasinhealth。Shesaid，\"Whatisthenameofyoursweetsister？\"Isaid，\"Pamela。\"\"Ohyes，thatisit，I
thoughtitwas——naminganamewhichhasescapedmewon’tyouwriteitdownforme？\"Ireachedeagerlyforapen&pad，laidmyhandsuponboth，thensaidtomyself，\"Itisonlyadream，\"andturnedbacksorrowfully&thereshewasstill。Theconvictionflamedthroughmethatourlamenteddisasterwasadream，&thisareality。
Isaid，\"Howblesseditis，howblesseditis，itwasalladream，onlyadream！\"SheonlysmiledanddidnotaskwhatdreamImeant，whichsurprisedme。Sheleanedherheadagainstmine&keptsaying，\"Iwasperfectlysureitwasadream；Ineverwouldhavebelieveditwasn’t。\"Ithinkshesaidseveralthings，butifsotheyaregonefrommymemory。Iwoke&didnotknowIhadbeendreaming。Shewasgone。Iwonderedhowshecouldgowithoutmyknowingit，butIdidnotspendanythoughtuponthat。Iwastoobusythinkingofhowvivid&realwasthedreamthatwehadlosther，&howunspeakablyblesseditwastofindthatitwasnottrue&thatshewasstillours&withus。
HehadtheorchestrellemovedtoDublin，althoughitwasnosmallundertaking，forheneededthesolaceofitsharmonies；andsothedayspassedalong，andhegrewstrongerinbodyandcourageashisgriefdriftedfartherbehindhim。Sometimes，intheafternoonorintheevening；whentheneighborshadcomeinforalittlewhile，hewouldwalkupanddownandtalkinhisold，marvelouswayofallthethingsonlandandsea，ofthepastandofthefuture，\"OfProvidence，foreknowledge，will，andfate，\"ofthefriendshehadknownandofthethingshehaddone，ofthesorrowandabsurditiesoftheworld。
Itwasthesameoldscintillating，incomparabletalkofwhichHowellsoncesaid：
\"Weshallneverknowitslikeagain。Whenhediesitwilldiewithhim。\"
ItwasduringthesummeratDublinthatClemensandRogerstogethermadeupaphilanthropicruseonTwichell。Twichell，throughhisownprodigalcharities，hadfallenintodebt，afactwhichRogersknew。Rogerswasamanwhoconcealedhisphilanthropieswhenhecould，andheperformedmanyofthemofwhichtheworldwillneverknow：Inthiscasehesaid：
\"Clemens，IwanttohelpTwichelloutofhisfinancialdifficulty。I
willsupplythemoneyandyouwilldothegiving。Twichellmustthinkitcomesfromyou。\"
Clemensagreedtothisontheconditionthathebepermittedtoleavearecordofthematterforhischildren，sothathewouldnotappearinafalselighttothem，andthatTwichellshouldlearnthetruthofthegift，soonerorlater。Sothedeedwasdone，andTwichellandhiswifelavishedtheirthanksuponClemens，who，withhiswife，hadmorethanoncebeentheirbenefactors，makingthedeceptioneasyenoughnow。
Clemenswrithedundertheselettersofgratitude，andforwardedthemtoClarainNorfolk，andlatertoRogershimself。Hepretendedtotakegreatpleasureinthispartoftheconspiracy，butitwasnotanunmixeddelight。ToRogershewrote：
Iwantedher[Clara]toseewhatagenerousfathershe’sgot。I
didn’ttellheritwasyou，butbyandbyIwanttotellher，whenI
haveyourconsent；thenIshallwanthertoremembertheletters。I
wantarecordthere，formyLifewhenIamdead，&mustbeabletofurnishthefactsabouttheRelief—of—Lucknow—TwichellincaseI
fallsuddenly，beforeIgetthosefactswithyourconsent，beforetheTwichellsthemselves。
Ireadthoseletterswithimmensepride！IrecognizedthatIhadscoredonegooddeedforsureonmyhaloaccount。Ihaven’thadanythingthattastedsogoodsincethestolenwatermelon。
P。S。—IamhurryingthemofftoyoubecauseIdasn’treadthemagain！Ishouldblushtomyheelstofillupwiththisunearnedgratitudeagain，pouringoutofthethankfulheartsofthosepoorswindledpeoplewhodonotsuspectyou，buthonestlybelieveIgavethatmoney。
Mr。Rogershastilyreplied：
MYDEARCLEMENS，——Thelettersarelovely。Don’tbreathe。Theyaresohappy！Itwouldbeacrimetoletthemthinkthatyouhaveinanywaydeceivedthem。Icankeepstill。Youmust。Iamsendingyoualltracesofthecrime，sothatyoumaylookinnocentandtellthetruth，asyouusuallydowhenyouthinkyoucanescapedetection。Don’tgetrattled。
Seriously。Youhavedoneakindness。Youareproudofit，Iknow。
Youhavemadeyourfriendshappy，andyououghttobesogladastocheerfullyacceptreprooffromyourconscience。JoeWadsworthandI
oncestoleagooseandgaveittoapoorwidowasaChristmaspresent。Nocrimeinthat。Ialwaysputmycounterfeitmoneyontheplate。\"Thepasserofthesasser\"alwayssmilesatmeandIgetcreditfordoinggenerousthings。Butseriouslyagain，ifyoudofeelalittleuncomfortablewaituntilIseeyoubeforeyoutellanybody。Avoidcultivatingmisery。Iamtryingtoloaftensoliddays。Wedohopetoseeyousoon。